Snappin' And Trappin' Video

Daily routine: Topwater or Bust

zen fisherman

It's almost June and I have yet to catch a fish on topwater. I have been throwing a couple of different plugs but I haven't exactly made it a priority until now. So yesterday we decided to hit a couple of ponds that are thick with grass perfect to throw frogs and get my first  topwater fish of 2016. The first pond we hit is surrounded by parking lots that drain into it so it has warm water that is really good for the grass to grow. I have identified at least 6 different types of grass here ,but it still holds good fish even though it gets choked with growth at times.

Daily Routine: Bass Fishing at Franklin Park Purcellville

We decided to go back to Franklin park for the first time since early April  (click to read about it here) we were hoping there may be a few trout left. When we got out there a rain cloud was passing over it was kinda windy but after about 10 minutes it passed and the wind calmed down. On my first cast I hooked up to a little bass but it got off because I didn't set the hook. This little fish was foreshadowing for the trip because we caught at least 20 little bass as we made our way around the pond. I used a texas rigged purple zoom u tale worm with a 1/4 ounce bullet weight while Collin used a weightless zoom fluke. Collin worked his fluke tight to the bank while I worked from the middle of the pond. Collin caught a couple more fish mine were a little bigger overall but both techniques seemed to work about the same. The big fish of the day was probably only 12 inches But it was fun quick action to end the day. The catch of the day goes to Collin he caught a snapping turtle on 8 pound test .

Jbay 2016 Recap

DAY 1 we arrived super early Thursday morning. The plan was to hot the water at sunrise and go to scout the areas we had found on navionics and get a feel for the fish. We had high hopes for the weekend and wanted to take full advantage of our time. The sun was barely peeking out and we were already at the launch putting the final touches on the boats before launch. We decided to eat a quick breakfast and soon after we were on our way. I had read many historic fishing reports and I had a good idea of where to start. One of the best pieces of advice I gleaned from Internet searching was to use the many channel markers to line up your troll and locate fish.  We immediately headed toward the first point I had on the gps.

Jamaica Bay Kayak Classic 2016

Fishing Roaches Run Multispecies

Landing a Big Jamaica Bay Bluefish

Testing the Freenoe on Roaches Run

No snakehead but the slab crappie were biting

I picked up a free canoe out of a pile of trash on the curb a couple weeks ago it was an old royalex canoe Oldtown . I saw it while I was at work so I had to finish the day and then go back and pick it up. Luckily it was still there at the end of the day. The canoe looked like it was used hard the seats were all rotted and there was a 10 inch hole that looked to have been patched at least twice before. I figured it would still be serviceable for flatwater if I slapped patch number 3 on it so I got some fiberglass and a quick and dirty patch was made. My vision for it was to be able to combat launch and get into places where the the kayak trailer can't go but still be able to carry two people. We finally got it out on the water for our first trip a place we had never been able to access Roaches Run on the tidal Potomac. One of my 2016 goals before I leave the area is to land a Snakehead. I chased  Snakehead hard last year with only one hookup that I lost at the boat. This was my second trip to their domain this year but the first
time I targeted them this year armed with the Chatterbait and topwater frogs.

Daily Routine: Exploring Familiar Waters

Yesterday evening my brother and I got out for a quick session on some familiar water from an unfamiliar perspective. We hit Goose Creek a place we have fished often for the past 10 years but we fished from a bank that we had never stalked from. We had  been having light rain every day for the past week so the river was slightly elevated. I figured the increased flow would dislodge the bait and make the fish bite but in reality it made it tough to fish the unweighted plastics we had tied on. I focused on the banks where the higher water pooled up behind different outcroppings form the bank. The fish weren't there I didn't even get a hit I did however snag a bait fish. My brother drifted a weightless wacky rigged worm prospecting large parts of the creek. He let the water push the worm into the smaller less visible eddies and would let it settle in where it would slow down. This tactic covered much more water than my presentation and he was rewarded with a small prize his first smallmouth of 2016.