Bad Day Saved

Type:
Region: Central
Location: Gunpowder State Park

I had an odd day at the Jones Road access to Gunpowder River State Park on Monday, April 21st. Having read another Angler's Log report that the shad were in, I looked forward to some decent action there. And in the parking lot a father and son showed me a stringer of giant crappies, so I was pumped! Sadly, my shad dart tandem rigs in various colors produced zero, despite dozens of casts directly into splashing schooling fish (but I really think they were herring). Even more sadly, several young people were hauling in whatever they wanted from the boulders with dip nets. (You gotta get out there, DNR, and issue some citations!) A couple of other legitimate anglers I talked to were also lacking much success. Dejectedly I headed back home, but I stopped for one last attempt into a deep bend with a nightcrawler bounced across the bottom. I was instantly hooked up with the first White Perch of the year! I must have caught (and released) 30 more before it really was time to go, a bad day saved!