The Water is Finally Warming Up

Type: Nontidal
Region: Southern
Location: St. Mary's River Park

I went kayak fishing at St Mary�s River Park yesterday to target crappie specifically. However, I caught a few other species of fish.

Water conditions were typical at the lake; a few feet of advisability with winds picking up throughout the day and settling back down around 4:00pm. The water temperature ranged from 52 to 54 degrees. Which made the small male largemouth bass bite.

I caught a total of nine bass, seven chain pickerel and three or more crappie (I kinda lost count). I caught the fish on deep diving and square bill hard baits, bluegill and shad in color (both had rattles and make noise when when retrieving the lure), I also used a 1/4 oz swim bait, very light blue in color.

I worked the hard baits over and along the edge of hydrilla where the depth dropped off to deeper water. The top of the underwater grass ranged from four and a half to six feet deep. I worked the swim bait similar but over hard bottom as well. All fish were caught off the shoreline between 50 to 100 feet off the bank.

The location of the fish? Everywhere! Male largemouth are fattening up for the coming spawn and the warmer water is turning them on to shallower water, the pickerel are now towards the end of their spawn and heading back to deeper water as water temps start to raise, as for the crappie they are just getting started.

It was a great day!

For more information about kayaking and canoeing in Maryland, visit our Kayak and Canoe Fishing page.