FALL
FISHING '06
Here are some
great fishing tips, stories, and photos.
Covers fall '06. Maryland region
and more...
Somewhere
in the Headwaters of the Mattawoman
11/26/06 Mark Burchick
Mark and I fished
five-hours of shoreline
today. Jeb went to the
Ravens/Steelers game! We
were not on the water
for more than a half
hour when Mark 'almost'
caught a six-pound plus
largemouth. I took this
photo, and as the fish
got closer to the boat,
Mark knew he had a big
one. I put the camera
down, and got the net.
Mark got him to the
boat, we both saw him
close-up, and the fish
spit the hook just as I
was reaching into the
water with the net. I
think it was just at
that second, Mark had
slack on the line. We
both cast back into the
water and did a
systematic sweep of the
lunkers home habitat,
but to no avail. The
boat went silent for
about a half hour as
Mark and I both
reflected and sulked
over the big-one that
got away.
Mark stuck with a
Cavitron buzz-bait
all day . . .
. . . and caught
four one-pound bass
on the day.
I on the other hand
switched between my
spinning reel and
baitcaster using
spinner-baits,
chatter-baits, worms
and a roadrunner,
and caught one fish
on the day. It was a
chain pickerel that
I caught on a
Blakemore
roadrunner.
Check out the lump
in his stomach. It
perfectly matches
the headfirst body
of a bluegill. The
pickerel looked like
he just finished
Thanksgiving dinner
and was bursting at
the seams!
Pickerel are in the
pike family and are
called chain
pickerel because of
the chain link
pattern along the
sides of the fish.
They can live up to
10-years old and get
three-feet long and
in excess of
7-pounds. They are a
lively winter fish
and are top-flight
ambush predators.
Mark models the fish
for me, as I get
some close-up photos
of his rows of
teeth.
Round 2 of migratory
goose season is
December 18 thru
January 29 and the
resident goose
season is from
December 9 thru
February 15.
We might have to do
a 'cast & blast'
combo 'fish & fowl'
trip. Mark has the
Remington 12-gauge
pump and I have the
Browning, Semi-auto
Gold Hunter. We've
seen a goodly number
of geese come over
the tree tops,
'cranking' for a
landing, within
shotgun range, but
then bank and get
the quack out of
Dodge as soon as
they see us. It got
up to 65-degrees
today, with both the
Ravens and Redskins
winning.
