For the Week Ending Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017

Monday, Sept. 11 (from Charlie)...The water was super low today, and the wind was out of the east at 17, gusting to 25. I probably should have stayed home, but low water can make for a killer day, and today it was in spades. With all the undercut banks high and dry, they were in the deeper channels, and the Yo-Zuri 2-3/4” 3DB wakebait and the Yo-Zuri 3DS crankbait were attacked with gusto. When they missed the crankbait, a SwimSenko follow-up usually got a hookup. Not too much interest in the swimbaits today. Interesting how things change day by day. It’s a new learning curve every trip. I ended the day with 23 bass, one pickerel, and several dink white perch. In the bass department, there were seven over two pounds, 2-0, 2-1, 2-4, 2-2, 2-7, 2-9, and a 2-11, plus a 3-2, for a best-five-fish total of 13 pounds 1 ounce. At times, I was going in reverse, while paddling forward in the heavier wind gusts, so I got a good workout. It was well worth the effort, though. The accompanying picture is of the 3-2.

Monday, Sept. 11 (from Ron)...Water was so low I had to launch in the mud at Blackwater Road to fish Milldam Creek. Fought the wind and found several fish, mostly small. With the low water and grass, threw beetlespins and Mini-King spinnerbaits. In hindsight, should have tried some plastics, but it was just too windy. Caught five crappie, two white perch, seven small yellow perch, four bluegill, and eight bass, including a 1-5 and a 2-3. As I was getting ready to put the fourth keeper crappie on the stringer (untied and not secured), something grabbed the fish already on there with force and ripped it from my hand. I lost the crappie and my stringer, so no dinner. As I had lost a chain pickerel earlier, I suspect that was what may have stolen my dinner. I searched around for a bit but never saw where they went. Cooler water may account for the recent uptick in chain pickerel (slime darts) activity.

Tuesday, Sept. 12 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam Creek again and found a mixed bag of small fish. Tried topwater and SwimSenkos, but it seemed they only were interested in small spinnerbaits. Caught two dinks, two chain pickerel (at 17 and 20 inches), two crappie, six small yellow perch, two bluegill, and a 10-inch white perch. They all seemed to really like the spinnerbait (1/4 oz. with white skirt) reeled just along the grass lines. Lost a small bowfin yakside. The river gauge is climbing, and the water was still clear.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 (from Skip and Ken)...We fished out of our own boats but compared notes throughout the day, hence this combined report on our day in West Neck. Our results definitely were not anything to write home about, but we both managed to catch a few little ones. Skip had four, and I had five at day's end, but there wasn't a single fish among them that would have gone a pound. The biggest fish of the trip was about a 2-lb. bowfin that I caught early this morning on a topwater. I know Skip caught at least one (and perhaps more) of his bass on a fluke. Three of mine fell for a topwater, and the other two went for a spinnerbait. The best part of the whole day was my trip to Wayne's house this afternoon to get my lower-unit lube checked for metal after slamming into that submerged object last Saturday. Turns out there was no metal, so it appears I dodged a bullet, except for the cost of getting the prop repaired. I gave the spot where that occurred a wide berth today. However, the next time I'm fishing West Neck on low water, likely will check and see if I can find out what I hit. You can be sure I'll be on the trolling motor this next time, though. Incidentally, Ron, thanks for giving me the idea to try a spinnerbait today. Kinda think in hindsight, however, I would have been better served to have fished double willow, instead of double Colorado blades, with the bright sun and clear water.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 (from Ron)...Repeated the "Munden Point Park to Blackwater Road" Milldam Creek trip. The higher water seemed to change everything. As compared to the last couple days, didn't find any yellow perch or sunfish and no chain pickerel. The feeder creeks were not producing any bites; everything was out in the main creek. I did find two quality bass at 3-11 and 3-13, as well as a dink. Also caught two decent white perch at 10.5 and 11 inches. The 3-11 bass fell for a Strike King Mini-King spinnerbait, and the 3-13 slammed a Whopper Plopper just after sunset. Was nice to feel the drag scream a bit.

Friday, Sept. 15 (from Ray)...I had planned to go to Lake Burnt Mills with the kayak today, but when I checked my kayak, the construction people had placed a scaffold in front of the storeroom door. So, I launched my boat at Pungo Ferry and fished the oxbow south of the bridge and Straight Creek. Only had two hits and landed only one at 15 oz. Couldn't catch a bream. Other people on the water complained about it being a lousy day, but two young guys in kayaks said they had caught a 4 pounder, 3 pounder, and two smaller fish on swimbaits.

Saturday, Sept. 16 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam Friday evening, and it was awful! The high gauge seemed to push all the grass and debris out into the main creek. Only found two white perch to avoid the skunk. This morning was a bit better. Gauge fell a bit, but opening day of teal season was a bit discomforting, with all the gunshots, and a couple fellas were at my favorite spot with all their decoys. I did manage six bass but only one for the scale at 1-4.  Also caught two crappie, two white perch, three yellow perch (with one at 11-inch fry size), and a very hardy bowfin at 5-7.  Lost a stout bass alongside, easily 3 lbs. plus. The bowfin had a damaged lip before I even lip-gripped him. Everything fell to Mini-King spinnerbait. Tried a variety of lures, but only the spinnerbait was working. Bass bite didn't start until about 1000.

Sunday, Sept. 17 (from Ron)...Did a rare Pocaty trip this morning, but this time, I went all the way to North Landing from the Blackwater Road Bridge. Most of the bites were between halfway and the main North Landing. I suspect the outflowing low water affected the O2 content and, therefore, was the reason I found nothing back near the bridge. Caught a total of 9 dink basss, one small crappie, two very small white perch, and two small yellow perch. Two of the bass fell to the Whopper Plopper. Everything else was on the Mini-King spinnerbait. Also decided to take an evening trip to Milldam Creek from Blackwater Road. If you're going to catch dinks, they may as well be dink bowfin or "foul" swamp donkeys! Had to look up the name for a juvenile donkey and learned it is called a foul. Caught two small bowfin at 2-1 and 1-15, and they fought like champs. Seemed like the very small fish were interested in the spinnerbait: four bluegill, one crappie, three dink bass, and four yellow perch. Weather was about perfect and made for a great evening. (Attached photos are from the evening trip.)

Sunday, Sept. 17 (from Charlie)...Another amazing day. Clear water, 77°, good current, and overcast--all the right elements in place but could have done without so much wind. Took the fly rod and had a ball with small bass, white perch, crappie and yellow perch, mostly on a #4 Betts Bee Pop. On the spinning gear, I used a Yo-Zuri  2” 3DS Crank SSR  F  (Ghost Shad), Yo-Zuri  2-3/4”  3DB Wakebait F (Sexy Shad), Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper (Shiner), Yamamoto Senko 5”( Green Pumpkin/Black Flake), large Beetlespin with a small paddle-tail swimbait, and a Yamamoto SwimSenko 5”( Green Pumpkin/Black Flake). Everything I tossed caught fish. If anything worked best, it was the Senko by a small margin. Ended the day with 27 bass, two bluegill, three crappie, one yellow perch, and several white perch. Top five bass were 1-8, 1-12, 1-13, 2-6, and 2-13.