Volume 24, Number 9 FREE April 2015 www.jayflemingphotography.com • AnnApolis updAte • the greAtest thing since sliced breAd! THIS ISSUE COMPLIMENTS OF FREE • big rAck burger • plAner boArds • WhAt is the super 25? • bustin’ bAss • the Monsters Are coMing April 2015 www.fishingandhuntingjournal.com 1 ALL FISHING! ALL THE TIME! Bay • Surf • Bass • Trout • Panfish SPECIAL ORDERS OUR SPECIALTY STRIPER TACKLE! Bay Trolling • Fly Fishing E-Mail Questions and Tackle Inquiries Freshwater Tackle Welcomed: [email protected] Lead Molds, All Sizes ROD & REEL REPAIRS & SERVICE Waders & Hip Boots for Over 200 Different Do-It & Cast Iron Molds in Stock ALL Sizes Over 600 Different Reels In Stock Complete Selection of Visit Our FLY FISHING TACKLE Distinctive Fly Rods • Reels • Tying Supplies & Equipment Fishing Room • How-To Books & Videos Since 1916... First Choice of Fishermen Around the World (410) 327-6942 Tuscorara found this Ground Hog mixed in with Snow Geese on 1919-25 Eastern Ave. Baltimore, MD. 21231 the first day of Spring. Rated by The National Check out Shooting Sports Foundation our video Pro Shop Mathews & Mission Bows • on line! Equipment Rentals Where the Hunt Never Ends! We welcome all types of events-Birthday, Bachelor & Bachelorette parties, Corporate Team Building Events! Crossbow Range featuring Now Open! Four Star Rated Range! Kevin Harris & Phil Warnick caught this 38 George E. Bennett, Owner- 3021 Churchville Road inch Northern Pike while ice fishing on Deep A+ Creek Lake on 2/8/15. (Rt. 22) • Churchville, MD 410-734-9554 Photo Courtesy of MD Anglers Log. www.deercreekarchery.com Colt Ask us about Taurus • Ruger HQL Classes! ON TARGET Inc. Rossi • Glock FIREARMS for Home Protection, Target Shooting & Springfield Armory AR-10 Hunting Pistols • Rifles • Shotguns Smith & Wesson Still Bersa • Walther Legal Bushmasters • 308 INDOOR PISTOL RANGE Memberships — Individual $200.00 1st year, Renewal $175.00 / Family $250.00 1st year, Renewal $225.00 Active Duty Military $175.00 1st year, Renewal $150.00 Law Enforcement $150.00 1st year, Renewal $125.00 2618 Annapolis Rd. • Route 175 and Ridge Road • Severn, MD 21144 Severn Square Shopping Center–Behind Pizza Hut 1 mi. East of I-295, 4 mi. East of I-95 BALT. 410-551-7777 www.ontarget.biz WASH. 301-621-7777 AMMUNITION • HOLSTERS & ACCESSORIES • SAFES • GUN CASES • GIFT CERTIFICATES 2 www.fishingandhuntingjournal.com April 2015 with the tide). When you get one fish on the line it’s common to hook several at “Hooked on Fishing” the same time, since they’re so tightly packed together. The Monsters Are Don’t be afraid to meander around for hours without ever dropping. Good Coming drum anglers spend 70 to 80-percent of their time looking, not just drifting aim- What’s boat, and someone’s likely to drive over lessly. Giving up after a half an hour and the biggest or tangle your line. deciding to drift around with your baits fish you’ve The situation I’m describing here is down, hoping to accidentally intersect By Lenny Rudow ever caught classic Stone Rock drumming, on the with a school of in the Ches- north side of the mouth of the Choptank. fish, is the biggest apeake You’ll also find pods of drum forming at drum-fishing mis- Bay? Chances are, a fat cow striper holds the mouth of the Little Choptank, along take you can make. the top position. Unless, that is, you know the drop west of Sharp’s Island light, When a fish how, where, and when to target the bay’s and some years, as far north as Poplar takes the bait, run of monster black drum. Island. But make no mistake about it, give it a three- These. Fish. Are. Big. Really big. the Stone Rock has, year in and year out, count with the Getting into the 80-pound class isn’t un- the best bite. reel in freespool common, and the Maryland state record Of course, this is still a relatively before locking sits at an eye-popping 103 pounds, eight large area. You usually locate the fish up the drag. The ounces. If that doesn’t top your largest somewhere between the red nun buoy reason you use a Chesapeake fish yet, there’s not much marking the Rock, to the edges about a fishfinder rig is else you’ll encounter in these waters that mile and a half south/west of the marker. that black drum Drum over 80 pounds, like this can do the job. And every day, these fish move. That have sensitive bruiser being hoisted by Brian Accordingly, you’ll need some stout means searching them out using your Lowery, are not uncommon in the mouths, and will middle bay. gear. Fifty pound-class will do the job, depth finder. Black drum appear as large feel the tension of and fishing with 30-pound gear is going red triangular marks on the LCD screen, the weight if it’s ultra-light. The rig you need is a fishfinder, and these fish are so large that it’s tough These are not you get the big one on your line. good eating fish, rigged in-line. If attached to a four or five foot 60-pound to mistake the readings for anything else. they feel it, they’ll - Use fresh soft or peeler crab—not test leader terminating in a 10/0 circle (People often ask me how they’ll know so once you get frozen. Peelers stay on the hook better, but your pictures, spit the bait—so hook. Bait up with a half of a fresh soft when they see drum on the meter. My make sure there’s softies seem to get more bites sometimes. or peeler crab, and make sure you use standard response: don’t worry—you’ll releasing them is the norm. zero tension on - If you spot fish, drop the lines, and enough weight that you can keep the rig know). the line when they don’t get a bite or see fish on the meter, on bottom without stretching out a ton To initially locate the fish, zig-zag initially run. After the hook-up expect hang around no more than four or five of line. Drum fishing in the bay (aside back and forth across drop-offs ranging several blistering runs before the fish minutes before you start searching again. from the Cape Charles area run) usually from about 15 to 30 feet deep, at absolute tires. Once it does, bring it up to boat-side, - If you see 15 or 20 boats milling means locating a tight pod of fish, and minimum speed. But remember, these snap off some pictures, and slide the hook around and suddenly they all bunch up when one is located, a pack of boats are usually small, tight pods of fish. Do out. Big black drum taste about like they in one spot, join them ASAP. We all hate often forms right on top of it. As a result your search pattern into the wind and/or look—ugly. Their meat is often riddled following the crowd but in this case, it this is close-quarters combat fishing. Let current, so if you spot the fish you can with worms, and they’re decades-old fish. means someone has located a school and your rig get stretched out 100’ from the simply shift into neutral and drop the If you luck into one under 20 pounds or has a bent rod. lines. If you’re going with the wind or so, it’s a different story (try cooking them - Keep a jigging rod handy, with a BKD current and you drop the baits when you up in a sweet-and-sour sauce and you’ll or similar plastic on a ½-oz. jig head. If see them, chances are you’ll be off the be surprised at how good the thick, chewy you see scattered small marks above the school by the time your lines hit bottom. meat can be). But the big boys you’ll want big triangles on bottom someone can drop In this circumstance, circle back and see to release, for sure. it over the side and grab a striper or three; if you can drive over the school again, So: you want to catch the biggest fish they often follow the schools of drum. this time in the correct direction. you’ve ever battled in the Chesapeake - If there aren’t many boats around As you circle around looking for the Bay? Your opportunity is coming up soon. you can “jug” a fish and track the school. fish, every angler onboard must have The big blacks usually arrive in early to When you bring one up have a bottle tied their line baited up and ready to go. As mid May, and remain in the zone until mid to 50’ or 60’ of mono at one end, and a soon as you spot the fish and shift into to late June. Look to find them first at the hook at the other, pre-rigged and ready. neutral, call out and have your anglers more southern locations, and expect the Swap your line’s hook for the jug-line’s On their first adventure to the drop immediately. Using these tactics, schools to move north before scattering hook, release the fish, and when it rejoins Stone Rock, David, Max, and you can hope for hook-ups about a quarter as the heat of summer ratchets up. Here the school you’ll have a visual indicator Jack encountered this beast of a of the time you locate a school (assuming are a few more drum fishing tips, to help of where the fish are.