Second Verse, Same as the First (Almost)

It was a quick turnaround between my first and second outing of the summer.  In my previous post, I described how my buddy Justin and I fished at Watkins Mill State Park and that he caught a bunch of crappie.  Well, as luck would have it, I found some free time in my schedule the following day and went back to the same lake at the same time of day.  This time though, it was just Waylon and I and the results were very similar.

The crappie were right where they were the day before and this time I probably caught a dozen of them with more than half of them being around 10 inches long.  There were about 5-10 yards off the aquatic vegetation and in about 10 feet of water.  I didn't want to fish with a jig under an indicator because I wanted to try to catch some fish on a streamer.  In my opinion, streamer fishing might not be as productive or efficient as fishing with a jig but I also think that it is a lot more fun.  I tend to miss more fish on a streamer but it's more rewarding when I do hook into something.  I also think there is a slightly better chance of catching something bigger on a size 6 streamer than a 1/80 ounce jig on a size 10 hook.  

Speaking of chasing a more substantial fish, I gave that a shot on this particular day as well.  I know there are big hybrid striped bass in Watkins Mill.  I've heard stories from folks that have caught them.  I've even seen a few.  I have yet to hook into a big one though.  The biggest that I have caught has come close to a pound but most of them are in the 8-10 inch range.  On this trip, I tried throwing a big streamer on sink tip line while drifting with the wind.  I marked a lot of fish on my fish finder that were in the middle of the lake so that's where I focused my efforts.

I got one bight while utilizing this tactic but it was a quick grab and dash so I'm not certain it was a hybrid.  Hybrids seem to be more aggressive with their takes and harder to miss so I'm not certain about what might have swiped at my fly.  I did however find some baitfish that were being pursued by unseen predators at the dam, close to the bank.  It took awhile but I finally landed one of the troublemakers.  It was a juvenile hybrid which was a little fun in an otherwise fruitless pursuit.  Mark my words though, I will catch a big hybrid at Watkins Mill by the end of the summer!