# Patuxent River near 214 on 4/17



## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

Went fishing yesterday after work and caught some small white perch, a 9" yellow perch and a 20 inch shad on a green jighead and curly tail. I was using a ultralight rod and that shad was a BLAST!!! The fight lasted a few minutes before I could climb down the bank to get him. It was a really nice day and I saw 2 bald eagles (or the same one twice) a hawk and a few blue herrons. I saw a lot of fish jumping all over the place, big fish! Where those shad or herring? I also noticed everyone I ever talk to uses green jigs/grubs for perch, has anyone ever tried any other colors? Also, What is the best way to catch shad, lure or bait and what kind?


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Nice work. Congrats on the catch.


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## CVILLEFISHERR (Feb 28, 2008)

Try mr twisters. What ya got there looks almost identical to what I use. They sell em at wal mart for 2.50 for 8 of em. Get the heavier ones so u can cast the furthest let it hit and reel at a constant speed relatively quick. Caught 70 of em a couple days ago doin this. You may also want to tie a 10 lb leader or so to ur line because when the shad jump they can snap light line with ease.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Great report! I use chartreuse a lot myself for panfishing, but also use pearl/white, pink & black. Shad don't feed when they're in the rivers spawning, so bait is not used, but they will hit most anything bright colored. Small spoons & spinners work well too. I tie flies & jigs for them & have had the best luck with orange, pink & chartreuse, with the "chartreuse" ranging from neon yellow to green, and I like to add a little flash.

Perch & Crappies, as well as other panfish will often hit the same flies or jigs used for Shad.

I don't have any pictures of my jigs, but here's some of my flies to give you an idea about colors. The jigs are very similar, except on a jig head. Plastics certainly work too!


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## CVILLEFISHERR (Feb 28, 2008)

Dang that's a lotta tying! I tie jigs but only 20 or less at a time. Then just tie more when I run low. I could start sellin em but idk if I want to just yet.


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## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

Thanks for the info, I was perch fishing but definatly liked catching the shad. I need to get back down there! lol I will try and make some jigs and post em up if they work.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

> Dang that's a lotta tying!


I tied commercially for 15 years, which was a lot of tying. When I want to I can usually crank them out pretty good. I enjoy tying & tied these a little at a time. The ones in the bottom 2 pics where tied in 2010 during the winter for last seasons Shad run & I just never got to use them. 

Grease, as you can see, most are relatively short with short tails. Shad tend to strike short if you tie the tails on them too long. Perch & Stripers, and even bass will also eat this type of fly, but they'll just engulf it, so for them, they could be tied longer, like a bucktail jig. 

These are tied with wrapped saddle hackle, marabou, rabbit fur & the white hair in the bottom pic is arctic fox tail. Most are weighted.

Several years ago I was fishing on the eastern shore for Crappies & caught a big American Shad, which was about 8 lbs on a beetle spin. Heck, I thought it was a bass when it first struck.


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## FISHHUNTER (Apr 22, 2009)

Nice report Grease and great pics. Good you got away from the pit and can put the fish in the oil. .


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## Brother Fidelis (Mar 4, 2012)

Again, glad some fish are being caught! Thanks for the update.

I've fished that area quite a few times, and caught some nice catfish exactly once- nothing like your haul. I've been skunked there more often than anywhere else, but yet I persist because it feels and looks like there should be some cool fish there. I haven't tried anything like bigjim suggested though! The current is pretty quick through all through there, and it's challenging to fish to say the least (and not that accessible, at least where I've been hitting). Maybe the challenge is why I keep going back, despite my better judgement.


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## CVILLEFISHERR (Feb 28, 2008)

Looks like crystal flash on the tail ends of most of ur flys. I have a little situation.. I like usin soft plastics like mr twisters but they rip after 2 or 3 shad. My jigs sometimes work but I've never not caught fish on mr twisters unless there just not in the area or have lock jaw. I'm either gonna try to find a tough mr twister that will last longer than 2 fish or try a different kind of hand tied jig. Thinkin of using a bigger jig head (use smalls usually) and try some crystal flash or something by itself. I hear that works. If these jigs produce then ill have nothing to worry about unless I lose it. Also lost a lotta lures not cuz of snags but because the fish pulled so hard and jumped so much they'd snap my little 6 lb line. My friend suggested tying a 10 lb line leader to the light line and that worked like a charm. Headin back Monday and will prob be tyin some jigs up with crystal flash tomorrow. Ill let anyone interested know how they work and how the bite is.


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## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

How long of a leader do you use, I have 4lb line on my light rods and I know that fish was pushing that limit


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## CVILLEFISHERR (Feb 28, 2008)

About 10 to 20 inches. I lost 6 or more lures/jigs before tyin a leader. Seems like the smaller fish are the jumpers and I try my best to keep the rod tip down to prevent jumps. Really isn't much of an issue w a leader but w.o 1 its very risky. The mister twister was outcatchin everyone and everyone kept askin wut I was usin. I work at bass pro and I'm gonna pick up some chinelle and crystal flash and tie some jigs up. My buddy justin was killin em on that combo monday


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

CVILLE, if you're getting a lot of jumpers & they're Shad, then they're likely Hickory Shad. They do seem to jump a lot, and more so than the bigger American Shad. You're correct, KF in many of the tails. Some of the flies in the top picture are tied with Holographic Flashabou in both the tails & the wings, some have Polar Flash and some are tied with a material called Hackle Flash wrapped as a collar or ribbed over the chenille. A few, with lots of flash are modeled after a fly called a "Goldie" which originally was tied with Bill's Body Braid & the braid fibers are picked out. If you do a search for FlyFishOhio.com, you can find a pattern recipe for the Goldie. It's quite a good fly for all kinds of fish species & is very easy to tie, so doesn't take long to tie up a couple dozen.

I'll post some pictures of some of the individual flies for you to show better detail.

When I use a lot of plastics, I also use a product called Pro's Soft Bait Glue. It's not cheap, about $10 a bottle. But, it works well, and for me is worth buying. I'll put my plastic on the hook, but not slide it all the way up, then add just a bit of glue, not even a drop, just enough to coat, on the hook shank, then slide the plastic up to the head. Helps keep them on the hook & they don't tear as easily. If they should tear in the body, a dab of glue will hold them together. If the tails tear off, I replace them. Pro's is a super glue, and a little goes a long way. Actually you have to be careful with it because it's thin, don't glue your fingers to the lure. I know some others who use Mend -it glue, which is similar, but I just like the Pro's better.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Here ya go! All of these are on size 4 hooks. I only tie them on size 4 & 6 for Shad.
The very bottom 2 might be size 6.

One note, in the chartreuse fly, the hackle is strung saddle, and I like to keep the fluffy stuff at the base of a feather in the fly, because it gives a lot more movement.
I only wrap about 3 turns of the hackle.

Enjoy! 

Hot Orange Shad Fly: Rabbit fur, chenille, flash in the tail









Silver/Pearl: Pearl body braid, Holographic silver Hackle Flash, Flashabou tail









Chartreuse/Neon Pink: Chartreuse hackle & Holographic silver Hackle Flash, Neon Pink chenille, Flashabou tail









Gold & Pink: Gold Hackle Flash, Pink chenille, pink rabbit fur tail, with Flashabou









Chartreuse: Chartreuse hackle, wool body, rabbit fur tail with Polar Flash









Holographic Mix, Silver & Gold (Goldie): Holographic silver & gold, pearl body braid.









Gold & Yellow: Gold Hackle Flash, Gold body braid, Yellow rabbit fur & Polar Flash









Flashy Clousers: Holographic Flashabou over Pearl Polar Flash (great for Perch & Crappies)









2 Shad Flies


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## stevestegman (Sep 2, 2010)

Outstanding report! Really nice to hear you caught fish without having to launch a boat in some more remote area.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Shad will also hit a gold spoon following a teaser comprised of a shad dart or something similar...


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## CVILLEFISHERR (Feb 28, 2008)

I used to use darts and spoons all the time and caught fish until I fished 1 day at the susky and this guy gave me 2 mr twisters. I was catchin fish every cast. Some of the tying terms sounds like chinese to me cuz I've only tied 4 times lol. Id post pics but I can nvr figure out how. I keep it simple.. marabou of either blue orange chartruse or white follow by 2 strands of flashabou. The end lol. They've caught a whole lotta crappie outta centennial this year. Gotta get some chenille and silver flash at work today and tie I jig with those 2


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## Rtifs (Aug 18, 2011)

> I saw a lot of fish jumping all over the place, big fish!


I've fished there the past few years mostly for catfish in summer. Last year I think I figured out what was jumping. Smallmouth bass. They seem to be busting minnows on the surface. It’s hard to get them in the net though since they dive under all the logs that are everywhere. Lost a good one that way last year when he caught the line in the crack of a fallen branch. 

I have seen one other fish there. I saw it rise and look at my bobber briefly about 3 years ago. Just saw it for a second and I'd swear it looked like a sheepshead. But I can't image a sheepshead that far upstream. 

I’ve also considered crabbing there since it’s difficult to keep them off the hot dogs I use for catfish.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Did you guys know that the Patuxent is the largest river in the state? I remember when that river was just a mud hole. Still gets muddy after heavy rains, but not like it used to be. 

I used to fish along it in several places, but don't get down there as much now. One construction company I used to work for had property along that river, so I fished there a lot. There's quite a variety of fish in there, but it can be a tough river to fish with all the vegetation along the banks & all the snags in the water. Lots & Lots of Poison Ivy growing along those banks!

Rtifs, I doubt it was a Sheepshead, but it could be entirely possible it could have been a small Black Drum. They look similar to a Sheepshead in color, with the black barring, and come up into the bay. So, it's possible, and like Red Drum, they can survive in freshwater for awhile. Not saying that's what you saw, but IMO it's more likely than a Sheepshead. I've caught small Croakers in the Little Patuxent in the past, and that's quite a ways farther up river. I used to catch the small "Puppy" Black Drum in the Inland waterway in NC when I was a kid. (My father was from down there.) I know that Black Drum are caught near the mouth of the Choptank, and the mouth of the Pax is not far from the Choptank.

It's also possible you saw a very light colored Bluegill or other Sunfish species. Many have barring, such as Warmouths (rock bass) which are also in the Pax and I've caught several that had a barred look to them. In the Pax in particular they sometimes get very light colored too. I've caught Bluegills in there that were almost silvery in color they were so light.


I had a guy tell me his brother caught a 10lb LM bass up near Governors Bridge, but you know how fishing stories go. I don't doubt it was a bass, and anythings possible. I've caught a few that were just over 3 lbs in there over the years. There's a lot of Pickerel in there too, and Carp & Suckers and of course catfish. Plus several types of baitfish. I've caught Smallmouths in that river, but not that far down, although again, others have told me they have. I've been told there are Crappies in there, but have never caught any.

I think it's a wonderful river to explore, if you have the time to do it, and are not worried about Poison Ivy!


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## Rtifs (Aug 18, 2011)

Actually black drum would’ve been my next guess. I’ve never caught one before, so I’m no expert on ID’ing them. It was no sunfish though. I’d wondered about the poison ivy. I used to go in shorts and would itch like crazy for a couple days after. I’ll be wearing pants now.


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## dena (Jun 20, 2010)

In the last 30 years, I have fished and canoed the river from Piney Orchard Pkwy to Jug Bay.
There are many fishy places, deep holes and knocked down trees. There are many species from Small Mouth and other freshwater fish up near Ft Meade to the saltwater Bay species from about Governors Bridge Rd down. To do a canoe trip, a shuttle with 2 trucks is needed. Park one at the take out, and drive up to the put in with the other. Figure about one river mile per hour, or less as your average speed when fishing to guess how far to paddle in a day. The Pax river has many blow downs across the river, and they can be tricky to get around. Be wary of strainers too, going through the branches of a fallen tree is a sure way to lose the boat. 
From a canoe is the best way to fish this river. It provides access to otherwise inaccessible areas. The Pax River Keepers have been trying to clear a water way, but it is a never ending battle for them.


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

I've done most of my fishing there lately;I caught a 9"Yellow Perch about 3-4 weeks ago,some 5-8"White Perch two weeks ago,and today I caught a 6"White Perch and a few 5-7" Yellow Perch.Theres also some LM Bass around too caught a 13"LM some time ago tone time I was fishing near Governers Bridge Rd talk to a guy in a Yak and he showed me a 15" Crappie he caught upriver from me.Also If you like to Crab you can get some from Waysons Corner during the Summer mounths.I love that river but it did look nasty near the Sewage Treatment plant just south of 214 bridge but other than that;its a nice river to fish from Crain Hwy-South.I wondnt be surprised if we start seeing some Big Blue Catfish caught near Jug Bay;I might consider going for them.Croom Rd is a good spot to get some Putuxent River Catfish for the table.


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## MDFisherman12 (Aug 7, 2005)

I grew up right near the river and used to fish it strictly with bait right there at the MD 214 bridge. Had 1 or 2 great days there growing up where you could actually catch perch on a bare hook they were in so thick. However, usually we walked away after catching only a few fish. I am now realizing that probably had to do more with our skill level/knowledge at the time.

I typically fish small ponds for bass, but I just recently started fishing often at the 301 bridge with good results. I've been fishing with an ultra light rod and typically 1/16 oz crappie jigs or 1/16 oz roadrunners. I've noticed the fish are VERY active some days. Other days it can be a tough bite. I figured there would be some decent largemouth, but I haven't caught any largemouth over 8". However, I've caught one monster Smallmouth (for me at least and the location I would think), 1 - 20" Smallmouth that was a LONG fight on a an ultralight and 4lb test and another day had a 15" Smallmouth that was nice and fat. Had one really nice crappie as well. I like the fact that I can use 4 lb test and catch such a variety. Plus, fishing with the small jigs in and around structure is great practice for techniques anywhere. So far, I have caught Smallmouth, largemouth, crappie, yellow perch, white perch, bluegill, creek chub. I've seen what I would guess are monster carp breeding or feeding in shallow areas and I've seen some nice catfish caught on bait by others.

My only regret is that I didn't get down there a little earlier this year to catch some more sizable perch. Does anyone know if the summer bite kind of shuts down other than catfish and a few largemouth? Or, is this place still good throughout the year. I've walked pretty far north up river and there aren't too many good deep holes. mostly shallow fast moving water, i've caught small smallmouth and bluegills in those areas, but nothing too great. I'm guessing it would make sense to head down to Gov. bridge or 214 during summer months or float a portion in a kayak instead of fishing on foot at 301?


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## LOC (May 3, 2010)

BigJeff823 said:


> I wondnt be surprised if we start seeing some Big Blue Catfish caught near Jug Bay;I might consider going for them.Croom Rd is a good spot to get some Putuxent River Catfish for the table.


 crazy but i was looking up jug bay yesterday....never been and it looks like 15-20 minutes from my house (district/capitol heights).... is it pretty active with cats and other species?


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## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

I've never had much luck in the summer, caught some perch and crabs on nightcrawlers but thats it, I usually fish it mostly in the spring. By summer I'm normally targeting other fish.


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## Rtifs (Aug 18, 2011)

In summer its channel cats. A piece of cheap hot dog on a circle hook around sundown is great. Just fire and forget till the bell rings. The crabs will be all over it though. Once they figure out where you’re casting, you’re wasting your time. But I can leave with a couple nice cats in an evening. 

There are some bulheads as well. I haven’t kept them since they are smaller than the channel cats, but they’re probably just as good.


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## greasemonkey54 (May 12, 2010)

I stopped by today and the white perch are in THICK! I found a good hole and in under 45 minutes caught 30-40 perch. The smallest were 3 inches, largest was 9 inches and fat. I kept 5, the biggest 4 (9,8,6,6) and a 4.5 inch fish that I gut hooked. All were caught on mr twisters. Almost every cast had a bite, I think alot were just grabbing the tail tho. At one point I caught 9 fish on 9 casts in a row. Most fish were caught near the bottom but some grabbed the lure as I was pulling it out of the water.


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