If yesterday's trip was about quantity today's ended up being about quality.

I transported my first 2 boats down to the pier for staging and decided a quick scouting trip was in order.  Today was really about getting the boats in the water, testing the rigging, making sure the electronics were in order and getting a feel for the boat.

I can say the Titan 10.5 rides high and wide.  What a comfortable boat for pedaling and fishing.  The stability of these boats is unparalleled - it makes you feel very confident on the water knowing you have a strong platform underneath.

One quick takeaway is that I still have a little work to do to tighten up the response of the rudder.  That's a simple fix of just adjusting the rudder control cables to remove the slop.

The Garmin fish finders worked great and provide all the information you'll need to spend a great day on the water.  They are equipped with both sonar and downscan, provide water temperature, depth and speed - all the things you need in a convenient location right at your fingertips.  I'm very pleased with the placement of the units on the port side of the boat next to your knee.  I did take an extra precaution and secured the units with an additional lanyard - nothing like ruining a day by bumping the unit off the mount and watching it slide below.

I did decide to toss around a small pink and white paddletail swimbait.  I was looking for early season perch and maybe a catfish.  What ended up trying to make a meal out of a relatively small bait was a 30" striped bass.  While these fish are off-limits even for catch and release targeting this time of year, you can't always keep them from coming to the party.  What you can do is move quickly to get the fish back in the water, which I was able to accomplish.  My cameras are always running to catch the action so even grabbing a photo takes no time.  I also didn't let the fish play out for long but instead horsed it straight to the boat as soon as I realized what it was on the end of the line.  There is always a risk of losing a fish of this size with that approach but, again, it was important to not stress the fish and get it released as quickly as possible.

Water temperatures in the creek were hovering right around 65 degrees and the water clarity is diminishing from that cold water time of the year.

Today's baits...

Bass Assassin Saltwater Sea Shad-10 Per Bag (White/Pink Tail, 4-Inch)

Want to get in on some early spring fishing? Give me a call at 410-231-4664 and let's schedule a trip!