We launched out of Snow Hill, MD onto the Pocomoke River around 6:00a. The tide was coming in and would be at high tide around 10:00a. We headed downstream to fish on the less traveled parts of the Pocomoke River.
We experienced a pair of Bald Eagles bringing in fish for their young. What an amazing sight! Although we could hear the young eaglet we could not find the nest as it was well hidden.
John caught the first fish of the day which was a Crappie on a crank bait. Crappies are in the sunfish family and are popular pan fish. The genus name Pomoxis means “sharp cover” referring to the fish’s spiny gill covers. The common name “Crappie” derives from the Canadian French, crapet, which refers to many different fishes of the sunfish family. The Pomoxis species are highly regarded pan fish and are often considered to be among the best-tasting freshwater fish. Because of their diverse diets, Crappie may be caught in many ways, including light jigs, minnows, artificial lures, spinnerbaits, or bobbers.
We moved over to an area that was thick with Lilly pads. I was using a Strike King buzz bait. Nothing was happening for a while and then all of the sudden I saw something come out of the water and grab the bait. I hooked the fish and reeled it to the boat and netted it. It was a Chain Pickerel. The fish was about 29” and 3 pounds. My first fish! It finally happened! What a fun surprise! I got to hold and release it. It was awesome to be able to see it come out of the water and get the bait. I can’t believe how lucky we have been to be able to catch fish every time we have been out.