In order to help promote more catch and release and kayak fishing the kayak division was added. The division boasted some generous gaurenteed cash prizes with 1st place taking home $2000, 2nd place taking home $1000 and 3rd place $500. The event allowed fishing in any legal MD waters using a catch-photo-release scoring system with the total length of two fish.
The weather for the event was almost perfect and allowed for fishing all 3 days, but Sunday had some tough windy conditions.
I fished the event with my Dad in the Annapolis area of the bay. We fished up and down and all around between the Thomas point light and Tolley point shoal.
Both of us caught plenty of fish the first day, which turned out to be the most productive day for everyone. I finished the day with a two fish total of 44.5" and my Dad had 44". My biggest was 25.5" caught casting the shoreline using a 3-arm Alabama rig with bust em baits 3.5" paddletail plastics (2 hooks and 1dummy).
Some big fish were caught Friday including 3 over 30 inches.
Saturday rolled around quickly and I immediately upgraded my smallest fish first thing putting my total at 46.25". But that would be most of the excitement for the rest of the weekend. I caught many more small dink rocks but none big enough to upgrade.
Somehow I was able to hang on to 3rd place with my buddy Dail, the creator of www.snaggedline.com, close behind with a 37" total with only one fish. I really lucked out he couldn't find a small little rock. But I probably would have traded my fish and 3rd place for the 37+" any day.
Last Friday Shane, Dave and I fished for some more stripers and I was finally rewarded after 5 years of fishing for stripers from the kayak.
Shane also managed 31.5"!!!! And we caught many other small fish.
