Leaving from Madison on the Little Choptank we are enjoying excellent fly and light tackle angling with breaking stripers and bluefish. Spanish mackerel are around as well. While I am currently fully booked for August I do have one open walk on date for a six hour trip. I need one angler to share the cost on Tuesday, August 16. The trip will run from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Cost is $225 and includes license, tackle, ice and cold drinks. Contact Kevin at kjosenhans@aol.com or 443-783-3271 if interested.
August Breakers! – Walk On Opening
9 08 2016Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, fly fishing, rockfish, striped bass
Categories : Fishing Reports
June Walk On Notice
31 05 2016I’ve had a few requests to run some walk on trips as a cost sharing measure. I have two dates open for two or three anglers to get together to split the fee. They are Monday, June 20 and Tuesday, June 21. This will be for a full day (8 hour) trip out of either Crisfield or Cambridge (Location is negotiable). Depending on location, targeted species may include rockfish (stripers), speckled trout, bluefish and possibly flounder. Cost for two will be $275 each, for three $185 each. License, tackle, ice and cold drinks included. If interested, please call me, Capt. Kevin Josenhans, at 443-783-3271 or email kjosenhans@aol.com. It’s a great trip, don’t miss out!
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Tags: bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, fishing, flounder, speckled trout, striped bass, Tangier Sound, Walk On
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing – July Newsletter
12 07 2013The month of June has seen a stretch of windy weather unlike anything I have experienced since, well, May? In point of fact, the first half of 2013 has been the windiest six-month stretch of my 20-year guiding career. I am really glad I have my trusty Jones Brothers underfoot to soften the ride.
Regardless, we are experiencing yet another outstanding season with speckled trout. As anticipated, numbers are down slightly from 2012 but the average size is greater. To date, we have had many more specks of 23-inches and larger, with several in the 27-inch range. I look for a super fall with some really big fish!!
Redfish, or puppy drum as they are known hereabouts, are slowly increasing in numbers. These hard-fighting bulldogs have grown as well. Most that we have caught have been in the 19 to 22-inch size range. I can honestly say they’ll make you forget all about speckled trout. There’s no quit in a red.
Stripers and bluefish round out the usual daily catch, with even a few weakfish (grey trout) in the mix. Flounder have yet to make a showing, but then the breezy conditions have not really been conducive to good flounder fishing. Take a visual stroll through some of this past month’s action.
Steve Smith nailed this healthy rockfish in heavy grass
John Lupenitti with a fly caught speck
Mark Nichols enjoyed another great day
Phil Bangert hefts a 27-inch speck
Jack McKenna had fun with the long stick
Jack’s trout were caught on his son Kevin’s hand-tied pink Cactus Striper
Burt Anderson’s custom-tied flies are works of art
..this bluefish proves they’re not just pretty to look at
John McMinn fooled this colorful speck on a fly
Kevin Gladhill enjoyed an outstanding day with big specks
Kevin released all of his trout to be caught again
Bob Clark became a believer in plastic jigs
Chris Harley proudly displays a nice four-pound trout
Spencer Schenking with one of several weakfish caught this day
Spencer’s dad Mike with a grey trout of his own
Spence doubles-up on trout with a fine speck
This good-sized croaker fell to Spence’s Clouser Minnow
Susan Kemp had the hot hand early with big specks
Susan’s 9 year old grandson Nick McIver was top dog for the day with his 24.5″ rockfish
Bo Hardesty and Steve Schad with a brace of specks
Steve had lots to smile about as he and Bo landed over 30 trout for the day
Howard Stinefelt braved windy conditions to land this fat speck
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Tags: bluefish, cobia, croaker, flounder, fly fishing, redfish, rockfish, speckled trout, Tangier Sound
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Tangier Slam!!
4 09 2012Tangier Slam – In the world of flats fishing, a ‘slam’ is oftentimes considered three, maybe four different species of fish, caught by a single angler, with a specific type of gear during a given day. Well, how about six species! That’s just what has occured several times during the past couple of week’s on board my Jones Brothers while fishing here on Tangier Sound. In fact, five species seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Stripers, bluefish, speckled trout, flounder, redfish and croaker are common catches while casting artificial lures on light spinning tackle or fly gear. On a recent outing with Don Harrison, his friend Doug Portner and Doug’s son Connor, while we didn’t quite reach six-species, sheer numbers made up for the species count. We began the day casting to breaking bluefish in the 12 to 17-inch range, enjoying action in which triple hook-ups were common for perhaps ninety minutes. We switched gears to look for specks, managing close to a dozen for the day up to 21-inches. Mixed-in with the trout were perhaps fifteen nice rockfish to 24-inches. The day ended on a hot note as the guys simply tore-up the puppy drum, landing maybe 50 in the 12 to 17-inch range, with a couple just shy of the legal 18-inch limit. All told, over one-hundred fish were boated giving the three anglers a day to remember. And to make his “slam” something really special, young Connor also accomplished several “firsts.” As is first striper, first bluefish, first speckled trout and first redfish! Way to break-out on the saltwater scene Connor!! Tangier Sound has always held a nice variety of game fish during the summer months and six or more species in a days fishing is not unusual. I look for this fantastic shallow water angling to continue right through the fall months.
Speckled trout continue to grab most of the attention here on the sound. Daily catches averaging ten-specks-per-angler have been the norm rather than the exception. Now that September is here, I look for the speckled trout top-water bite to really take-off! Last season, our top fish was an eight-pound beauty that exploded on a Stillwater Smack-it! popper.
Share a Trip – Once again, I am in need of several anglers to share the cost of a guided trip. The details are as follows:
Trip 1 – I need a fly fishing angler to share a full day (8 hour) trip with another fly angler. Cost per angler will be $225, all-inclusive.
Trip 2 – I need two spining anglers to share a full day (8 hour) or 3/4 day (6 hour) trip with a third spin fisherman. Cost will be $150 each for the full day, or $135 each for the 3/4 day trip. There is a catch (no pun intended) – My first available date is October 20. Speckled trout should still be around, along with stripers, bluefish, flounder and redfish. In addition to the 20th, I have open October 22, 23, 25, 27, 30 and 31. If interested, please email, or call me at your earliest convenience. My contact info is kjosenhans@aol.com or 443-783-3271. Thanks and good fishing!!
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Tags: Big Annemessex river, bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, croaker, flounder, fly fishing, Fox Island, Little Choptank, Red Drum, rockfish, speckled trout, Tangier Sound, topwater, Virginia Eastern Shore
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Hot August Fishing, News
4 08 2012What a summer of fishing this has been! Hot weather and even hotter fishing, especially for speckled trout. Right after my last blog entry, I took a planned two-week mini-vacation for some much need R & R. I had been running full-steam since the beginning of flats season. It was time for a break. In addition, my Yamaha made a trip to the doctor to have her fuel injectors cleaned. Seems they only do this in Florida. After a few extra day’s wait for shipping, I am happy to report the prognosis is excellent; as the 150 HPDI once again purrs like a kitten. Now back to the fishing report…
The last trip before my break Dave Elvin, Mike Nolan, John Scott and his son Troy enjoyed a banner day catching 30 specks ranging from sixteen to twenty-one inches. Thrown in was an assortment of rock, blues and croaker and, needless to say, it was very hard to take time off. It didn’t help matters when my first day back I was greeted with 15-20 Kt winds that roiled the shallows, yielding but a brace of specks. The next day I traveled to the quaint township of Onancock, Virginia. My clients for the day had rented a private home just on the edge of town, so I agreed to meet them at the town dock. The fifteen-minute run to the bay down Onancock Creek provided a picturesque cruise past a mix of stately old Eastern Shore homes, smaller shore dwellings and miles of unspoiled shoreline. I think I could retire happy living on Onancock Creek. In addition to the beautiful scenery, fishing’s not bad either. Final tally for the day was 23 specks to twenty-two inches, a baker’s dozen of feisty bluefish and a handful of rockfish. Once again, all was right with the world. During the past two weeks, speckled trout catches have been as high as 35 per day, with a handful of days in the 20’s. Flounder catches are still well off last years pace, but the few times we have tried has yielded some nice fish to 24-inches.
Late-Summer and Fall Bookings are running way ahead of last season’s pace, so if you want to enjoy some of this fabulous speckled trout fishing please don’t wait to reserve a date. I have been blessed with many new clients this season and for that I am truly grateful. And to my long-time friends, words alone cannot express my gratitude for your continued support.
Share a Trip – I occasionally receive requests to find a fishing partner(s) in order to share expenses. This way, you get the full trip at half, or even a third the cost. I will act as your booking agent and make all the arrangements, in advance. If this trip arrangement interests you, please let me know. Enjoy some photos from the past two weeks.

After 28 specks to 23″ in just four hours, Terry T. and Bobby S. enjoyed the view on the ride home (No, it wasn’t quite that close)

George Lenard of http://www.specializedbaits.com fame fooled this fat 22-incher with his Blue Crab pattern
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Tags: bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, flounder, fly fishing, G.Loomis, Li'l Jimy, Red Drum, rockfish, speckled trout, Tangier Sound, Virginia Eastern Shore
Categories : Fishing Reports
Speck Fishing as Hot as the Weather!!!
8 07 2012Bring on the heat!! Even with the sweltering temperatures of late, there has been no let-up in the speckled trout bite! Given decent weather and a break from the wind, on most days we are catching 20 – 30 fat, healthy specks on a variety bucktail jigs, soft plastics and flies. Specialized Baits Li’l Jimy’s, Bass Assassin 4″ Sea Shads, Clouser Deep Minnows and Cactus Stripers are all gobbled-up like cotton candy at a carnival. I have seen stretches of good speck fishing in my 30 years of fishing Tangier Sound, but never have I experienced such a prolonged period in both size and numbers. The specks are averaging 17″ – 21″, and this past Monday, Dennis Dame boated a gorgeous five-pound, 25″ specimen on fly. With a little luck, look for this incredible fishing to continue right through October. On the flip-side, the fantastic flounder fishing that we had last summer has, so far, failed to materialize. That said, I haven’t been putting in a lot of time trying, for obvious reasons.. Bluefish to 20-inches are available if you want a hard-fighting gamefish to put a bend in your light spinning or fly rod and a few stripers are always around. I have less than a handful of dates remaining open in July, and August is fast becoming booked as well. Drop me an email or call if you would like to get in on some hot summer fishing. If a full day sounds a bit too long in this heat, the less-expensive six-hour trip is plenty of time to fish a tide, and we will be off the water before the oven cranks up!
Walk-on Notice
On the subject of guided trips, I am in need of one or two anglers to share the cost of one or two days fishing with another angler. The date(s) requested are July 26 or 27 and August 20, 21, 22 or 23. This will be a full day, 8-hour trip. Cost will be $150 or $225 per person, subject to total number of anglers. Specks, blues, rock and maybe even some flounder should be available. I look forward to seeing you on the water!!
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Tags: Bass Assassin, bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, flounder, fly fishing, Li'l Jimy, rockfish, speckled trout, Tangier Sound, topwater
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ January Newsletter
21 01 2012Josenhans Fly Fishing = Fly Fishing & Light Tackle Charters
While the name may say “fly fishing,” most of you are aware that I am certainly no stranger to the spinning rod. I carry quality G.Loomis rods and Shimano Stradic spinning reels for your use. In addition, you are more than welcome to bring along your own tackle on your guided trip. I always love to compare tackle and techniques with my fellow anglers.
In gearing-up for the 2012 fishing season one of my first steps is this slightly overdue newsletter. During the past few weeks, I have made the occasional trip to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) with some nice rockfish being caught on both fly and spin tackle. Take a look at the fishing reports section of my blog for the latest in CBBT action. The next couple of months will also yield some very good light tackle and fly fishing action on the Pocomoke River. See below for trip info. Now for a brief rundown on what to expect in the coming weeks and months.
Fishing Opportunities in 2012
Pocomoke River – I am currently booking trips on the scenic and wild Pocomoke River. We’ll put-in at the Byrd Park ramp in Snow Hill, Maryland where we will chase yellow perch, crappie, pickerel and largemouth bass. This is a great way to spend a midwinter’s day casting ultra-light spinning or fly tackle. The winding nature of the Pocomoke creates many protected and productive shorelines that can be fished comfortably, even as cool winter breezes keep bay boaters in port. The all-inclusive cost for a six-hour trip is only $275 and I’ll supply the coffee and donuts. Take a look here for some of last season’s Pocomoke action Pocomoke River Fishing 2011.
March White Perch – Beginning around the first of March I will be guiding clients to some terrific white perch action on the Nanticoke River out of Sharptown, Maryland. This is a fun trip for adults and kids, as there is always plenty of action. When the run is on, the perch generally average 10 to 12 inches, with fish of 13 inches or greater caught every season. This was one of my most popular trips last spring, and with the peak of the run lasting maybe three weeks, it’s best to get your name on the books today! Check out some of last season’s action at Nanticoke White Perch
Susquehanna Flats – Even though last season’s flats fishing was a bust, I believe that with this winter’s low snowfall (so far) amounts, this coming spring’s catch & release flats fishery could prove to be outstanding. There have been good numbers of big fish in the lower bay and offshore of the Virginia Capes; so I’m looking forward to a big migration towards the Susky this spring. I have some good dates available during the peak period of the last two weeks in April, so book early to get the day you want.
Red Drum at Fisherman’s Island, VA – I have had quite a few requests to make the trek to the barrier islands of Virginia near the CBBT to try for trophy red drum during the spring run. There has been a super fishery for the past few years with big reds averaging 30 to 50 pounds. While much of this is fishing live bait, on good weather days these fish can be caught casting bucktail jigs, spoons and flies. If you would be interested in this type of trip, please let me know well in advance. The timetable for this will be the first week or two of May.
Tangier Sound Spring/Summer Fishing – What with the mild winter weather we have experienced, I really expect to see some great speckled trout fishing beginning around the first of May. We caught some BIG specks last fall, and a spring run of big pre-spawn trout is long overdue. Don’t miss out on the return of this great shallow water gamefish. Flounder fishing was off-the-charts last summer and I am hopeful for more of the same in 2012. Bluefish provided fantastic light-tackle action throughout the late spring and summer months in 2011, especially for fly-fishers looking for a good fight on the long wand. The early morning rockfish bite was very good at times, as big stripers smacked out Storm and Stillwater poppers all over the sound. There is plenty to do while fishing out of Crisfield.
Winter Speaking Engagements – I will be speaking at several fishing club meetings and events in the coming months, so if you’re in the neighborhood stop in and say hi.
February 8 – I will be speaking at the monthly meeting of the Saltwater Fly Anglers of Delaware in Lewes, DE. Come out and enjoy a PowerPoint presentation on Tangier Sound Fly Fishing. I will also touch on the Susquehanna Flats C&R fishery and my outlook for this spring. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and you will find directions on their Web site.
February 21 – I will be speaking at the monthly meeting of the MSSA’s Essex/Middle River Chapter at the Commodore Hall in Essex, MD. Located at 1909 Old Eastern Ave., the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. I will give a PowerPoint presentation on Fly and Light Tackle opportunities on Tangier Sound, with a special emphasis on the great speckled trout and flounder fishing that we enjoyed this past season. I’ll briefly touch on the Susky Flats as well. Come on out and enjoy an evening of fishing talk!
February 25 – I’ll have a table at CCA’s 10th annual TieFest, the region’s premier fly-fishing show, located at the Kent Narrows Yacht Club in Chester, MD. Show time is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free. This is a must-attend event for any fly angler who’s wet a line in saltwater. I always book a lot of trips at this show, so arrive early and stay late. The food and friendly atmosphere make this my favorite event of the entire year. See you there!
A final note: I am in the process of updating my Web site Josenhans Fly Fishing with new photos and graphics. In addition, for the most current reports and happenings, please check-out my blog at Josenhans Fly Fishing Blog as daily reports may be posted here before they are distributed via the e-newsletter. Thanks for reading, and here’s to a fantastic 2012 season!
Capt. Kevin Josenhans
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Tags: bluefish, CBBT, Chesapeake Bay, flounder, fly fishing, G.Loomis, Nanticoke River, pickerel, Pocomoke River, rockfish, speckled trout, Susquehanna Flats, Tangier Sound, topwater, white perch, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing ~ October Specks
5 11 2011Friday, October 7 – Paul Anderson, his son Matt, along with Paul’s brother Mike joined me for a day chasing rock, blues and specks. At daybreak we had rock to 26″ on poppers, hard-fighting blues to three-pounds mid-day and ended with a speck apiece ranging from 18″ – 20″ for three Tangier ‘Slams.’ It doesn’t get any better than this!
Saturday, October 8 – Chris Cianci, Chuck Prahl and Don Cochran took a break from their home waters on the Choptank River to put Tangier Sound to the test. We began the day with some topwater rockfish action, with many more blow-ups than hook-ups. Sometimes rockfish aren’t very good at eating poppers. The excitement of the strike though is well worth the effort. The surface action was interrupted when Don switched to a 4″ shad and began to hook speck-after-speck. It didn’t take long for the other guys to take the hint and soon all had boated a nice speck or three to 21.” Final tally on the specks was eight. I think we could have done much better were it not for the super pretty day, light winds and an abundance of Saturday boat traffic. A guide’s gotta have some excuse..
Monday, October 10 – Ed Roach, Doug D. and David Blorstadt enjoyed great daybreak topwater action on stripers up to six-pounds. The shallow-water rockfish really put on a show, smacking the Storm and Stillwater poppers all over the sound. The action died once the sun came up so we turned our attention to blues. While the size of the blues has diminished, there was just enough action to keep the guys entertained. After the blues quieted down, we went speck-hunting. While playing hard-to-get, we did land a few nice specks, with Doug’s 22″ beauty the prize of the day. We picked at school stripers for the remainder of the day while enjoying good weather and conversation. Three nicer guys you could not fish with.
Tuesday, October 11 – Jack McKenna had a day to remember with speckled trout. Overcast skies, calm winds, clear water and plenty of spotted fishes! To top it all off, Jack is a fly fisherman, and an eight-weight was his weapon of choice. Specks jumped all-over Jack’s pink Cactus Striper as he boated 22 trout to four-pounds! To date, a 2011 high for my boat. Great job Jack, and be sure to tell your son in Florida that speckled trout fishing is alive and well here in Maryland..
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Tags: bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, fly fishing, rockfish, speckled trout, Storm Lures, Tangier Sound, topwater
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing ~ Rock, Blues & Specks Like the Old Days!
16 10 2011Rock have been giving my clients a super top-water show during the early morning hours casting Storm Chug Bug and Stillwater Smack-it! poppers. Bluefish in the two to four pound range seem to be everywhere, and they will chase the same poppers – even with the sun high in the sky. But the fish that has everyone buzzing is speckled trout. We have had some fantastic speck fishing this fall, much like days of old. While most of the specks are running 16″ to 21″ there have been quite a few in the four-pound range, with one tugging the Boga all the way to the eight-pound mark! That big fish was fooled by a Stillwater Smack-it! Jr. popper. Some highlights!
Monday, September 19 – Don Harrison and Drew Clemens had some fun with rock on poppers early casting the skinny water near Tangier Island. A cold front during the weekend had dropped the water temperature at my bluefish honey hole from 80 to 68 degrees. Not good. However, after moving to the bay proper west of Tangier we found warmer water and school after school of hungry two to three-pound blues. Don and Drew had their hands full – and kept the captain busy – for the remainder of the trip.
Tuesday, September 20– Matt LaFleur, Wil Goetz and Alan Fiekin joined up for a trip to the lower end of Tangier Sound. From the first cast it was non-stop blues and rock anyway you wanted to catch them. While Matt and Will battled it out with three to five-pound blues while casting Storm Chug Bugs, Alan kept busy in the back of the boat throwing a popper with his fly rod. At times, the blues would literally become airborne in a head-on charge, before landing choppers-first on top of the fly. Stripers to five-pounds were in the mix as well. I was kept busy netting, releasing and re-tying for a good three hours straight. Who says fishing is a non-aerobic sport! To finish the day, we hit the skinny-water for some fantastic rockfish top-water action.
Wednesday, September 21 – Jeff Kaplan had a great trip with early morning stripers on top-water, followed by all the blues and rock he could handle out on some underwater humps in the main bay. The rock ran up to 28 inches while the blues averaged two to four-pounds. I was finally able to drag Jeff away from the non-stop action to head to the grass flats for a try a speckled trout. Jeff was not disappointed as he landed six nice specks from 16″ to 23″ during our final hour of the trip! What a way to complete the Tangier ‘Slam!’
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Tags: bluefish, Chesapeake Bay, fly fishing, rockfish, speckled trout, Storm Lures, Tangier Sound, topwater
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Fighting the Wind!
6 10 2011Wednesday, September 14 – Chris Goldmark and Dennis McVey joined me for a day in search of speckled trout. Chris is a guide out of New Jersey, who also fishes for bonefish and tarpon in Puerto Rico during the winter months – I don’t believe he has seen snow for a while. Up to this point, my previous clients have been preoccupied with the fantastic bluefish action we have been enjoying, but when I could pull them away we have caught our share of specks. I was looking forward to a full day of speck fishing. As is sometimes the case, the Tangier shallows were slightly turbid due to an overnight breeze. While the water was plenty fishable, my experience with speckled trout is that they don’t take well to sudden changes in water condition, either clarity or temperature. During late morning I was able to locate some clean water with a moving current down around Tangier Island. We quickly picked up three specks (Chris caught two on his 8 wt.) but that was it. Along the way, we also picked up small stripers and blues, but for the most part, the day was a slow pick. It was still a beautiful day on the water and we caught enough fish to keep things interesting. Thanks guys.
Thursday, September 15 – Bernie and Susan Kemp enjoyed some fantastic light tackle action with bluefish in the two to five pound range. After a morning hiding-out in the Big Annemessex river from a stong southerly wind, we were able to venture south to the lower end of Tangier Sound where we had all the blues we could handle. Nearly every fish exploded out of the water on the strike and many jumped several times before being brought to the boat. The morning hadn’t been a total bust, as small specks and stripers allowed both Bernie and Susan to complete the Tangier ‘slam’ on spin-tackle.
Saturday, September 17 – Nick and Caren Eckwerth were greeted with the first nor’easter of the early fall season. A steady NE wind and cool rain had caused a sudden drop in water temperature which did not sit well with the fish. The fickle shallows can be like that. Clean water was also at a premium. It was still an enjoyable day on the water, with Caren picking up a handsome speck and Nick adding a rock or two. With good company and a boat, who needs fish anyway!
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Tags: Big Annemessex river, bluefish, rockfish, speckled trout, Tangier Sound
Categories : Fishing Reports