December thru March will find me fishing for pickerel, perch, crappie and bass on the Pocomoke River of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I have even entered CCA’s 3rd Annual Pickerel Championship. We have some big pickerel swimming the dark waters of the Pocomoke and I hope to catch a few. In addition to a scenic, sheltered fishing locale, you will experience countless numbers of local and migratory shorebirds and wild waterfowl. Contact me for more information on winter fishing this beautiful river.
Josenhans Fly Fishing – Winter Fishing
11 12 2013
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Tags: bass, crappie, pickerel, Pocomoke River, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing – Crappie R Biting
26 02 2013
For several weeks now, the water temperature of the Pocomoke has been holding steady at around forty-five degrees. This consistency brings with it a usually reliable crappie bite. Yesterday was a case in point, as I landed close to thirty of the speckled perch up to twelve-inches, in a short afternoon while fishing solo. After a slow pick at my first stop I idled the Jones Brothers up to a fallen bald cypress tree and quietly slid the anchor over the stern, so sure I was that there was somebody home. On my very first cast I saw the line twitch, a telltale sign that something had inhaled my 1/16 ounce crappie jig. I set the hook before even feeling the strike and was rewarded with a steady pull, and shortly thereafter, a thrashing twelve-inch crappie at boatside. I quickly released the fish and a second cast brought a similar result. Like submerged Christmas ornaments on a sunken Fraser Fir, the crappie were hanging tight to the dead tree’s underwater branches. Every so often a twenty-inch pickerel would grab the small jig, giving me a battle on the four-pound ultralight G. Loomis spinning rod. As the tide dropped off, so did the catching. Tidewater fishing is funny that way.
Good eating, but more than that, just plain fun to catch!
Call me crazy, but pickerel are my favorite Pocomoke River fish.
Winter pickerel like small baits, too. And they rarely cut the leader if you play them light.
New cushions and windshield. Jones Brothers does good work!
G.Loomis SJR 700 GL3 – Hands down the best crappie rod on the planet!
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Tags: crappie, G.Loomis, pickerel, Pocomoke River, Virginia Eastern Shore
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing ~ Trip Opening
26 01 2013I have an opening for one angler to share the cost of a trip fishing the Pocomoke River for pickerel, crappie, yellow perch and bass. Your half of the cost will be $150 for the six-hour trip. Available dates are March 16, 23, or 30. Please contact me if your are interested at kjosenhans@aol.com, or by phone at 443-783-3271. If you can’t make this trip but would like to put together one of your own, please let me know. Thanks!
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Tags: crappie, Largemouth Bass, pickerel, Pocomoke River, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing 20 Year Anniversary
8 01 2013
No, not my marriage – I’m very happy to say that that’s actually a bit more. Actually, the year 2013 will be the 20th year of operation for Josenhans Fly Fishing. Formerly Josenhans Sportfishing, I changed the name a few years back, in part to remind Chesapeake Bay area anglers that salt water fly fishing is alive and well here in the “Land of Pleasant Living.” That said, I’m currently finding that over half of my trips are spinfishing or baitcasting outings. This suits me just fine, as I enjoy and welcome all manner of light-tackle fishermen. But I digress. Point being, while there have been some special individuals along the way who have given me professional advice and words of encouragement, if I began to name names I would surely overlook someone. Therefore, I would like to thank all of my clients, blog readers, newsletter subscribers, sponsors, outdoor writers, tackle industry contacts, well-wishers and friends; with a special heart-felt thanks to my family, for making the past twenty years possible. Your past and continued support is appreciated!!
Current Fishing Report – I have none. I have been enjoying the Christmas and New Years holidays with my family. I am making plans to have some minor cosmetic work done to my Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman 20. Just a few dings and scratches after nine years of hard use. The integrity of the hull and fittings is remarkable. I think I tightened one screw on the leaning post after nine years of punishment on the sometimes choppy waters of Tangier Sound. You just can’t buy a better fishing boat for the money in my honest opinion. Anyway, I think you will be pleased the next time you step aboard.
Josenhans Fly Fishing Goes Mobile – If you have a smart phone, your can now view my Web site in mobile format. While still a work in progress, this really does allow for easier viewing of the key features of my site. You always have the option to switch to the full site format. Comments and suggestions are welcome, and encouraged, from my readers.
Susquehanna Flats Dates Going Fast – This is just a friendly “heads-up.” While I usually don’t try to “extort” dates from my clients, I have been filling my calendar in April at a record pace. Many of the callers have been new clients and I welcome each and every one of you. If you have any inkling of booking a trip with me for the catch & release season at the flats, please call, or drop me an email at your earliest convenience. I still have plenty of good dates available, but I anticipate filling them ahead of last years schedule. As usual, if the water or fishing conditions are impossible, you will be given the option to cancel, or reschedule. That said, the adage “you won’t know unless you go” is never more appropriate than on the flats. Last spring, some of our best “big fish” days were had casting in coffee-colored water with a strong nor’ westerly breeze. I look forward to hearing from you!
Winter Fishing Opportunities – I am currently scheduling trips on the scenic Pocomoke River out of Byrd Park in Snow Hill, Maryland. This is ultra-light tackle fishing at it’s finest. We’ll be casting crappie jigs, minnows and flies to yellow perch, crappie, pickerel and bass. A six-hour trip is only $300 and this includes fishing license, all tackle, cold and hot drinks, along with ice for your catch, if you so choose. I expect to have the boat back and ready by February 1st.
Shows and Speaking Engagements 2013 – I will be giving PowerPoint presentations to several area clubs during the winter months, and I will have my usual table at the CCA sponsored Lefty Kreh’s TieFest 2013. Contact me for additional information. If you are in the area, please drop by and say hi.
PowerPoint Presentations
February 19 – White Clay Fly Fishers, London Tract Baptist Meeting House, Landenberg, PA
March 6 – MSSA DC Metro Chapter, Steamers Seafood House, Bethesda, MD
March 7 – Trout Unlimited Northern Virginia Chapter, Vienna Firehouse, Vienna, VA
Fishing Shows
March 9 – Lefty’s Kreh’s Tiefest 2013, Prospect Bay Country Club, Grasonville, MD
Ron Long hefts the last fish to come into my boat in 2012 – His 41-inch trophy striper
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Tags: Chesapeake Bay, fly fishing, Pocomoke River, Susquehanna Flats, Tangier Sound, Virginia Eastern Shore
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing ~ CBBT Rockfish
12 12 2012CBBT – While the eel dunkers are catching a few mammoth stripers just offshore of Cape Charles, the light tackle guides fishing the CBBT pilings and islands have had their work cut out for them. The bite has been good on occasion, with a few of the rockfish stretching the tape to 50 inches. There have been other days when it’s been a chore to boat ten fish in the 20’s. I had a modest day last Friday with a dozen or so fat rock up to 38 inches (21 pounds on the boga). I’m taking a wind day today and then plan on fishing the pilings hard this Friday and Saturday. I hope to post a few photos of big stripers next week. Wish me luck!!
Skip Powers shows off a nice CBBT striper
Crisfield – My year is about done fishing the shallows around Tangier Sound, and we ended on a good note, averaging fifty schoolie stripers in the 17″ to 24″ range. Lots of fun on the featherlite G.Loomis spin and fly tackle that I supply. We enjoyed a great season with specks, stripers, redfish and blues and I’m already counting the days until the first stripers arrive at the Susquehanna Flats. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for trophy fish at the bridge tunnel until cold weather hits, and then slowing down a bit on the backwaters of the Pocomoke River, casting to crappie, yellow perch, pickerel and bass. The Pocomoke is a beautiful tidal river and the fishing is laid back. A great way to enjoy a cool winter’s day.
Christmas Gift Certificates – It’s not too late to order Christmas gift certificates for a 4, 6 or 8 hour guided fishing trip. This is the perfect gift for the angler who has everything. I’ll make sure it arrives before Christmas, and I do take VISA or MasterCard!!
The client always has a better selection of flies than the guide!
Fishing the creeks of Smith Island
Bushels of oysters awaiting a buy boat at Smith Island
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Tags: CBBT, Chesapeake Bay, crappie, fly fishing, G.Loomis, Largemouth Bass, pickerel, Pocomoke River, rockfish, Susquehanna Flats, Tangier Sound, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans Fly Fishing ~ Spring Fling!
20 03 2012
The past three weeks have been all white perch and crappie. Throw in the occasional pickerel – along with a wayward rockfish, or three – and we’ve had some pretty good spring fishing. Flounder are making a showing on Virginia’s eastern shore and I will be making a trip or two down that way before I head to the flats. Speaking of the Susquehanna, the latest intel has clear water, with temps in the 50’s on much if the flats; prime conditions for stripers. Reports have it the big pre-spawn fish are moving up the bay, so everyone’s thinking the flats should bust wide open at anytime. I’ll be there when it does, so get your trip booked now. Here are some shots from past couple of weeks, with the most recent trips posted first..
Eroica Wallman with her first Pocomoke River crappie
Not to be outdone, Scott Wallman adds one to the catch
This pickerel gave Eroica a good battle!
This longnose gar was an unexpected visitor
Peter Gray having fun with Pocomoke River crappie
Justin Matoska adds a pickerel to the tally
Phil Bangert has his hands full with a Nanticoke River white perch..
..and the prize..
Some of the perch were upwards of 13"
The Pocomoke is a great fly fishing venue
Jim Lowell with a nice pickerel on fly
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Tags: Chesapeake Bay, crappie, fly fishing, Nanticoke River, pickerel, Pocomoke River, rockfish, Susquehanna Flats, white perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Pic…eh…Crappie Report
24 02 2012
What began as a quest for trophy chain pickerel, soon morphed into a routine crappie expedition. The “speckled perch,” as my friend Shawn Kimbro so eloquently stated, were more eager to please. Rather than bore you with my mundane writings that would not do justice to an absolutely gorgeous day on the Pocomoke River, here is a link to Shawn’s take on the day in his blog Chesapeake Light Tackle. Shawn’s narrative is a refreshing change of pace, as it allows the reader to experience the trip through the client’s eyes. You may wish to bookmark the site for future reference. Shawn has a gift for the written word and I thoroughly enjoy reading his timely and informative fishing reports during the course of a fishing season. You might also want to check-out Shawn’s new book, Chesapeake Light Tackle – An Introduction to Light Tackle Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. I intend to pick up a copy this weekend.
Don’t forget, CCA’s TieFest 2012 is this Saturday, February 25, at the Kent Island Yacht Club in Chester, MD. Show hours are 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. I hope to see you there!
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Tags: crappie, Largemouth Bass, pickerel, Pocomoke River
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Pocomoke Walk-On Trips
15 02 2012
I’ve had quite a bit of interest of late to fish the Pocomoke, with several folks looking to share a trip – I know it’s a long drive for many of you. If any of you would like to take advantage of this fun fishery, along with the walk-on cost-savings, please let me know. The price for two will be $140 per person , for three it’s $100 per person . This is the walk-on rate. You may still charter the boat for six-hours for just $275 – but you need to get your own friends 
. This includes minnows (for perch and crappie, but they can be caught without bait), license, water, soda, ice, and coffee and donuts. You will need to bring your own lunch. Again, this is a six-hour trip.Last Friday we had good numbers of crappie caught on fly and spinning gear, along with several pickerel to 24″ – and we weren’t even trying for the pickerel. A couple of bass, too. I have an all-pickerel trip this coming Friday so I hope to get some great photos. Stay tuned!!
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Tags: crappie, fly fishing, Largemouth Bass, pickerel, Pocomoke River, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Pickerel Come on Strong
4 02 2012
Yesterday, while crappie fishing on the Pocomoke, Tom Hylden and friends were pleasantly surprised by the good number of pickerel that ate our jig/minnow combinations. This should bode well for fly fishermen who seek to do battle with this aggressive member of the pike family. CCA MD is holding a Tidal Pickerel Championship and I believe the Pocomoke is as good a spot as any to take home the trophy. This is a “no bait” tournament, so if you would like to give the Pocomoke a shot give me a call and I’ll toss the minnows and concentrate on putting you on some good pickerel grounds. Back to yesterday’s trip, we did land maybe 30 or so crappie to 12-inches, along with a few bass to sixteen. Our final pickerel tally was maybe ten, not too bad considering our crappie gear. It was a fun mid-winter day on a beautiful tidal river.
Whitney Tilt shows off a good size Pocomoke pickerel
John Camp coaxed a couple of bass out of the brush
The makings of a fish-fry! All bass and pickerel were released.
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Tags: crappie, Largemouth Bass, pickerel, Pocomoke River
Categories : Fishing Reports
Josenhans FF ~ Crappie are a bitin’
27 01 2012
I made a brief scouting trip to the Pocomoke River and found the crappie schooled-up pretty heavy. In nine feet of water, my Lowrance HDS-7 showed the bottom one foot was a thick layer of crappie, mixed with the occasional yellow perch. I was using a 1/16 ounce chartreuse jig-head with a plastic curly tail, and I really think if I had attached a small minnow to the jig I would have filled the boat. The fish were subtle on the take and it really took a deft touch to feel the strike. In a couple of hours of casting I boated 25 crappie from 8 to 12 inches, along with three colorful perch of 9 to 11 inches. I had launched my Jones Brothers at Byrd Park in Snow Hill, Maryland. Looks like it’s going to be a great winter for this scrappy and good-eating pan fish.
Pocomoke Crappie
Pocomoke Perch
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Tags: crappie, Pocomoke River, yellow perch
Categories : Fishing Reports
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