[SkRaye]

Hello everyone, thank you for letting me join your community.

I joined to do some research and ask for your advice concerning the Severn River, specifically the area around Smith's Marina.

I have a 21-foot bass boat that I used to take on the Potomac regularly some 18 years ago but the long drive and traffic in the area have gotten old, to say the least, and I would like to fish someplace closer. The Severn "Smith's Marina" is only 30 minutes from me yet I have never explored it. It looks like a wonderful place and I mostly want to cruise around with the kids, fish a bit, and relax.

So my first question is about the size and type of boat, is it suitable "safe" for fishing in that area? It looks like a lot of the tributaries would be fun to explore to stay away from boat traffic. Looking at the maps I think I would gravitate upriver?

How salty is the water? My trailer is a painted trailer not galvanized. Should I be overly concerned with this?

The next questions are fishing-related and could be considered sensitive or classified material so I understand if you all would rather not answer!

On the Potomac my standard lure setup was:
Rod 1 - White spinnerbait 3/8oz. - docks, pilings, grass
Rod 2 - Rapala Rattle Trap 1/2oz - submerged anything - typically in blue/silver - and catfish would actually take those regularly.
Rod 3 - Red worm or a 1/2 oz football jig head with a twin tail grub, typically in rootbeer.

I catch and release mostly and just enjoy fishing so I am not concerned with a specific type of fish although I do enjoy catching bass obviously. I have caught hybrid stripers in the local reservoirs with white bass assassins.

All of this was pre snakehead, snakeheads had just started being caught about the time stopped going to the river.

Thank you all for the help.

 

[longtail]

Skips looking for a safety boat

 

[Capt C-Hawk]

Others will know more, but here's what I know for a starter. Nice ramp @ $20.00 per launch. Closes for season on Nov. 1st. Bass boat won't be a problem.
Bass are highly unlikely, Main species are white perch through the summer. Some stripers in summer and more in the fall. Snakeheads are in the river now so that fishery will takeoff soon. Fall brings more stripers and good numbers of pickerel most years. The pickerel fishing lasts through the winter. Did I mention catfish? They're everywhere.

 

[J.A. Veil]

Capt C-Hawk provided accurate general information. I fish in the Severn more than most of the folks on this forum (111 days during 2021). I fish from a kayak and am limited to a range of several miles from my launch points (usually at Jonas Green Park and in Weems Creek). But occasionally I do get farther upstream and have some familiarity with the waters near Smiths Marina.

Smiths Marina in Crownsville does offer a launch point in the mid/upper section of the river. Last year, the ramp fee was $20 (as noted above). You can check with the marina to confirm the cost for 2022. One issue there is parking. There is not an overabundance of parking, and with just a single ramp, you may have some waiting to get in or out.

Truxtun Park in Annapolis also offers a boat ramp in the lower end of the river. It puts you into the upper end of Spa Creek, which becomes Annapolis Harbor. A bass boat would be fine to launch at either of these spots unless you choose a day with high winds or thunderstorms.

The Severn offers many scenic tidal creeks and ponds that are fun to explore by boat. You can see wildlife and large waterfront homes, but can also find some fish. Like most estuarine waters, the salinity will fluctuate throughout the year from nearly fresh to half of ocean salinity. The Annapolis data buoy (near the mouth of the Severn) shows that salinity today is 9.3 ppt (parts per thousand). Annapolis - AN | Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (noaa.gov) Seawater is about 35 ppt. I don't think you would have a problem with a painted trailer, but you could hose it off when you get home if you are concerned.

I fish in the Severn year round. In well over 1,000 Severn fishing trips during the past 25-30 years, I have never caught a largemouth bass in the river or tributaries. I have heard of a few being caught well upstream by others, but do not recommend that you fish in the Severn with the intent of catching bass. Likewise snakeheads have been in the river for a few years. As often as I am fishing there, particularly in the shallow out-of-the-way spots, I have caught just one snakehead and have seen one other. I don't think they are abundant enough to target them on a regular basis. It would not hurt to have a rod with you that can be used if you spot a snakehead in the shallows or see a fry ball.

Here are the species that I catch most often in the Severn.

White perch - abundant in the shoreline shallows during the warm months (June - mid-Oct)
Pickerel - also in shoreline shallows, but more abundant during cool months (Sept - April)
Stripers - larger fish can be found in spring (but DNR now blocks striper targeting in April) and in early fall. Smaller fish often around during June - Oct.

I catch a few of some other species during the year. These include: bluefish, spot, croaker, pumpkinseed sunfish, channel catfish, speckled trout (rare), redfish (rare).

 

[27 sailfish]

Bass boat is OK for the Severn - I would stay inside the Rt 450 bridge ( Annapolis ). If you can go during the week - much less boat traffic.

Lot of creeks / coves plus a few hidden ones you might be able to get bass boat into. The Severn has a lot of sharp drops - some places it can be 6 feet deep just 15 feet from shore.

White Perch and Rock 12 to 24 inches will be most likely catch in summer. Fall / winter offers Pickerel. The head waters of some creeks will have Carp - fun to catch.

Small shad darts / 1/8 oz jigheads / beetle spin type lures work great. In line spinners in #1 to #3 size are good. Gold seems to hold edge over silver. Net some grass shrimp - Perch go crazy for them. Cast around fallen trees / docks / boat houses. Any where with shade should be looked over.

Rock will be more active in Sept / Oct in main river as bait leaves the creeks.

Fun group - Severn River Rod and Keg club ( SRRKC ) meets 1st Weds of each month around 6 pm. Good group to learn from. They are on face book.

 

[SkRaye]

Thank you all for the replies. I stayed away this weekend but hope to venture out mid-week.

 

[Barefoot]

I fished the Severn for about 25 years. I caught one Largemouth in all that time.

As described above, lots of other things to fish for though.

 

[Seapro02]

good luck an be safe out there.

 

[SkRaye]

Skips looking for a safety boat

I just don't want to do something stupid and put people in danger trying to rescue my butt.
Reading the forums it seems like it can get choppy and my boat sits pretty low in the water.
From the replies, it sounds like I just need to plan for decent days and lower boat traffic.

Red Right Return!

 

[longtail]

I don’t know much about bass boats and how they’d handle bay conditions. I was in one once. That’s was a wild ride