
A few years ago, I packed my surf rod, some heavy casting rods and reels, and a tackle box for a getaway to Nags Head and a little saltwater fishing. Unfortunately, I picked up the wrong tackle box. It was my freshwater box with nary a sinker or double drop rig in the whole box. I had to buy new stuff at the Beach.
Last weekend, I did even worse. I brought my rods, a crab net and big bucket for our Piankatank River cottage adventure but left my saltwater tackle box in the basement.
I had basically no terminal tackle – except for one small, white crappie jig which was attached to one of the lightweight rods I happened to bring. I texted my daughter, Laura, to bring the box when she came the next day, but late on the first afternoon, I took my sole crappie jig down to the dock with a handful of shrimp. I put a bit of shrimp on the 1/16 oz. jig, tossed it out and watched as it settled slowly to the bottom. I got a bite, then another. Then I caught a speckled trout and 2 fat puppy drum in short order. The fish were picking the bait off the bottom and swimming away and it was easy to set the hook. In three days, I ended up catching a pile of puppy drum, plus trout, black drum, spot, white bass, and sand perch – all on the small crappie jig with shrimp. I never once used a heavy sinker.
I learned two important things. First, that a dead low tide is a killer time to catch drum and trout as bait is dislodged from grass beds and cover, and second, a small hook with little weight is deadly in shallow water.
Next time, I’ll try to remember my saltwater tackle box, but believe me, it will be filled with crappie jigs.