The bite is on
Alarm clocks all over Southern Maryland were sounding off in the predawn hours this past Saturday as the opening weekend of trophy rockfish season got underway.
It was busy out there and overall the fishing was good for most of the anglers in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. Some folks caught lots of big ones, others caught only one or two, and a few even got skunked, which is the way it often goes in life and in fishing.
There wasn’t a particular spot or lure that was really hot. All types of umbrella, parachute and individual and tandem mojo rigs were successful, with white and chartreuse the most popular colors.
Almost all the fish caught trolling were 35 inches or bigger, and although fishing from the beach didn’t yield a lot of trophy-sized fish, many were in the 17- to 24-inch range. One lucky pier fisherman caught a big rockfish off the public fishing pier at Point Lookout the second day of the season. The 26-pound, 39-inch rockfish took cut alewife bait in the surf.
We’ll be having lots of warm weather from here on out with night temperatures no longer dipping down near freezing. Temperatures in the 70s are in the forecast but plenty of times they will top out in the 80s here in Southern Maryland. This rapid warming trend is going to trigger migration, spawning and feeding of the big rockfish.
Weekends will be real busy out there. Weekdays are your best bet to avoid the crowds.
Southern Maryland lakes and ponds — The weather the past few days has been just about near-perfect for coming up with a good excuse to leave work an hour or two early and hitting up your favorite pond for some afternoon fishing.
Anthony Hancock, assistant manager at Gilbert Run Park in Dentsville, said the bass are currently in both a pre-spawn and spawning state at the park. The bigger female bass are getting ready to get on the beds and fisherman have caught a handful of nice ones over the last two weeks with two over 6 1/2 pounds.
Covering a lot of water will help you catch a bigger number of fish, however using a slower and methodical approach will yield bigger fish. Plastic worms, jigs and big spinnerbaits are top choices for nice bass.
Some trout are still being caught with powerbait fished on the bottom, but they are on the small size, about 10 inches on average. Crappie are also in a pre-spawning mode and are hit or miss lately. They are holding in 10 feet of water and can be enticed to bite with minnows under a slip bobber or small white curly tail grubs trolled slowly through good looking cover.
Bluegill are beginning to bite in the shallows with the traditional worm/bobber combo. Most of the bigger bluegills as well as redear sunfish are being caught in drop-offs in five to 10 feet of water.
Potomac River — Waters have warmed to the low 70s and the bass bite is on.
Reel Bass Adventures guide Capt. Andy Andrzejewski of Reel Bass Adventures (301-932-1509) reports that shallow grass flats along the main river at the mouths of creeks are giving up good numbers of quality bass when fished with plastic crawfish imitators or finesse worms. Wood cover in wind-protected bays also holds bass that will strike a slow-rolled spinner bait or a slowly fished plastic worm. Bass occupy some of the spatterdock fields where chatter baits, rattle baits, or jig and craw combos will attract them.
Very large yellow perch are in the grassbeds where a downsized crank or small spinner will catch them. Snakeheads are starting to make their presence known in shallow water where they are harassing bass baits. Near the Chain Bridge anglers are catching hickory shad, as many as a few dozen in one day. And there are lots of blue catfish being caught, ranging on average from 15 to 30 pounds, and a 60-pounder was caught near Fletcher’s Boathouse last weekend.
jamiedrakeoutdoors@outlook.com