A Work in Rockfish
Croaker are on the shorelines in the Patuxent as multiple reports of catches totaling in the 30-inch range have come from the Naval Air Station beaches and points.
Catfish are being caught everywhere in Southern Maryland. Surf fishermen at Point Lookout are finding plenty of catfish on both the Peninsula in the bay and in the Potomac. The fish are from 12 inches to 10 pounds, and will bite on cut bait, squid, bloodworms, clam snouts, and most anything else as they are omnivorous and hungry. Catfish are in the Potomac and Patuxent off the bank, piers, and boats in most any depth. Catches in quantities in the dozens are reported daily. The St. Mary's River has catfish everywhere.
The bigger catfish are in the upper Potomac from the 301 bridge to Washington. Catfish in the 30 to 50 pound class are common from Mallows Bay to Fort Washington.
Catfish are great fighters and good eating. We need to embrace this resource and go catch them. They are considered invasive and there are no restrictions on catching them.
Striper season begins Saturday with the main stem of the bay open for the trophy season. We are allowed one fish per day and the minimum size is 35 inches. There has been little information about Trollers catching rockfish in catch-and-release to this point. We will all be pioneers on Saturday. We have seen rockfish at the Calvert Power Plant outflow in the five to six pound class by jiggers this past weekend.
White perch are now active in the rivers in the 20 to 50 feet bottoms. There have been a handful reported caught off the shorelines thus far. The coming weeks of warmth will bring them into the creeks for lure casters.
Fresh water fishing is excellent.
St, Mary's Lake has a crappie run going on with very good catches reported by both lure casters and those using live minnows and night crawlers.
Bass, bluegill, and pickerel are very active hitting all kinds of lures at St. Mary's. Local ponds are all hot now with all species biting.
