November 27, 2019 - Thanksgiving Rockfish

The fish are mostly 20 to 28 inches in the bay and mouth of the Potomac. Best locations are mid- bay from Point No Point to 72A, the Middle Grounds, the "triangle" about two miles out off Point Lookout. The mouth of the Potomac has had breaking rockfish from Ragged Point all the way to Smith Point, with great action off Vermar Beach.

That being said, these fish are not eating lures 24 hours a day. Good days are terrific for trollers and jiggers alike with eager fish hitting lures with abandon. Other times will find searching birds and fishermen looking for fish that will bite. They will turn on sometime during the day, if you can't find them right away you have to be patient and wait them out.

On the occasions when the fish are being coy, the trollers have the upper hand. They can cover a lot of water waiting for strikes and looking at the fish finder. The lovely Hard Head Custom Bait umbrella rigs that are aimed at these sized fish are irresistible to them.

When the fish are hot,the jiggers can move in and use light tackle to enjoy the tenacity of fight offered by these hefty, healthy stripers.
The Patuxent has some fine rockfish on the oyster bars and drop offs. There can be an infestation of little rock up the river frothing around on the surface attracting plenty of gulls. Bigger fish are on the bottom and trollers are doing very well from Half Pone Point to Sheridan Point.

White Perch are in the deep holes around Point Patience and and from Kingston Hollow to the Solomons Bridge. They love bits of blood worm on spinner hooks.

Catfish are at Bushwood Wharf.

There is a fine crappie bite in the fresh water ponds and at St. Mary's Lake. They love live minnows.

Eric Packard with rock from the Patuxent.

Jacob Tomsiak with typical stripers from 72A.

Two at the time on Hard Head Custom Bait umbrella.