Rockfish Bonanza
The stripers are here!
Rockfish are schooled up in the Bay, Patuxent, and Potomac, and feeding fast and furious.
Capt. Greg Buckner out of Solomons is getting fine stripers daily.
The fish are breaking upriver and in the mouth of the Patuxent. The Bay has huge schools of stripers at buoys 54 and 72. Breakers are in the Potomac below St. George's Island to Smith Creek on the Maryland side, and from Ragged Point to Vermar Beach on the Potomac side.
Capt. Bernie Shea with Sunday catch from Patuxent.
The fish are not breaking all the time, but they will come up and feed sooner or later. They can be found on the depth finder when dormant on top. Birds are attracted to the feeding fish, but be warned: loons are feeding on bait schools and will bring big flocks of birds.
One of 58 stripers caught jigging in the Patuxent on Sunday by private party of four.
Trollers are doing very well pulling tandems and small umbrella rigs. The fish are averaging 20 to 25 inches, so big lures are not required. Jiggers are using bucktails, jig heads and plastic paddle tails, and metal jigs. When the fish are hot, it does not matter.
This hybrid showed up in the Patuxent. I have discovered there are about five different hybrids of stripers; this one may be a wiper (mix of white bass and striped bass).
Another view of rare fish.
Rockfish season ends in Maryland waters on the 10th of December. So plan a trip soon. The minimum here is 19 inches, the maximum is 31 inches. The season is in until December 31 in the Potomac, and you can keep two per day. The minimum in the Potomac is 20 inches and maximum is 31 inches.
Nice one from the Patuxent.