Stripers for Thanksgiving
There are rockfish still in the shallows and on the edges of drop offs and points in the Bay.
Lure casters using a variety of swimming plugs, jig heads dressed with plastics, and metal jigs did well on calm days last week. The salt islands off Hooper Straights and into the Honga River found plenty of action. There were stripers caught from the piers off Solomons Island, and off the shore at Piney Point.
Brain Rainey landed this rockfish while trolling near Myrtle Point (Patuxent), last Saturday.
The Potomac and Patuxent found trollers scoring on rockfish all up and down on the edges of oyster bars. Single lures, tandems, and small umbrellas all caught fish. Rockfish love a good-sized spoon.
Trolling the Patuxent
To be fair, the fish are not jumping into the boat. Time, expertise, and patience are required.
Kieth Stark caught this keeper rockfish off a pier in the Patuxent on a Yourzi swimming plug.
There are fish coming up to feed on bait in the mornings and evenings. The surface activity is brief and can draw birds that show a hot location for a moment.
Justin Boszko landed this 43 inch, 49 pound blue catfish in the Potomac using cut bait.
Big catfish are now in the holes of the lower Potomac from Ragged Point to the 301 Bridge. There are catfish at the Bushwood wharf. Cut alewife and prepared baits will attract them.
Alan Meadows jigged up schooled redfish in the mouth of the Patuxent.
Red drum are schooled up in the rivers. The mouth of the Patuxent is holding redfish on the bottom. The fish appear as a thin red line on the very bottom of your electronics and can be easily overlooked. Some savvy anglers have found them and made very good catches of puppy drum and slot reds, and oversize bull reds all mixed together. Metal jigs ranging up to two ounces are lures to use. An occasional good-sized striper is in the mix.
Potomac river fishermen have reported bottom hugging schools of reds also.
Capt. Bernie Shea is limiting out running out of Solomons.
The bay water temperature remains at a record setting height. Sunday the temperature was 63.9 degrees, nearly two degrees higher than the warmest of the last 10 years in 2012.
Meadows fishing party with Patuxent redfish.
As long as the temperature stays above 50 degrees, the red drum will feel no urgency to go south. If the abundance of bait fish remains, the drum may stay put. It is up to us to find them.