April 25, 2019 – Opening Rockfish Season
Opening day of the trophy rockfish season started with rain and wind, but conditions steadily improved until the afternoon was bearable for bigger boats.
Spot, Croaker, Perch, big Red Drum, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Flounder, and Rockfish all got busy feeding this week.
Spot and Croaker are in the mouth of the Patuxent for bottom fishermen both from boats and the fishing piers. The Solomons pier had good catches of Spot most every night this week. There were many nice Croaker and Perch too. Boaters found Croakers and Spot in Kingston Hollow and from Town Creek to West Basin on the 30-foot edge.
The Rockfish bite continues to be very good for trollers on the oyster bars in the upper Potomac around Swan Point and in the Patuxent from Half Pone Point to Broomes Island. Scattered Rockfish are active at dusk and dawn in the shallows eager to hit most any lure.
Big Red Drum have been caught by trollers using colorful spoons below Cedar Point from outside the Targets to Hooper's Island light. Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel are hitting the spoons when the Redfish are being searched for.
Cobia are being chummed and chunked up in the lower Bay. Live eels in the chumline are working well.
There is a good run of crabs underway.
There are plenty of Catfish in the upper regions of the Potomac and Patuxent.
We have seen some really big Largemouth Bass all week from ponds and St. Mary's Lake. Bluegill and shell crackers are eager for night crawlers or live crickets.
Red Drum caught on Capt. Luke Koller's (410-629-9206) charter boat "Rock Star."
Leroy Granby with a catch of Croaker, Spot, Perch and a lone Catfish off Green Holly in the Patuxent.
Capt. Damon Williams on the "Crack of Dawn" scored on the Drum out of Solomons Islands.
Spanish Mackerel love those spoons!
Keeper flounder from lower Tangier Sound. There was another keeper and lots of throwbacks.