December 2nd, 2020 - Rockfish Bonanza
Rockfish are wide open in the bay from Hooper's Island Light to buoy 72, Point Lookout, and south to Smith Point.
Main Image: 7 year old Carson Hoffmasters' 20 inch rockfish on a HHCB tandem in the Patuxent last Friday.
The fish are breaking attracting huge flocks of gulls and some gannets. Get close to the wheeling birds ; dangle a jig in the water and get an instant strike. Many of the fish are undersized, but there are plenty of fish in the 25 to 30 inch range if you seek them out.
There are schools of fish in the 28 to 30 inch range with sea lice, which may indicate recent migration from the ocean. Good catches of these fish were made Sunday after 3PM at the site of the old hotel off Point Lookout on Sunday.
Birds on fish off Point Lookout on Sunday.
Potomac River rockfish love those HHCB umbrella rigs.
The Potomac and Patuxent rivers have plenty of stripers too, but the action is a little slower and the bite time is more limited. Trollers were in all week replenishing lures and umbrella rigs for river fishermen who really like the Hard Head Custom Bait lures, tandems, and umbrellas.
Those hiking the mile into St. Mary's Lake from the parking lots off Indian Bridge Road are finding crappie, largemouth bass, and pickerel eager to take lures. The main entrance is now scheduled to reopen in late December.
Julian Tsai with bay rockfish last Sunday.
Brayden age 3 and Dad show off a Sunday catch.