Heat Wave
The spot, perch, and croaker (small ones) are also in the Potomac and its tributaries.
Captain Bernie Shea is catching plenty of spot in the Patuxent.
Spot continue to be plentiful in the Patuxent River. They have increased in size so that at least half of them are eating size. One skilled fisherman landed 38 edible spot in about two hours last Friday morning at Hawk's Nest just above Point Patience. Fishbites, lug worms and blood worms work as bait.
Captain Bernie limited out trolling for bluefish near the Target ship last Friday.
The spot, perch, and croaker (small ones) are also in the Potomac and its tributaries. The lower Potomac has been invaded by cow nosed rays and porpoises. When they appear in quantity, the fish go elsewhere (they do not like to become prey). Excellent catches of all species abruptly stopped last Saturday when the porpoise arrived in schools of fifty or more. They will be gone soon and the fishing will return to normal. Monday morning found some seatrout taking plastic lures in Cornfield Harbor with no porpoise in sight, but the usual rockfish had yet to return.
One of three speckled trout Eric Packard caught Monday morning in the shallows of Cornfield Harbor.
Ninety-degree days are fine for all species except stripers, who will seek the deep and venture out to feed at sunset and daybreak.
Josh is catching rockfish in the St. Mary's River.
Rockfish are very active in the Patuxent. Trollers and lure casters from the rocks found feeding rockfish in the mouth of West Basin at the Naval Air Station. All other areas around Cedar Point can have good populations of rockfish hitting surface poppers, plastics and bucktais and swimming plugs. Go early and late; fish avoid the hot sunshine just as we do.
Sean with his rockfish that took a surface popper.
Jiggers at the Solomons Bridge pilings are doing well on slack tides. The water runs too fast there during the main flow to get all but the heaviest lures down where multiple snags await.
Alex is getting rockfish to bite plastics in the St. Mary's River. Late evening is the best time.
Catfish have retreated to the fresher regions of the Potomac and Patuxent. They are big, plentiful and eager to bite.
Fresh water fishing at St. Mary's Lake and other local ponds is very good.