June 30th, 2021 - Fourth of July Fishing
It doesn't get much better than this!
We have Cobia in the bay, Spot and Rockfish in the rivers, plenty of Speckled Trout, and White Perch galore.
The cobia were centered around Smith Point Light last Friday. In the calm and cool of that day, it was not uncommon for chummers and chunkers to raise a half dozen big fish. Then Saturday kicked up with stormy weather and the fishing became much more difficult. There were cobia catches made all week using live eels, chunked alewife, and chum. Trollers are getting some too. Weather and tide are the limiting factors. Good days are off the hook.
Spot have taken over the mouth of the Patuxent. The spot are everywhere mixed with perch. The only problem is size which range from small to medium. These tasty critters grow fast and will be acceptable table fare soon.
Jeff Menendez and his ten inch perch.
Joshua Leard leads the big perch contest of June with this 11 inch beauty.
Bait is a problem. There are not enough bloodworms coming out of Maine, but shipments have improved the past few days. The tides must be approaching normal finally, as size and quantity are getting better. The new imported Lugworms are a good substitute and are sold by weight so that a package produces a good amount of bait consistently instead of the hit or miss dozen of bloods.
Rockfish are hitting top water lures at the Power Plant above Cove Point, The rocks along the shoreline are loaded on the right tide and sun angle. Rockfish are on the bars and beaches in the Potomac just below the 301 Bridge. You have to fish on the edge of dark or at daybreak if you want success. The same goes for the Patuxent. Trollers are finding them in 25 to 40 feet of water on the bottom with small white bucktails.
Niko Funya landed two big snakeheads below the dam at St. Mary's Lake, the headwaters of the River.
Todd Lester with a 50 pound Cobia from Smith Point.
Speckled trout are on the western and eastern shore for lure casters using bucktails, jigs or even swimming plugs. One has to get the tides right and know where and when to throw that lure.
We are awaiting Spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Mario Fenwick shows off a 28 inch snakehead.
Capt. Bernie Shea's party on his charter boat the Shea-D-Lady shows off spot from the Patuxent.
Snakeheads are in the upper regions of rivers in creeks at the edge of the grass. Artificial frogs and big Mepp's spinners with curly tail grubs are what they will eat.
Big bass await lures in the lakes and ponds. There are plenty of crappie (who will bite all day). Pickerel and bluegill eat at dawn and dusk.
Two at the time!
Got to go with Capt. Greg last week with predictable results!