October 2, 2019 - Summertime in October

Plenty of rockfish were caught all week through sun and rain, windy and calm.

The breakers can be caught by trollers on the edsge of the the schools using spoons or bucktails. If you troll deep there are much bigger rockfish under the surface frenzy. Tamden rigs with 20 ounce weights on a drop is the key to the big stripers.

There were many spanish mackerel on Sunday off the gas docks. The Monday folks were happy with blues and rock; the spanish did not like the windy overcasst.

For just a lot of fun you can chase the schools and cast lures to them and get fat bluefish and plenty of rock, mostly in the 15 to 16 inch range. There are keepers to be had if you have enough patience.

Jigging with big metal jigs under the breakers can result in bigger fish up to 30 inches.

There are still spot and perch in the rivers for bottom fishermen. pretty much all you want.

Perch are in the creeks along with lots of speckled trout in the 9 tp 12 inch range.The St. Mary's River off the Potomac has a huge run of tiny trout mixed with big perch.

Cobia season ended with September's passing. It was perhaps the best cobia run in memory with the majority of them caught trolling on red or orange surgical eel lures. Chummers and sight fishermen using big colorful jigs or live eels did well too.

Stripers are caught up the Patuxent and Potomac at daybreak by shallow water trollers using white bucktails. These are hefty fish. Lure casters are getting them too surface lures, swimming plugs, bucktails and spoons.

The drought seems to have made all fresh water fish very hungry,

Crabs are very plentiful. There is a solid month left to catch big crabs in the pots for folks with waterfront property.

Eric Packard with bluefish from Monday.

Plenty of these small stripers most everywhere.

Typical rockfish breaking in bay. Notice birds circling surface feeders in background!