Main Image: Bryon Smith and his 26 inch rockfish from the Patuxent near the Benedict Bridge.
October 28th, 2020 - November Rockfish
The cold and wind of Fall came through on Sunday reminding us all that winter is coming.
Our prime fish now will be the striped bass that we here in southern Maryland call rockfish.
The bay and rivers have plenty of rockfish for everyone, but they can play hide and seek on some days.
The Patuxent has had a good run of fish from Sheridan Point to St. Leonard's Creek for weeks, then the fish moved south to Gatton's Bar all the way to Hawk's nest. A troller ventured out on Sunday afternoon when wind and rain abated a bit and found plenty of rock in about 25 feet in front of St. Leonard's Creek. There were good fish caught at Drum Point too on Sunday. Live liners are using up the last of the summer spot and doing very well off Second Beach and in Cedar Point Hollow. Live eels work like a charm, too.
Bob Bradley and his 10 and one half inch perch.
The bay has rockfish from the Targets to Point No Point and at 72 and 72A.
The Potomac has the fish on the Virginia side one day and the Maryland side the next. Good days has the fish hitting trolled lures from Herring Creek to St. George Island. There are some bigger fish in Cornfield Harbor. The annual breaking fish bonanza off Vero Beach should start soon.
There are still some small blues around the shoreline for surfcasters.
We have had lots of stories of slot redfish caught from the surf at Point Lookout State Park and by lure casters at creek mouths and bay shore.
Raelynn Vanlaningham shows off a fine rockfish.
We have had no reports of the fall run of ocean fish coming in from the Atlantic yet, but the blast of cold in New England will get them moving by the weekend.
Perch fishing will rapidly become a deep water event in the rivers as the days shorten, water cools and clears up in the creeks.
The main entrance to St. Mary's Lake is scheduled to open next month, and if we have an Indian Summer, the bass fishing there should be terrific as fishing pressure this year has been way off since access was so limited.
Sam Freeman leads the October big perch contest with this 11 incher.