Rockfish Dance

The rockfish are very plentiful in the bay, Potomac and Patuxent. However, they can be shy when boats congregate in mass. They become wall flowers at the dance when too many propellers are in their vicinity.

Susan Matthews with rockfish from the Patuxent that took one of her specialty lures.

 All week the fish were active in the mouth of the Patuxent in numbers not seen in a decade. Fish were on the bottom, breaking on top, and in the middle of the water column all week. Word got out and the weekend brought out hordes of boaters. The fish responded by breaking up into small schools and sulking on the bottom. Trollers were still successful, but everyone had to work for them. The fish up the river on the oyster bars, wrecks, and holes were dependable for experienced trollers. 

The Potomac had the same experience. Most everyone got their limit, but it took time. Big Potomac rockfish schools moved overnight south to Virginia's Sandy Point and Maryland's Cornfield Point. There are still plenty of stripers scattered from Port Tobacco to Ragged Point. The fish are coming up to feed and are breaking the surface in the last hour of sunlight. 

Captain Greg with Sunday morning catch from Chinese Muds (Patuxent).

Trollers are using umbrella rigs, tandem rigs and big in-line sinkers and drop rigs. Both white, blue, and chartreuse lures will bring strikes. 

Screens lit up all week.

There are good numbers of rockfish in the Power Plant outfall above Cove Point. There are a lot of undersized rockfish there, but enough keepers to make a trip there worthwhile. 

Jaden Arnold with 29 inch blue catfish from the Potomac.

Blue catfishing is very good up the Potomac and Patuxent. 

Chase found a big largemouth mixed with rockfish.

Largemouth bass are active on these sunny, warm afternoons. Fishermen were catching big bass all week in the Potomac, St. Mary's Lake, and farm ponds.