Rockfish Season is Here!

Friday, May 16 is opening day of rockfish (striped bass) season. The main stem of the bay and the Potomac open, but the Patuxent above Point Patience remains closed until June 1. The slot limit is 19 to 24 inches and daily limit is one per person.

There are plenty of rockfish here now just about everywhere. Lure casters in the mouth of the Patuxent seeking redfish, trout or bluefish have been hooking up stripers of all sizes. There are still big fish up to 40 inches that have been caught and released in the last few days.

Eric with rockfish from Mill Creek, Patuxent, that was released after taking lure meant for trout.

Trollers using small umbrella rigs, tandem rigs or simple single lures should find fish in the Potomac and the mouth of the Patuxent.

There was a 20 inch bluefish caught off the shoreline near Hog Point in the mouth of the Patuxent last Thursday.

White perch are in the creeks.

Lure casters from the shore will use surface poppers, swimming plugs, and a variety of plastics and bucktails. There should be some redfish and trout moving in soon. The cool waters of the unusual cold spring is perfect of stripers. The summer visitors (redfish, trout) are filling up the mouth of the bay and rivers below the Potomac and are heading this way.

Croaker in Mill Creek, last Friday.

Bottom fish have moved into the Patuxent and Potomac. Croaker in the six-to-eight-inch range seem to be everywhere. The croaker have been caught off the shore as far up as Benedict in the Patuxent. These little fish grow fast and will reach nine-inch keeper size soon. Spot are here too and they mix with the croaker. There was a good catch of croaker and spot made at the Solomons fishing pier this week by a group of youngsters fishing at night under the lights. The night fishing is always very good.

Summer is upon us and a great fishing season is getting underway. Let's go get 'em!