We had a miserable week of high winds and cold that stirred the bay and tributaries, and kept boaters off the water for the most part. Beach fishermen facing 40 degree temperatures and ugly gales spent most of the week at home huddled around the stove waiting for our long delayed spring.
There were a few hours of several days that allowed some trolling on the bay, and the rockfish are plentiful still. Captain Jim Gray on the “Mary R” had a great day last Monday, catching 31 rockfish for his party between buoys 72A and 72. That same morning Capt. Warren on the “Helen Marie” found plenty of big rockfish near Point No Point. Trollers in the Potomac are finding big rockfish off Stuart’s Pier, St. Clements Island, and St. George Island.
The trolling season will be strong for another two weeks, at least, as the spawning run has been slowed by unusually cold temperatures.
The cold has not slowed the croakers. Croakers were caught by boaters at sunset and high tide this week at the mouth of St. Leonard’s Creek in the Patuxent. The fish were thick enough for sinker dunkers to catch their limit (20 fish per person) in 25 feet of water just east of the entrance of the creek several evenings this week. The croakers are excellent size ranging from 14 to 17 inches, and like bloodworms, squid, shrimp, and clam snouts. Croakers are in the Potomac and its tributaries in great size and numbers.
We had our first flounder of the season brought in By Mark Fahey who was drifting in the mouth of the Potomac near Point Lookout.
Small spot have shown up in the mouth of the Potomac and should be caught by bottom fishermen mixed with the croaker anytime now.
Crabbing has picked up. The crab pots off private piers began loading up with decent sized crabs over the weekend.
Memorial Day weekend is on tap, and the forecasters have promised some 80 degree days with calm winds. The fishing should be terrific.