I ventured out into the Patuxent River on Tuesday afternoon and brought home two rockfish about 20 inches long. The fish were breaking inside of marker 5 (Fishing Point) all the way to Green Holly. Most of the fish were small (15 to 16 inches), plenty of birds, you had to chase.
Kris Young of the Tackle Box fished with John Martin the same afternoon and got rockfish in the 24 to 27 inch range. These were breakers around Ragged Point in the Potomac River. Plenty of fish everywhere, lots of birds.
Ray Dickens threw lures around Hog Point on the outgoing tide late this afternoon and scored a 35 inch and 25 inch rockfish. Ray used Youzuri surface poppers. Rock were breaking merrily there, too. Hog Point is in the mouth of the Patuxent River just inside Cedar Point onthe Naval Air Station.
There was a report of two 41 inch fish caught trolling in the mouth of the Potomac River on Sunday. Good source; not seen. These fish would be ocean run fish.
We have no big fish with sea lice yet. However the weather has kept all but the biggest boats and hardiest captains home. Now the sun is out and the winds are calm, so I expect big rockfish will be trolled up. I will send a flash as soon as we get confirmation with photo.
The domestic rockfish were hot as fire up above Deale last Saturday with 35 inchers chasing juvenile alewives across the surface. The schools of fish were huge and big flocks of birds were everywhere. Trollers, jiggers, and casters got all they wanted. Where these fish are today is anybody’s guess.