Local Fishing Report: Potomac & Patuxent Full of Rockfish

SOUTHERN MARYLAND - 10/16/2009

By Ken Lamb of the Tackle Box

The cold weather has chased spot into the deep holes in the mouth of the rivers and made them hard to catch. This presents problems for live liners who need live bait.

The areas near the Gas Docks, Little Cove Point, Second Beach and the Nuclear Power Plant all have loads of rockfish, many 30 inches or more, that will gobble any live spot offered. Charter boats anchored there were observed bailing the big rock with a mate or captain constantly netting fish last Saturday.

Trollers and lure casters are having a ball with breaking rockfish most everywhere. The spot are in 50 feet of water and only bite when the sun and tide suit them. Croaker were at Richland Point in great size and quantity last week before the temperature began flirting with 50 degrees at night. The last stragglers are on their way to the Atlantic now.

White perch are very active in the creeks, Bluefish are everywhere and will hit any trolled lure or chunk of bait offered. The blues are breaking all up and down the ship's channel.

The Potomac and Patuxent are full of rockfish smashing top water plugs and most any other lure. Trollers have found some trout mixed with rockfish up the Patuxent.

There are largemouth bass and big chain pickerel as well as crappie in St. Mary's Lake, hitting lures and live minnows.