Rockfish season is off to a strong start for anglers willing to fish the early morning and late evening hours, according to this week’s fishing report from Ken Lamb of the St. Mary’s Tacklebox in Lexington Park.
Piney Point has been producing stripers in the 22- to 26-inch range for lure casters, though Lamb notes anything over Maryland’s 24-inch harvest maximum has to go back — the state’s Chesapeake Bay slot limit runs 19 to 24 inches with a one-fish daily bag during the current fall harvest season, which opened Sept. 1 and runs through Dec. 5. George Creek, on the southern side of St. George Island, has slot-sized fish holding around piers, docks, and open water, with top-water lures, swimming plugs, and jigs all drawing strikes. Lure casters are also finding rockfish in the shallows of the Patuxent working natural and man-made structure, while trollers working drop-off edges in both the Patuxent and Potomac should find willing fish.
September 8.
Spanish mackerel went scarce early last week, and anglers shifted their attention to bluefish and red drum, both of which have been plentiful. Some speculated the mackerel had moved off after roughly four inches of rain fell over 48 hours, but Captain Greg on the Miss Susie found them back in their usual spots just south of the Patuxent by Tuesday morning. Bluefish have been dependable daily, and bull red drum can show up at any time; the stretch of lower Potomac from Ragged Point and St. George Island to Smith Creek has produced a good mix of blues and mackerel for trollers.
Bottom fishing is near its seasonal peak, with spot and hardhead (croaker) plentiful in both the Patuxent and Potomac. White perch have been tougher to pin down and require dialing in the right tide and light conditions, though Lamb notes a good sign: smaller perch pestering anglers trying to land eating-sized fish, along with tiny trout and some puppy drum also taking lures.
Crabbing remains strong, with pots filling up overnight in local creeks for waterfront homeowners, and crabbers using chicken necks and hand traps also enjoying a good season. Lamb says warmer weather is expected this week before cooler temperatures move in for the weekend — a reminder, he adds, that colder months aren’t far off.
