Spring Rockfishing
 

Time to get "caught up" on my own personal facebook page; as was pointed out by a fellow CBAngler:rolleyes:.

I've been fishing most every day (except today) on the "Patent Pending" out of Deale. We have brought back a limit to the pier on every trip. This is not meant as a brag, simply a fact that supports that fishing is definately better than last spring.
Our fish have not been huge. Most fish are from the lower 30's to the upper 30's with 36-38 being normal. Most all our fish have spawned out, however, yesterday we caught some fish with sea lice. I hope this is an indication that another group is entering from the ocean.
We have been turning south on all out trips and finding bait before setting lines. We are running 22 rods, so I am covering lots of water and different depths fairly easily. Most private boats can't run that many, so I thought you might be interested in our most productive lines. REMEMBER, this weekend is the MSSA tournament and we may need to adjust a few lines deeper with all the boat traffic.
I have a 2/4 tandem out 8 bars closest to the boards. Then a 2/8 tandem also out 8 bars. Then a single 4oz out 6 bars followed by a single 8oz 6 bars back. Then I start back with tandems 2/4 out 4 bars, and a 2/8 out 4 bars.
The baits closest to the boards have been hot.
As for umbrella's, I have a small umbrella with 2 oz chute out 200 ft and on the other side the same chute out 180. We also run big umbrella's with twin baits, but they have been less productive.
Early in the season, white was the go to color. However, both white or green have been productive lately.

As noted, the tournament may cause us to adjust the spread, but if you get out after the tournament, try some of the above suggestions. One day last week, the water was calm as glass and we could see bait flipping on the surface. The lighter baits caught five fish early in the morning.

Our spread gets tweeked throughout the day. As each fish pops a clip, that rod gets put back out at the shortest position (4 bars). Eventually, the side winds up with maybe one six bar lure and all the rest 4 bars. When this happens, wait about 40 minutes. If no fish are caught off the boards, I reset the side and often a newly set 8 or 6 bar tandem gets hit.
On real sunny days (which we haven't had too many) I don't mind the side being light, but on cloudy/windy days, I reset.

Best of luck to all this weekend, the weather looks good and lots of fish will be caught, I hope a CBAngler at least places in the tournament.
5th (Marty)

Thanks for the info Marty.It dose seem to be more fish being caught this year.Do you think most of the fish are just staying south of the muddy waters?Making for more fish in those areas?Cool deal working as a mate.
Dan

Marty...thanks for the detailed report...I was sure there were more fish this spring than last..(not being sarcastic)...but on TFish...almost every troller is catching fish..or the guys that aren't are not reporting...
I was really hoping that a new slug of fish wouldn't arrive till after the "Big Money tourney" this weekend...hope all is well...
Haven't been out...waitng till the crowds clear a little...I figure another week or so and it will be time..

Mary,
Thanks for the report. I was out Tuesday east of CB and had caught a few nice fish and one really large girl. Singles with a wide mouth near the boards were my hot bait. We kept one fish that was 32 and released the rest without removing them from the water.

Good luck to the guys fishing this weekend.

The difference is the cooler water this year. Last year the majority of the fish were in and out before the season started.

Yep...I was talking to a couple of guys today and we said the same thing...

Thanks for the update Marty.

Regarding the water temps...that water is starting to warm up quick now. Water temps at TPL today are 5 degrees warmer than same day a year ago. Water has warmed up 5 degrees in just the last 4 days:eek:. Hit 61* today. http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/buoy.../24/TPLM2.html

FWIW: Solomons guys are catching and roughly 1/2 have not spawned yet.

Better so far then 2010 but no where near 2002 to 2009.

63-65* is the magic temp for a few really good spots LTJing...good to hear...

The water temp in the creeks and rivers last March, got into the 60's. The fish did their thing and left. Fish don't spawn at Thomas Point Light.