ictalurus
07-15-2009, 07:35 AM
I launched from Solomons around 5pm yesterday at the beginning of the flood tide. The salinity at Solomons was around 9, and the water temp was 78*. I headed out to Drum Point while trolling my #14 Pet Spoon around the edges of the triangular shoal that divides the two channels going into the harbor. There were lots of marks, likely both bluefish and some bottom fish, all in the lower half of the water column. I didn't have any deep diving plugs with me, and I didn't have any hits on the spoon. A few times, the lower half of the water column went black on my fish finder, but I didn't have any luck jigging. I should've stopped and fished harder, but I needed some exercise and wanted to see if there would be any breakers out by Drum Point.
I didn't get to Drum Point until about 6 because I kept stopping and trying different things, and I stopped to make sure that a jet skier that fell off could get back on. :oops: There were more jet skiers at Drum Point, lots of other boat traffic, and very few marks, so I headed across the mouth to Hog Point where there were only a few fishing boats. There were lots of dense marks on the other side in 25-30ft of water that looked jiggable, but neither I nor another boat had any luck. Again, there were times the lower half of my fish finder when black. I must stink at jigging. :confused: I kept moving in shallower, saw some bottom marks out in front of the blue building near the beach, and dropped my bottom rig in about 23' of water. On the first drop, I caught a nice 10" spot on FishBites:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/107_3643.jpg
The schools seemed to be moving around a lot because I wouldn't have any luck for a while, then I'd see something on my fish finder, then I'd hook up. I caught eight 8" croakers, a 9" spot, and a few smaller spot. Casting around didn't help, so I just kept my rig under the yak and waited for the school to show up. Anyway, I should've known there were fish in this area because the fishing fleet was out there in force yesterday morning, and I saw 14 more boats out there this morning. :eek2:
At about 7:40, I started trolling back toward the CBL pier, skirting the shoal on the way in. This time, I let out an insane amount of line and finally caught a 9" bluefish. It was so small that I barely felt it on the line with the 1.5oz inline sinker I use. :pp This time, I was using a #15 spoon, which is slightly bigger and had a more intact feather.
I didn't have any luck with perch or spot by the pier, but I know they're there. :52: I caught two more 8" spot right next to the pier at the entrance of the harbor before I called it quits at 8:30. Then I proceeded to lock both sets of keys in my truck and had to have my wife come out to unlock it. :52: Good thing we live close by...
I guess last year's high gas prices spoiled me because there was hardly any boat traffic around Drum Point last year. I think there would be more breaking activity if it was a little quieter out there. There sure are a lot of marks and bait.
I didn't get to Drum Point until about 6 because I kept stopping and trying different things, and I stopped to make sure that a jet skier that fell off could get back on. :oops: There were more jet skiers at Drum Point, lots of other boat traffic, and very few marks, so I headed across the mouth to Hog Point where there were only a few fishing boats. There were lots of dense marks on the other side in 25-30ft of water that looked jiggable, but neither I nor another boat had any luck. Again, there were times the lower half of my fish finder when black. I must stink at jigging. :confused: I kept moving in shallower, saw some bottom marks out in front of the blue building near the beach, and dropped my bottom rig in about 23' of water. On the first drop, I caught a nice 10" spot on FishBites:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/107_3643.jpg
The schools seemed to be moving around a lot because I wouldn't have any luck for a while, then I'd see something on my fish finder, then I'd hook up. I caught eight 8" croakers, a 9" spot, and a few smaller spot. Casting around didn't help, so I just kept my rig under the yak and waited for the school to show up. Anyway, I should've known there were fish in this area because the fishing fleet was out there in force yesterday morning, and I saw 14 more boats out there this morning. :eek2:
At about 7:40, I started trolling back toward the CBL pier, skirting the shoal on the way in. This time, I let out an insane amount of line and finally caught a 9" bluefish. It was so small that I barely felt it on the line with the 1.5oz inline sinker I use. :pp This time, I was using a #15 spoon, which is slightly bigger and had a more intact feather.
I didn't have any luck with perch or spot by the pier, but I know they're there. :52: I caught two more 8" spot right next to the pier at the entrance of the harbor before I called it quits at 8:30. Then I proceeded to lock both sets of keys in my truck and had to have my wife come out to unlock it. :52: Good thing we live close by...
I guess last year's high gas prices spoiled me because there was hardly any boat traffic around Drum Point last year. I think there would be more breaking activity if it was a little quieter out there. There sure are a lot of marks and bait.