Are The Big Cows Coming up the Bay?

[rappahanockman]

I'm hearing about lots of Big Cows being caught at Cape Charles and points
South. Are they coming or going..........I'm confused? The water temp. got
cold really fast this year.

I would like to think they were coming up the Mid-Bay in the next week or so!

Tom

[perseverance]

fish are leaving the bay, headed to the atlantic

[jrocket567]

I'm in the same boat.... the water temp dropped like a brick, and OI is tearing em up...

There are still some fish in the NJ/DE area, hopefully theyll make a right turn when they hit the mouth of the bay.

[Mike-JacksonCreek]

The big rock will stay as long as mengaden stay and water temps stay above 42. Once it goes below 42 the menhadden leave and rock follow. There are still huge schools of menhadden in the lower Potomac for example. Last saturday there was a huge bite around 65, 63a, and SP. I hade 4 big fish, all with sea lice. BTW, sea lice is what eats the algea off of the ocean rockfish. Gradually the sea lice falls off the longer the rockfish stays in the bay

Its also important to understand what size the menhadden are. Because of the menhadden fleet in Reedville (Omega Protein), there are way less big menhadden, majority are 6 in or so. Thats why smaller baits (6 in shad) work more than the big baits.

BTW, in years past when the VB water temps went below 42 the VB fleet had to run south until they found the menhedden, and the rock were there with them. Last year water stayed warm and VB was really hot. I would guess because we have had such a cold fall, water will be colder sooner, (Sat was 48 in middle bay, 49-50 at the CBBT) and its falling. if it gets colder soon, then we may not have a big run of ocean schools coming up as far as Reedville and Smith Pt

Mike

[Seascritch]

I always understood that the rockfish migrated out of the tidal rivers into the bay and eventually into the ocean as fall progressed into winter. But I have always been confused about all the reports of the big cows caught that were covered in sea lice. IE they migrated INTO the bay in the fall. Are the biggest class of fish merely looking for food and bait and not being dictated by the temperature or an instinctual urge to go out to sea? Just curious... but it sounds like to me there are fish moving in both directions. I just want to get on top of em!! Is anyone hear a marine biologist??!!

[Sea Level]

I'm with you Seascritch...as i agree with some of the other post. We do need a Marine Bio to help us with this one

[EllisCM]

Went fishing on a charter out of Pt Lookout last Sunday. Boated 3 fish between 34-36 before the chop got to be too much and ripped off a planer board. It was nasty out there, at least one crew member spent the whole day "chumming." Gotta say I was starting to feel a little green myself.

[rocksandblues]

I always understood that the rockfish migrated out of the tidal rivers into the bay and eventually into the ocean as fall progressed into winter. But I have always been confused about all the reports of the big cows caught that were covered in sea lice. IE they migrated INTO the bay in the fall. Are the biggest class of fish merely looking for food and bait and not being dictated by the temperature or an instinctual urge to go out to sea? Just curious... but it sounds like to me there are fish moving in both directions. I just want to get on top of em!! Is anyone hear a marine biologist??!!

The reason they seem to be coming and going is that they are... they all do not come in the bay at once and they all do not leave at once. Think of many different waves of fish coming in, fattening up and leaving. Added to this is that some stay longer/and shorter than their peers and some do come through the canal.

My .02 is that we are at the beginning of the end for mid bay rockfish bite and I do believe that this winter (if the trend continues) will be colder and the majority will winter further South this year. We have been spoiled by the last couple of mild winters.

[Bob G]

I keep tabs on water temp using the two sites below, one for Thomas Pt. (upper bay), and one for mouth of York River (middle bay). Right now, Thomas Pt is 41.9F, and York River 45.3F (site gives Celsius reading of 7.4C. Multiply 7.4 x 1.8, and add 32 = 45.3). Last week my boat thermometer read about 43F from Wake ramp to cut channel, and we caught fish. So, it's getting cold, but the fish are still biting! Good news is it's harder for the water to get much colder without some real severe weather, and that's not in near forecast.

Station: YRK000.00B

NDBC - Station TPLM2

[deltaville]

Check the Chesapeake board - still plenty of big fish being caught and a post today reported Solomon's water temp at 48F, while Stingray today is at 44. A warm few days upcoming this weekd may stabilize the recent free-fall??