[scottdd1]

Ok, here's the question:

Boat is kept in Little Choptank. Have had great success in the CP area. Last week ran down to the HI buoy on Saturday and missed the melee by a couple of days. Did manage a couple of nice ones, but likely could have done that close to home port.

Dilemma is:

Not gonna run all the way to PLO. Do you think there is any chance of finding a few around CP, or have they all gone south. May also check out 78 and 78A.

Thanks.

 

[27 sailfish]

A few years ago - I caught a Rock every month of the year trolling - just to say it could be done .We often go to jigging in mid January until March - it works better then trolling.

I caught a few -literally 3 fish off CP in January and 1 -just one near #78 in early Febuary.The Febuary fish took 7 hours of trolling to catch.

I would guess you could catch a few near CP or the deep trough in front of LNG dock.The colder the bay gets- the less Rock need to feed.In waters below 42* - Rock will often only feed 1-2 times a week.This makes it very tough to get a bite.You will mark them on the meter but often they won't bite.

Check out the recent posts - a charter ran 2 1/2 hrs to Smith Point.That requires alot of fuel - these pros won't run farther then they have to - so reading between the lines says most Rock are way south now.

 

[attml]

Skip,

It has been really cold this year earlier than it seems most years. If we go through a week or two warm snap and the bay warms back up a little will the fish move back north? Thanks and happy holidays!

Mark

 

[faceington]

From my reply to the Dec 23 Fin Finder report...

I fished a "fun" trip on my friends wooden deadrise yesterday as well. His boat, my spread. We went right out front to the HI buoy. No electronics, we had three fish with lines in the water from 9:30-1:30. I didn't run my normal spread of boat rods and planar rods. I was doing a little experimentation with trolling eels on a few boat rods. Two fish off the boards, one off a deep boat rod, the "pink lady" (all bubble gum shads and pink ruby lips 8 oz bait umbrella). No takers on the eels, although they swam beautifully. One of the planar fish was covered in healed sores and sea lice, back in the water it went. There was one other boat in the area, a C-Hawk. I wonder if they were Tf'ers and how they did...
-Joe C, not Joe H!

 

[27 sailfish]

Attml - the Rock we are catching right now can move 10-15 miles in a day or overnight.They follow the baitfish and can come back up the bay.Last year in January- I did well the first week of January off Smith Point.

A week later- I caught nothing off Smith Point and worked south - hoping to find them.Finished the day working into Md waters but still did not find them.I found out later that the bait and Rock had gone north and where off the HS marker - about 20 miles north.

 

[scottdd1]

Thanks for the info fellas. This Friday looks good and I have already much exceeded expectations. The boat is usually hi and dry by Thanksgiving, so Friday may bring the skunk I need to shut things off.

Anybody else hitting Mid Bay. Won't be too early, got family coming in from West Coast I want to get out and their plane won't be in til 9:00.

 

[Cattail]

You better get your fishing in before the big wedding! You best charter friend got his recently at the HI light. Some of my family are going Friday probably near the light or HS.

Anyway, if you read this before the big man in the red suit finds the farmhouse, Merry Christmas to you and the family!

 

[Rockin Out]

I'm hoping to get out there Saturday, now that the wind forecast seems to be improving. As a fellow mid-Bay guy, I too would like to avoid the long run South if possible, and stay in the 78A to CP area. I hope you find 'em tomorrow. If it really turns out to be nearly 60 degrees on Saturday and reasonably calm, I figure just getting out there is a bonus.

Happy Holidays.

-RT