[Creation]

Tried a new area today on a hunch. I've always experienced a good rockfish bite in productive areas when it rains, so I went out and gave it a shot.

Started popping on the surface and landed a 17 inch fish (fish 1) and a 15 inch fish (fish 2). Also had a few fish miss and not follow up. Then after seeing some action on the surface and watching baitfish get chased, but nothing striking my chugger, I switched up to a 5" Storm POGY (red eyed, silver shad color) and caught two fish immediately on back-to-back casts, both really close to keeper size (pictured below, fish 3 & 4), but I prefer them to be slightly over just in case, so I let them both go.

I hooked a 5th one on my Storm POGY, but with myself not being too familiar with this particular location, he wrapped me up on a rock I didn't know about. I had to snap the line, it was completely hung. It was either a rock or a whale rolled over on him...poor little fella. But anyways, I couldn't tie on another silver shad because I walked in a decent ways away from the truck and left the rest of the Storm POGY's in the truck (dummy). So I tied on another 5" Tsunami POGY in Sardine color. With really low light (about 6pm) I didn't hold too much hope and told myself "a few more casts and I'm outta here." On my 3rd cast, the Tsunami got smacked...HARD. With my drag set kinda tight on 17# mono, this one actually made my drag (reel) click and took some line out. I could tell how hard he was pulling that it was either a little bigger fish or same size, foul hooked.

I got him in the net (fish 5) and he had gobbled the POGY with the tail already swallowed down is throat. I measured him at 21.5 inches and tried to get a picture, but my phone was dying (11%) and apparently my flash doesn't work with low juice in the tank. So I photo'd him when I got home in light. And photo'd the sardine POGY for anyone interested.

All in all, it was pretty fun and another successful outing in intermittent weather.

Fish 1&2 released without pic
Fish 3

Fish 4

Fish 5

Lure that caught fish 5

 

[andypat]

Nice report, and good fishing. Your a good shore fisherman. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[CYT]

Great report. Nice pics. Thanks for posting.
Your reports always give me hope here in the Bay.
DMV area.....hhhmmmm???

Looks like fish #3 ate a baby striper pattern not a Bunker pattern swim bait....interesting.

Swim bait on fish #5, is that a Storm lure?
Never have seen that pattern. Who sells them? Stranglers?

 

[Creation]

Thank you Andy! I was fortunate enough to have been fathered by a great outdoorsman and I was always very interested and sucked up everything like a sponge when he took me hunting and fishing.

You are quite the shore angler yourself. I haven't caught Crappie since I was a high schooler. My dad and I fished Vail Lake (Outside of Temecula, CA) and that was the last time.

Thanks CYT, I amost enjoy reading about other anglers' success as much as experiencing my own success. Like you, it fires me up and really makes me excited about getting out there and dropping a line in the water.

Fish 3 & 4 was a Storm Baby Striper pattern, you are right. I think I called it Silver shad, but you're right, that's a baby striper...5"

Fish 5 is a Tsunami 5" POGY in Sardine color. It was the only color I had in 5" on me. All the rest of the POGY's I had on me were 4" Powerbaits and I'm trying to stay with larger baits right now.

I bought the Storms and the Tsunamis at Alltackle in Annapolis. They have pre-rigged (rigged with a weighted hook) and non-rigged (no weight or hook, just a rubber POGY) options to choose from in many colors.

Hope that helps. Good luck to you both and tight lines!

 

[andypat]

Me and my friends use to catch rock fish. Now I'm just an old crappy fisherman with a five gallon bucket.

I would really like to join you fishing from shore, but just too far for me.

 

[CYT]

Vail Lake out in Riverside County aye. Think it's in Hemet.
Ever read WON(western outdoor news)?

Fished Corona Lake couple of times, home of 20# plus Rainbows. I think the world record was caught there.
You bring back old memories Creation.

AndyPat, are those Montauk fish?? A cooler of 40 to 50#'ers. They good eatin that size?

 

[kurazy kracka]

AndyPat, are those Montauk fish?? A cooler of 40 to 50#'ers. They good eatin that size?

most likely spawners in the bay...........killing cows.

storm makes similar patterned shad. The pattern is "mullet," they also have "golden mullet." I've caught tons of fish on them. This fall I've mainly been throwing the 5" storm chartreuse shad. Had some fish on them but nothing over 30" or so.

 

[luvfishing]

How many can you keep in Maryland?

 

[Creation]

@luvfishing, it changes throughout the year. Right now it's two, but i think during the spring, it's only one. I'm not looking it up though, just shooting from the hip because i need to get upstairs and help my wife with the kids

 

[Creation]

@Andypat Nice fish! If I had access to a boat, there are a few places I'd try north of the bridge that are producing nice size rockfish right now.

@CYT Vail is in Temecula. It's just pass the vineyards off of hwy 79.
Also lost a LUNKER at Corona. Still wonder to this day if it was a tagged money trout. They use to put tags in fins of a few fish in the lake and if you caught one, you turned it into the front office for your cash prize (usually like 50-100 bucks). They shut that place down I heard. My brother said it was all drained out last he saw. Buy those white rocks you could see on the hill from the I-15 fwy are still up there.

 

[andypat]

Vail Lake out in Riverside County aye. Think it's in Hemet.
Ever read WON(western outdoor news)?

Fished Corona Lake couple of times, home of 20# plus Rainbows. I think the world record was caught there.
You bring back old memories Creation.

AndyPat, are those Montauk fish?? A cooler of 40 to 50#'ers. They good eatin that size?

The fish in the cooler are Chesapeake Bay fish, and the other is my old boss at Cape Charles VA. He lives in FL. now. Yes we use to be OK at striper fishing. I kinda miss it. Where you going to fish this weekend CYT?

 

[andypat]

most likely spawners in the bay...........killing cows.

storm makes similar patterned shad. The pattern is "mullet," they also have "golden mullet." I've caught tons of fish on them. This fall I've mainly been throwing the 5" storm chartreuse shad. Had some fish on them but nothing over 30" or so.

Kracka, That was years ago. Not to proud of that, but that was the way it was back then. Did you know they use to use rock fish for fertilizer in the fields on the Eastern Shore years ago. A lot of old timers were dumb years ago. Hope you understand. The fish in the other picture were released.

 

[Green Cart]

What does DMV stand for? Thanks

 

[kurazy kracka]

Dc/md/va.

 

[Thunderchild]

Great pic's. Too cold to go out now I guess.

 

[andypat]

Vail Lake out in Riverside County aye. Think it's in Hemet.
Ever read WON(western outdoor news)?

Fished Corona Lake couple of times, home of 20# plus Rainbows. I think the world record was caught there.
You bring back old memories Creation.

AndyPat, are those Montauk fish?? A cooler of 40 to 50#'ers. They good eatin that size?

------I'm not proud of the way it use to be. That was long ago. I release most rock fish now. No not Montauk fish, Chesapeake Bay fish. This is an old post, but the first time I seen it. Just killing time, waiting to go fishing.