Rock Gorge Photo Report - 5/9/15

[DanMarino]

[perchy]

Nice job Tom! That kitty must have been a fun fight. Is that the waterfall cove north of the 29 bridge? Looks like you fished between the 29 and Browns?

[Mark]

That's a very good day, Tom!

Scenic area.

[Severn Gary]

Nice day! Did that catfish hit a crankbait???

[DanMarino]

Yes I fished the top end and went to the waterfall cove almost to the 29 bridge.
Great weather. Lots of people fishing. Didn't see anyone catch anything and the boats I talked to were skunked.
The catfish and white perch hit a lucky craft pointer 78 jerk bait. The bass hit a fire tiger jointed shad rap.
The catfish pulled hard and dogged deep. That thing was fat!

[perchy]

Thats a nice 7 mile round trip paddle! Bet you're feeling sore today!

[DanMarino]

Yup, I'm a little sore from the paddling, but I've been worse. I'm looking forward to my next trip. Both WSSC reservoirs are great places to paddle and lots of times there's hardly anyone else out on the water.

[Turtle135]

looks like a great day on the water, some awesome pictures in that set

p.s. - I see the "pointer" has become your friend!

[DanMarino]

Haha. Dave, over the past year, that particular Pointer 78 has caught the following: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, white perch, northern pike, walleye, channel catfish, and striped bass.

[Turtle135]

Haha. Dave, over the past year, that particular Pointer 78 has caught the following: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, white perch, northern pike, walleye, channel catfish, and striped bass.

that is what makes them worth their price tag!

[Severn Gary]

DanMarino: I see you've caught Northern Pike on your pointer. I caught a nice Northern Pike in Triadelphea on April 26 on a green chartreause spinner bait (also got a 5# bass on the same lure) launching out of Triadelphia Road ramp. I generally know how to fish for bass there, but would like to catch a few more Pike. Am I better fishing Triadelphia or Rocky Gorge? Plastics, I hear on this website, are good this time of year, but I assume (I really don't know for sure) that they aren't a good lure for Pike--seems like more of a bass thing. Is that correct? What baits should i use to target Norhtern Pike?

thanks,

Severn Gary

[perchy]

Severngary, I emailed dnr Maryland about the pike a while back. This is what they said:

Josh, you’re in a great place if you’re looking for Northerns. There are northern pike in both reservoirs, but Rocky Gorge is, by far, the one I’d pick if I were going to target this species specifically. We’re excited because we’ve documented natural reproduction of northerns in Rocky Gorge during our past couple surveys. While they can be found almost anywhere in the length of the reservoir, their nesting areas are more towards Browns Bridge in the shallow, weedy areas- just what you’d expect from a pike. I would suggest fall as the best time to catch them and keep to the shallows and coves. Use any shallow water lure (buzzbait, crankbait or spinner) and keep close to the shore. When we survey in the fall, we typically find them holding very tight to the shore behind any emergent or submerged vegetation. For the most part, the emergents are in the upper reservoir, where submergents are in the coves in the lower part.

We still find them up in the shallows this time of year. I think more for warmth than anything else at this point although they are feeding well this time of year. It’s been our experience that the area from Scotts cove to the Stumps is really good for Northerns. If you don’t have much luck there, our second best area is in the shallows up near Browns Bridge. Good Luck and let me know how you do!

[perchy]

Btw both the pike I caught last year at Rocky gorge were on chartreuse spinnerbaits with bright green soft plastic trailers.

[perchy]

Two recent reports with Pike at RG:

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fi...le.asp?ID=5014

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fi...le.asp?ID=4982

I started a pike/pickerel fishing group on the board here that you can join if you're interested. I'd like to go after the larger 30+ incher pike in RG. Both the pike I've caught have been around the 29 bridge. I've heard of them caught in the 2nd cove down from Scotts going to 29 as well as Browns Bridge.

[Severn Gary]

Perchy: intersting, thanks. I guess I was lucky to get that pike, because i got him the main stem of Triadelphia, not in a cove. He was, however under some emmergent weeds (I got the bass in Big Run cove). Where is the "stumps" in Rocky Gorge? I remember from fishing Rocky Gorge years ago (maybe ten years ago) that when water was low, there was a peninsula leading into the main stem of the reservoir on the Howard County side, maybe half-way between Scotts and the 29 bridge, that had a lot of stumps on it. Is that it? Can you zero me in on it a little better given my failing memory?

thanks,