Long Overdue Report-First Legal Rockfish from my Kayak

[yakscientist]

Messaged D3nali a couple weekends ago about how fishing was in southern md, since I kept only catching throwback rockfish in the magothy and severn. He quickly responded, and invited me and john (silasvirus) down to fish from his launch right behind his house. As soon as we got there, we could see birds diving only about 100-300 yards off the launch, and we paddled out with D3nali and 2 of his friends out to the birds and from what I could tell, everyone was using different methods and lures, but we were all catching fish. I was trolling zmans around the edge of the school, heading towards swirls whenever I saw them, and kept catching a few nice and fat 18-19" fish. Then I stopped and casted the same lure/jighead combo to a couple random spots, and hooked my first keeper rockfish, 21". I trolled for a bit longer around the original spots, and worked back and forth between other shorelines and docks, still staying within about 500 yards of the launch, while the rest of the group moved on and worked some other spots. I got my other keeper rockfish after another 10-15 throwbacks, another 21" fish, got both by 7:30 am. It's crazy to be right in the middle of a school and just drop your lure down maybe 5 feet to rest as you pull in the other rod/fish, and then to have that hit again while deadsticking it, but that happened a few times. Then I caught a few perch casting and trolling various lures, and a huge silver football perch while deadsticking one of my zman lures I had just been trolling with, they've quickly become my favorite lures since this is the 2nd time they've caught massive perch while just sitting out there. Will put up the perch picture tonight if I remember to, but here's the rockfish picture. Thanks again D3nali for letting us launch at your spot, it was well worth the trip. Probably caught 25 or 30 rockfish total, not sure how many perch, maybe 10 or so.

[RavensDfense]

Nice job, Patrick!

[EMSer]

That first keeper is a great feeling!! Glad you got down there and found some fish.

Congrats!

[J.A. Veil]

Congratulations on getting your first keeper.

[Yakinzak]

Nice Job! Nothing better than getting the creel limit before most people get out of bed! Keep up the good work!

[silasvirus82]

I caught two keepers and kept one, went in the smoker right after a much needed nap! Waking up at 3:30 to go fishing can put a hurtin on an already tired new dad.

[yakscientist]

It would've been a very long day had we not caught fish but I think the trip was worth it. New spots are always fun.

[daolai]

Congrats! Ahh working birds.. it's that time of year!

[Yak67]

AHH the working birds down South.... Congrats on some very nice keepers

Yak67
2016 Hobie Outback LE

[Mark]

Congratulations!

[DonV]

Congratulations. You deserve it, I know you have sure been putting the time and effort in. Hopefully later in the fall you won't have to go quite so far to catch the keepers.