Ft-Smallwood, first report in a while

[yakscientist]

So yesterday's weather was just too tempting not to fish in, so I went out by ft smallwood/pasadena on the patapsco river, hoping to troll some zman plastics just like I do in the summer and fall. The main reason however, besides the nice weather, was to break in my new reel (daiwa bg 2500 on an ugly stik elite medium). The first fish of the day, and the biggest, was a nice 23" rockfish which hit the smaller/lighter of my 2 jig/paddletail setups, I swear those diezel minnowz are worth their weight in gold. My fishfinder wasn't working, it probably senses that its replacement is currently shipping to my house, so I was mainly just fishing blind and making mental marks of where the fish seemed to be hitting. John (silasvirus) had gone out earlier and gave me some areas to try, I think he managed to get more fish than I did, but I did ok. All in all, I got 9 fish, 3 of which were 20 and over, a couple 19s that may have been legal if I would've pinched the tail (and in season of course), and some other 13-17" fish. All rockfish, which was nice because before yesterday, I hadn't caught a rockfish since december. All were caught trolling, usually between white rocks and beyond ft smallwood, sort of in a line running between the shoreline, and a white marker buoy, towards white rocks and back. I found that just following that lane allowed me to get the majority of my fish, no idea what depth they were at, or if there were lots of marks everywhere else. About half hit the 1/2oz 5" setup, the others hit the 1/4oz 4" setup. Again, felt good to get out, and get some rockfish, especially on the new combo. I hit the water around 2pm, and was back on shore at sunset, around 7 pm. I think most fish came were caught 4:30 and 6pm however, and I didn't take any pictures since none were new PBs, and I just wanted to get them back in the water asap.

[Mark]

Wow.

Thank you for the report. Very encouraging. It's good to know that they're there.

[yakscientist]

Yeah John had gotten a report of larger fish in that area a few days ago, but neither him nor I managed anything over the low 20s. Which IMO are still great fish, it's crazy how hard a 23" fights versus an 18"

[silasvirus82]

Yesterday I fished from about 7-9 and landed around a dozen, biggest 20" and avg around 16". Today I moved to Jonas Green and trolled to Greenbury Point. Caught two there around 20" but that was it. Again I was out of there by 10.

[FishMoken]

Glad to hear you got some fish, I trolled from Jonas green out to the mouth of the Severn, then made a turn about a quarter mile up to the bay bridge. After that I made the long track back to the opposite side of the river and to the launch, not so much as one bite. Oh well at least it was great weather. I trolled two 3/4oz jigs with 5" bass assassin swim baits.


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[harlanbud]

Nice! Great day on the water. Thanks for the update.

[Mark]

Sounds like the Patapsco is more productive than the Severn at the moment.

Thanks for the reports and congrats to those who are getting out to find them in both places.

[yakscientist]

Sounds like the Patapsco is more productive than the Severn at the moment.

Thanks for the reports and congrats to those who are getting out to find them in both places.

Yeah it would've been a decent day even in the middle of fall, IMO. I bet all the fish will scatter once the big cows start making their way northward in force. I've seen scattered reports of them, but I think they're still a week or so out from reaching that far north, at least in large numbers. I'm probably wrong though.

[EMSer]

Thanks for the report. I was set to launch at Smallwood last week but the winds didn't cooperate. It is only a matter of time until things really turn on

[ronaultmtd]

I only troll two rods and both are up front in the forward rod holders so I can easily see them and grab one when it gets hit...and I troll a double swimbait rig on one rod and a big saltwater XRap on the other rod...I use a 3/8 oz. jighead with a skirt and 4 or 5 inch Sea Assassin/Zman minnow on one and a 1/4 oz jighead without a skirt and a 4 inch Sea Assassin on the top swimbait...if white is the color of the day I will have both white and if chartruese is the color of the day I will have both chartruese...I will have two double swimbait rigs all done in a ziplock bag ready to go before I ever leave the house- I am always rigged and ready to drop baits before I leave home...

[Mark]

...I bet all the fish will scatter once the big cows start making their way northward in force. I've seen scattered reports of them, but I think they're still a week or so out from reaching that far north, at least in large numbers...

Interesting. So, that raises a question. I've read that stripers may live in the Bay for their first 4 to 8 years of life before migrating to the Atlantic. I've also read that some, especially males, may never migrate, choosing to spend their entire lives in the Bay.

I believe the assumption from yakscientist above is that the boys are here now (perhaps most are non-migratory) and will soon head (scatter) to their honeymoon suites up the Bay.

I wonder if the non-migratory spawners pass their stay-at-home trait to their male offspring?

It seems like we know a lot about striper reproductive habits but there is also much we don't know.

[yakscientist]

Interesting. So, that raises a question. I've read that stripers may live in the Bay for their first 4 to 8 years of life before migrating to the Atlantic. I've also read that some, especially males, may never migrate, choosing to spend their entire lives in the Bay.

I believe the assumption from yakscientist above is that the boys are here now (perhaps most are non-migratory) and will soon head (scatter) to their honeymoon suites up the Bay.

I wonder if the non-migratory spawners pass their stay-at-home trait to their male offspring?

It seems like we know a lot about striper reproductive habits but there is also much we don't know.

Actually I just meant like all the smaller fish, the small residents, would scatter to avoid being eaten by the 40"+ fish. But yes, I've read everything else you mentioned, and even that fish only remain in the bay for as little as their first 4-5 years. There's a movie I want to purchase, but it's $25, about a photographer/fisherman following the striped bass migration over the course of 5 years. He fishes with many different fisherman, with different styles, all the way up and down the East Coast. Looks pretty cool, but again, a little pricey for something I would just watch once. Now we could organize a mass-viewing, though I don't know where we would do that, just a thought...

[Mark]

Actually I just meant like all the smaller fish, the small residents, would scatter to avoid being eaten by the 40"+ fish. But yes, I've read everything else you mentioned, and even that fish only remain in the bay for as little as their first 4-5 years. There's a movie I want to purchase, but it's $25, about a photographer/fisherman following the striped bass migration over the course of 5 years. He fishes with many different fisherman, with different styles, all the way up and down the East Coast. Looks pretty cool, but again, a little pricey for something I would just watch once. Now we could organize a mass-viewing, though I don't know where we would do that, just a thought...

I hadn't thought of the smaller striper males being eaten alive by their mates. I suppose it could happen. It happens in other life forms, especially insects and humans who didn't hire a good divorce lawyer.

Seriously, all animal migrations are amazing, and stripers have lots of secrets they have yet to reveal about theirs.