new to Maryland

[robavinsky]

Hello everyone. I am new to the area, from Florida. I did a lot of kayak fishing down there out of a 13' Ocean Prowler fishing rig. I loved it. Recently moved up here to Lexington Park and just purchased kayaks for myself and the wife. I now have a 10' Pelican. I will probably upgrade but first I need to see some returns in the form of fish! I have used every technique that I used in Florida, but so far nothing works. I have only launched by fishing point on the Patuxent so far. I would go towards the Chesapeake usually doing 2 drifts/paddles. I have tried paddle trolling several lures at the mid to deep level. I tried paddling jerk baits as well. This didn't produce any strikes. I purchased creek chubs (I think they are called bull minnows here) and drift fished them at about 4' below a bobber and still couldn't get a bite. Fishing from shore using bloodworms has caught me several perch and I think you call them croaker fish. I want to catch bigger fish from the yak... Stripers/trout/Redfish etc. If you could tell me what I am doing wrong, I would appreciate it. In FL, I would have two lines drifting behind me baited with pinfish and I would use a small third pole baited with squid on the bottom to catch more pinfish as I went along. Is there any similar bait fish in the Chesapeake? I plan to launch from Hogs Point next and fishing in the Chesapeake as opposed to the Patuxent, might just give up on the Pax unless you tell me that I was just doing it wrong. I was told speckled trout live here and Redfish, true or false? I would like to stay in this area if possible, would Point Lookout be better than around the base? Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Cowpokey]

Striper fishing has been really slow lately. It's a little early for speckled trout and redfish. I heard someone caught a bluefish in mid-bay a week or so ago, but no other info on those.

I'm going to try some freshwater fishing, see if there are some walleye willing to take a hook.

Welcome to Snaggedline!

[Mark]

robavinksy,

I cannot advise you on bait fishing but trolling or casting crankbaits (1/2 oz. range) and/or jigs (1/2 half oz. range) dressed with padletails works well for many of us who chase stripers. The larger stripers have mostly vacated us here near Annapolis as it is post spawn but there are good numbers of 15 to 20 inchers remaining which are fun on light tackle.

Depths from 5 to 15 feet are the most productive when trolling and casting for them. A moving tide encourages strikes from stripers. Knowing where structure is underwater and variations in depth is also helpful in finding them.

White perch (similar in size and shape to your pinfish in FL) are just becoming active in shallow tidal waters near structure. Jigs dressed with soft plastics and spinners 1/8 to ¼ oz. will give you lots of perch action. Cast to riprap and near docks and piers.

There are speckled trout in your area, more so than my part of the Bay, but probably not in the numbers you are used to in FL. The same goes for Redfish.

I caught a pinfish on the fly in Tampa in April. (Specs also.) I didn’t know what the pinfish was at the time. It's a colorful attractive fish. I hear they are plentiful in FL. That’s another similarity to white perch here. If you catch one there are usually many more nearby.

Welcome to MD. I'm sure you'll get the hang of fishing here soon enough. Monitor Snagedline and join in on some of the posted trips when you can. You'll see firsthand what techniques work.

Good luck,

[Big Mike]

Welcome - I live in California so not to far from you. Mark's advice is spot on for catching stripers in this area. In a few weeks we will begin to see specks and drum in the creeks (Goose and Harper on the base), Cuckhold creek (Clarks Landing) and down in St Jeromes. I also enjoy bottom bouncing a light jig with a small gulp curly tail for the croakers and they tend to hang out on channel edges during the day. Don't discount the fight a 12" croaker will give you on light tackle.

I fished Piney Point this morning and things were slow today - unfortunately I caught more cow nose rays than rocks. Most of the time this is a good spot but just couldn't get the fish to bite even though I was marking a lot of fish and we had an incoming tide. That's fishing. Send me a PM if you want to go out sometime.

[OV BOY]

robavinksy,
Welcome to the area! I live in Hollywood and enjoy living by the water! Where I live is a great place for kayak fishing..... ask Big Mike! I too am a transplant from Florida, Ft. Walton Beach area; that's where I started kayak fishing as well. Fishing in this area is great and there are a lot of places to go. If you want to go out, send me a PM.....

[robavinsky]

Thanks everyone. I went out today right after posting. I went from harper creek out to the chesapeake. I was about half a mile from shore with 2 lines out. One had a bull minnow and the other a spoon with a yellow tail. The minnow was about 4 or 5 ft below my bobber. I tried a combination of drifting and paddling different speeds for quite a long ways and didnt get any action. I then went further out and came back to where i started to complete the big goose egg lol. It was a great day for kayaking though, no wind and flat water. I will have to go out with one of you in the area i think. Thanks for offering, let me know when you are going and i will try to be there.

[FL Boy]

Welcome, I'm a FL native too. I moved here last year from VA Beach, I live up in Waldorf. Trolling works well, then later in the year I cast soft plastics and lures on structure and points. I usually head north to the Annapolis area but plan on trying to get down south this year. I hear reds and trout show up around the mouth of the Patuxent and Potomac rivers later in summer. I'm hoping to find some this year.

[Fishtank]

If the weathers not right for the bay and I just want to get out I’ll put in under the Rt 4 bridge. (a) Jig the bridge pylons. Not usually that great. (b) You can find some shorts and occasional keepers inside the L of the NOAA pier at the tip of Solomon’s. (c) Directly across the Pax from the launch is a sand bar. You’ll see the marker. Shorts and occasional keeper. (d) Casting around the first bridge pylon closest to the beach over there can be decent at times. ( e ) You can usually find some rockfish at Point Patience NW of the bridge as well. ( f ) If you are into bottom fishing it can be decent at times inside the cove of that Point.