Piney Point Still Smoking Hot

[Big Mike]

Over the last week we’ve enjoyed some fantastic fishing at Piney Point for a variety of species. Rugbyfish made his second trip from Baltimore this week if that tells you anything. We launched at first light to heavy overcast skies and and outgoing current. Our first stop was a flat that can produce some high quality rockfish. Joe got a 19” and I got a schoolie but they really weren’t there.

We headed off to the grass flats in search of trout and hopefully some big rockfish. When we got there I noticed a large quantity of a large bug/fly just laying on the surface.



There were hundreds of them and I hoped fish hadn’t gorged on them. Shortly I hooked a puppy drum, the second fish in what turned out to be a super slam. For the next hour it was a mix of perch and small rocks but we couldn’t conjure up any trout. We knew they had to be there. As the tide started to slow, but still moving I stopped and started fan casting my trout trick over the grass. Glad I did, this 22” gator showed up.



It was my intent to release her but despite my best efforts to revive, she didn’t respond. Buffalo trout bites tonight. I noticed a super heavy fog moving in and I was at my limit so I headed back to the ramp. I heard Joe catch 2 18” trout before I got out of radio range and the fog swallowed me whole. I was only 200 yards from the bridge and couldn’t see it. Finally it emerged.


I made one more pass for rockfish, picked up a fish that unbuttoned after maybe 10 seconds but was then immediately picked up by a following 20” fish. Great way to end the day.

Weather rest of the week looking good, something tells me I might see Joe again.


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[rugbyfish]

I had a great time fishing with you yesterday Mike. I think there’s a good chance I make another trip down that way in the next week or so. The trout have been coming in bunches for me. Things are slow for an hour or two, then I’ll end up catching 3-4 nice trout within half an hour or so. The key is covering lots of ground and staying patient. The fog yesterday was even worse when I came in. I couldn’t see the bridge until I was well within 100 yards. Thank goodness for GPS.
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[jbrown]

Which one of those species fought hardest? I know that Redfis was only 15 inches but was the striper stronger than the trout? Redfis stronger than Strriper?


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[rugbyfish]

The striper fought the hardest, but all three put up a good fight. The trout actually jumped completely out of the water right next to the boat and just happened to land in the net. A lot of my trout have been fighting me at the surface, which always makes me nervous.

[Big Mike]

I find trout can fight good when you’ve got deep water. In shallow water they almost always come to the surface quickly and fish 15” and under do the open mouth drag. Since I catch the bulk of mine shallow that’s the fight you frequently get. A big one, 20” or so is a good tussle. They have a soft mouth and many a good fish has been lost at the boat with that last jump and twist. Reds fight strong for their size but no way a 15” red is a better fight than a 20” striper.

[ILV2F5H]

Nice catches gents. It's that Fall bite. Gotta take advantage. I think reds and rockfish fight similarly but if they were both the same size reds fight harder IMO. Trout almost always end up at the surface. Usually a tell when fishing for them. Although they are third on my fight scale between the 3, they're are probably the better tasting.

[ronaultmtd]

Disagree...the Redfish is the tastier of the three...very mild, very flavorful- like specks, but reds are better in my opinion...and in shallow water on light 12-20# braid 2500 size spinning reel, a 25 inch striper is really strong and a fun catch...been extremely lucky this year and have had some amazing catches- the vast majority have all been released to be caught again...looking forward to the peak of the season.....

[Mark]

I think any fish over 20 inches from channel cats, to reds, to stripers, to specks, and even pickerel and pike put up respectable fights on the light tackle we generally catch them with. It's almost an "at the moment" assessment of which is the best fighter. In other words perhaps the last fish you caught at the size leaves the lasting impression.

But I have to admit reds are very strong swimmers. Even the 13 incher I caught a few weeks ago in a tributary of the South River pulled my 12 foot Ultimate kayak on a brief sleigh ride. Catch one twice that size on a fly rod and you become very concerned about the strength of your knots when your expensive 90 foot fly line completely disappears through the guides as the fish runs. At that point you are reeling in backing and hoping your knot connecting backing and fly line holds.

[ILV2F5H]

I think any fish over 20 inches from channel cats, to reds, to stripers, to specks, and even pickerel and pike put up respectable fights on the light tackle we generally catch them with. It's almost an "at the moment" assessment of which is the best fighter. In other words perhaps the last fish you caught at the size leaves the lasting impression.

But I have to admit reds are very strong swimmers. Even the 13 incher I caught a few weeks ago in a tributary of the South River pulled my 12 foot Ultimate kayak on a brief sleigh ride. Catch one twice that size on a fly rod and you become very concerned about the strength of your knots when your expensive 90 foot fly line completely disappears through the guides as the fish runs. At that point you are reeling in backing and hoping your knot connecting backing and fly line holds.

Mark, now that's an experience that I have not experienced. What kind of fly setup do you run for our inshore fish? I'm assuming 8 or 9 wt? What brand of reel?

[ronaultmtd]

Bill, Big Mike and I decided to run with the "hot hand" and launched pre-dawn today...it was dead high tide...no moving water, so after a few passes, we headed for distant grounds...I had six stripers by 7:30 but no giants. My target species today were reds and specks...did not take too long before I had my first speck...a 12-13 Inch sub-legal fish...the action was slow, but fairly steady...bunch of 18-19 inch stripers, but no 20(+) fish...switched out my Trout Tricks for Zman Smokey Shad diesel minnow and a sexy penny diesel minnow...Caught six keeper trout...14, 16, 18, 19, 19 and a 20 incher...One 14 inch redfish..and several 11-12 inch White Perch...Bill had a Southern Maryland Super Slam, too...redfish, striper, speck and white perch...we really had to work for our fish today...covered a bunch of water...threw most everything in the tackle box trying for the "one" super lure, but alas, not today...it boiled down to the Sexy mullet trout tricks and the Zman smokey shad ...95% of all my fish were caught on these two lures...

[Mark]

ILV2F5H,

That event took place last year in Laguna Madre, TX. I was not in a kayak. I was with a guide.

Here's a photo just after hookup:

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And here's the fish:

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It was a fun trip that involved all sight-casting. The guide spotted the fish in the white sand of the beach to my left. I put the fly on its nose and off it ran to deep water. Reds will not chase far after a fly. You have to drop it nearby.

I caught over a dozen similarly sized reds on that particular trip. Needless to say, it was fun. I was supposed to return this August but the pandemic altered that plan.

As to gear, I used a St. Croix Premier 4 piece, 8 weight, 9 foot rod with SA Titan taper floating line. The reel is a discontinued Bass Pro large arbor reel with a very good drag.

I've caught reds in TX and FL in kayaks and wading but they were not as large as ones I caught last year on the fly.