Caught my first +20inch Rock Fish Today

[Biggrizzly]

Not yakin' but left Chesapeake Beach Marina at noon and started fishing for spot to use live linin' from a friends 23' CC. We caught about 30 small spot and tons of baby strippers and mixed white perch up to 10 inches or so. threw everything back except the bait-fish spot. We cruised over to Poplar Island and found several boils of rock fish and birds flying above. I hooked into a stripper immediately and brought it on board. It measure just over the minimum so I kept it. Next we hit a few more smaller ones and then I landed a 24" and my friend Gil caught a 26" one. The troubling thing is that every time we would find the birds and boil of jumping fish, these dudes in a 25' Mako would come cruising at speed right into the middle of the boil spreading the fish to the four corners of the compass. What a bunch of asshats.

Funny... we never used the spot that we caught earlier for live linin'. We started catching fish off the small chrome spoons we started with. silver spoons with yellow tails. I caught both my strippers on 8lb test mono using an ultralight rod and tiny spinning reel.

We headed back to Chesapeake beach just in time to miss the rain that started pouring as we tied up in the marina this evening. It was thundering and lightning. I'm glad we left the eastern side of the bay when we did. After filleting the fish we came back to my house and fried the all three of those nice fat rock fish and drank a couple good home brew beers to wash it down with.

[ronaultmtd]

Sounds perfect- and that is the way it is fishing- you visualize using one bait to catch fish- go out on your trip and the visualization never happens but you catch fish anyway- I normally get a surprise at what the fish are hitting after trying the baits I thought would get eaten- but there have been days just exactly as yours- congrats on getting out and catching fish- I can't fish this weekend as I have been out of town traveling and just got home- grass needs cutting, faucet is leaking...wife wants to go out and so does daughter...no fish for me-

[MetroMan]

Ha!! I was out there with shadyfisher on the Katherine. We were working the birds as well...and we saw the dudes in the Mako also lol!!

[Biggrizzly]

Ha!! I was out there with shadyfisher on the Katherine. We were working the birds as well...and we saw the dudes in the Mako also lol!!

Yup, I was watching the Katherine. We were in the yellow 23' Robalo center con. We came on those boils of fish and as soon as we were in them the other boats followed. The captain of the Katherine was good about not running into the fish. The other guys on the Mako would just run right up into the maelstrom and cause it to break apart. Anyhow, I was amazed at hooking fish after fish as soon as the lure started moving. I would just get the slack out of the line and I'd get a hit.

BTW - How is it fishing on one of those charters like the Katherine? How much per and was that boat out of Deale? It seems like at times it would be easier for someone else to worry about navigating and driving the boat. I know my buddy that I go out with all the time has a tough time driving and fishing at the same time when the fish start breaking like they were yesterday.

How did you guys do with your catch?

[ictalurus]

Congrats on the bigger stripers. Now you have a new personal best to beat from your kayak.

[MetroMan]

Yup, I was watching the Katherine. We were in the yellow 23' Robalo center con. We came on those boils of fish and as soon as we were in them the other boats followed. The captain of the Katherine was good about not running into the fish. The other guys on the Mako would just run right up into the maelstrom and cause it to break apart. Anyhow, I was amazed at hooking fish after fish as soon as the lure started moving. I would just get the slack out of the line and I'd get a hit.

BTW - How is it fishing on one of those charters like the Katherine? How much per and was that boat out of Deale? It seems like at times it would be easier for someone else to worry about navigating and driving the boat. I know my buddy that I go out with all the time has a tough time driving and fishing at the same time when the fish start breaking like they were yesterday.

How did you guys do with your catch?

I always have a good time on the Katherine. I've gone out with them about 6 times now. Real good & fun captain and mate. We got 12 keepers. We livelined, trolled, and jigged. The rate for this trip was $125 ea, including tip for an 8hr trip. We got a reduced rate since weather forced us off the water early. After the rockfishing, the plan was to bottom fish for perch. But mother nature planned otherwise

[Shady]

BigGriz,
Captain Sam and first mate George on the Katherine are very good and they know how to have a good time. I've been out with them twice and had a blast both times. I had the 134h fish (you are allowed 2 per person and one for the boat on a charter) on a jig at about 20 or so inches, but decided to release it to give someone else a chance to catch another one, but shortly after we were chased off by the storm.
Here's an idea of the fun that we had:

Me hooked up with a keeper Striper while live-lining with the fun little pink rod!