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Cornfield Harbor, Point Lookout State Park (PLO)
It didn't look like it was going to be a good day.
Late start... rain hitting the windshield the whole way down...
Bay side looks rough... Potomac side a little better. It was then I remembered I forgot to grab my radio.
I get to the ramp and realize I've left the FF battery at home.
Finally I'm on the water by 9am. Still have a few hours of outgoing tide. I motor out to the river to find it quite breezy. But I'm determined to put into practice some of the knowledge I've gained from Alan's book. I break out my 2 new Alabama rigs. I dress one with a 5" Rapala and the other with a spoon and white Zoom fluke. I also added 1/2oz jig with a 4" mullet on a third rod.
I chose a zig-zag pattern along the Harbor shore going from 100yds out to 600 yards out and back. I ran this down to the point and came back up on a straight pattern at 100yds out. Without my FF I couldn't be sure of my speed but my normal trolling speed has been between 2 - 2.5mph. Alan says step it up to 3, so I pushed it a little faster than where it usually seems to be. With no luck I figured I'd try again zig-zagging my way down the river swapping out the jig for a rattle trap. This time when I neared the mouth I had the crazy notion to loop around the light beacon. Rapidly I began to notice the swells getting much bigger. This was a mistake. i circled back straight to the point then turned sharply and followed the shoreline only 30 yards out.
As I past the remaining piligs from the old Buoy Dock my old Fenwick bent over and began stripping line. I shut off the motor and landed an 18" bluefish.
201408_bluefish.jpg201408_AlabamaRig.jpg
It took the rig with the Rapala. So of course I removed the spoon from the other rig and replaced it with another Rapala. By now I had drifted back to the point again, so I put my lines back out and attempted to recreate the magic. Sure enough, just as I'm passing the old Buoy Dock the Fenwick nose dives again. 18" inches again, but this time a striper.
201408_rockfish1.jpg201408_rockfish2.jpg
Unfortunately this striper had either been attacked or was suffering from some legions. Either way it did not appear appetizing so I let it go. By this time I noticed the wind and waves had died down considerably. But again having drifted back to the point I reloaded for another run back the old Buoy Dock. But it wasn't to be. By now, the tide was slowing to slack and the bite stopped with it. But what started rough turned into a good day.
It didn't look like it was going to be a good day.
Late start... rain hitting the windshield the whole way down...
Bay side looks rough... Potomac side a little better. It was then I remembered I forgot to grab my radio.
I get to the ramp and realize I've left the FF battery at home.
Finally I'm on the water by 9am. Still have a few hours of outgoing tide. I motor out to the river to find it quite breezy. But I'm determined to put into practice some of the knowledge I've gained from Alan's book. I break out my 2 new Alabama rigs. I dress one with a 5" Rapala and the other with a spoon and white Zoom fluke. I also added 1/2oz jig with a 4" mullet on a third rod.
I chose a zig-zag pattern along the Harbor shore going from 100yds out to 600 yards out and back. I ran this down to the point and came back up on a straight pattern at 100yds out. Without my FF I couldn't be sure of my speed but my normal trolling speed has been between 2 - 2.5mph. Alan says step it up to 3, so I pushed it a little faster than where it usually seems to be. With no luck I figured I'd try again zig-zagging my way down the river swapping out the jig for a rattle trap. This time when I neared the mouth I had the crazy notion to loop around the light beacon. Rapidly I began to notice the swells getting much bigger. This was a mistake. i circled back straight to the point then turned sharply and followed the shoreline only 30 yards out.
As I past the remaining piligs from the old Buoy Dock my old Fenwick bent over and began stripping line. I shut off the motor and landed an 18" bluefish.
201408_bluefish.jpg201408_AlabamaRig.jpg
It took the rig with the Rapala. So of course I removed the spoon from the other rig and replaced it with another Rapala. By now I had drifted back to the point again, so I put my lines back out and attempted to recreate the magic. Sure enough, just as I'm passing the old Buoy Dock the Fenwick nose dives again. 18" inches again, but this time a striper.
201408_rockfish1.jpg201408_rockfish2.jpg
Unfortunately this striper had either been attacked or was suffering from some legions. Either way it did not appear appetizing so I let it go. By this time I noticed the wind and waves had died down considerably. But again having drifted back to the point I reloaded for another run back the old Buoy Dock. But it wasn't to be. By now, the tide was slowing to slack and the bite stopped with it. But what started rough turned into a good day.
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