Cover Image: Bob Bruns and LJ got on a nice class of rockfish again this week, although the pattern has changed a bit. Anglers employee Ryan is still catching Pickerel in the Magothy River.
Rockfish: Water surface temperatures have warmed up a bit, causing the rockfish bite to push in a little bit more shallow than what we were discussing last week. Look for them in 40-45 feet of water. These fish are staging and are getting ready to push up into the rivers to spawn. The time to catch them is NOW! In a couple of weeks, they will have moved up into the rivers and this great bite that we are experiencing in the main bay will die off. Getting your lures to the bottom quickly is still key, so 3 oz metal jigs are working especially well. Larger 7-8 inch profile plastics are still working well to, on 1.5-2 oz jig heads. The deep water is still very cold, and it’s important to keep your jigging presentation slow!
Yellow Perch: Yellow Perch are starting to show up some places like the Severn River, Magothy River, the Little Choptank and Tuckahoe Creek, but are not in full spawn. They will be moving up to spawn soon, and we are guessing that things might really pick up during the first week of February. It is very hard to predict, and can vary a lot based on temperature, so they best way to get on the awesome spawn bite is to go out as much as you can during pre-spawn! There are typically other fun fish like pickerel and crappie in the same areas as yellow perch, so grab some live minnows and get out there!
Pickerel: The pickerel bite continues to be good in the tidal rivers. Live minnows and plastics or jerk baits presented slowly work well in the colder temperature. Darker colors work well in murky water, and a rising tide seems to be your best bet. We still have well over a month of great pickerel fishing, so be sure to get out there, and sign up for our Calcutta of the the CCA Pickerel Championship. Click here for details.
Stocked Trout: DNR recently stocked several areas in Prince George and Calvert Counties. Check out DNR stocking info here. Use gulp trout bait on a small treble hook with a slide sinker. Small spinners work too! When targeting these areas, remember that trout like moving water!
