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Piney Point croaker chaos, 5/21

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  • Piney Point croaker chaos, 5/21

    I launched at Piney Point today at 10am and fished until 2pm, which was mid-ebb to early flood. The water temperature was around 70* according to my fish finder. I forgot my salinity meter along with my cell phone and radio. Safety first. Anyway, the water in the creek was kind of muddy, but the water coming from the Potomac was clearer. There was some cool oceanography going on with fronts everywhere. Here you can see muddy creek water and the water from the Potomac (sort of):



    If I had been thinking, I would've position my yak right at the front for the picture. There were tons of 4-6" menhaden in the muddy water. It was one of the biggest schools I've seen in a while, but I couldn't coax anything out of it trolling Bombers and Rattletraps.

    My main goals were to find some flounder and croaker. I started off drifting for flounder around the bridge and channel markers. I picked up several stripers that were 12-16" long while jigging a bucktail/Gulp combo, but no flounder.

    I trolled a 4.5" shallow diving Bomber as I headed into the Potomac looking for croaker marks. I picked up another 16" striper before stopping in about 20ft of water near the last line of crab pots. Here's what I saw:



    Here's what it was:



    I caught a mess of 12" croaker in fairly short order while using salad shrimp on a top and bottom rig. That school in the pic wasn't the biggest one that past under me. I was able to jig up some croaker on the bucktail from schools that were even bigger. I caught fish on every drop and barely had time to take a picture or put the fish in the cooler before another fish hit. It was pretty awesome. Anyway, I finally managed to pick up a 14-incher before the bite died at noon:



    I headed out to Stuarts Pier to see if I could find a better grade of fish but didn't have any luck. The bathymetry changes a lot out there, so I figured it was a good spot to try for flounder. I threw the bottom rig out while I rigged up my bucktail. I saw my rod bouncing, and found this guy at the other end:



    I did several drifts in the area. I missed a couple hits and didn't land anything else.

    I trolled the deep diving Crystal Minnow back to the launch without any hits. I tried for flounder again since the tide had changed, but I kept foul hooking small stripers and croakers, so I called it a day. It was a good, quick trip, and all the fish were fighting really hard today. I kept pulling in 14" stripers and 12" croakers thinking they were 20" stripers or 18" croakers. Hopefully, I'll be able to find the bigger grade of croakers I was catching last year soon.
    Yellow Hobie Revo Rube Goldberg
    Yellow Tarpon 120

  • #2
    Nice job. I haven't had a chance to hit Maryland yet this year but next weekend I will probably hit St Jerome's. Buzz Marina already reported a keeper flounder and some sea trout at the mouth.

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    • #3
      Bill: next time you see a school of bait like that toss a snatch hook through it and snag a few menhaden, cut them in half for two baits and drop them back...I have caught lots of nice rock that way...
      "Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
      2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
      "Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
      Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

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      • #4
        Dave--I really wanted to hit Buzz's, but I only really have luck there in the evening. I might get to go one evening this week, so I'll post a report and let you know how I do.

        Ron--That's a good idea that I always forget. I'll give it a shot next time.
        Yellow Hobie Revo Rube Goldberg
        Yellow Tarpon 120

        Comment


        • #5
          Bill: next time you see a school of bait like that toss a snatch hook through it and snag a few menhaden, cut them in half for two baits and drop them back- freel spool with clicker on....I have caught lots of nice rock that way...and big blue catfish- like you I use the five inch series Hummingbird (570di) and love the amount of detail I get to see displayed on the screen.

          My Hummingbird's temp sensor and down imaging works great in the wet well transducer system, too. After a day on rough water I take a big Spong to cleanup any water that splashed out of the well...I think I will make the well taller so the bouncing won't toss the water out...that is the only down side to the wet well I see.
          "Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
          2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
          "Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
          Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

          Comment


          • #6
            Nice report. Looks like a good time on the water
            <insert witty comment here>

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            • #7
              Great report! I can't wait until I get into some fish!!! LOL

              MYT

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              • #8
                Metro and MYT--I'm hoping Piney Point will be as productive this year as it was last year. If it turns out that way, we should have an evening/night fishing flotilla some time.
                Yellow Hobie Revo Rube Goldberg
                Yellow Tarpon 120

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by mytmouse View Post
                  Great report! I can't wait until I get into some fish!!! LOL

                  MYT
                  MYT: I hate to be the one to bring this up, but you were saying the same thing last year. Maybe this year Metro could give you some lessons, as it is still early in the season.

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