Who's getting in some fishing?

[Jerry M]

your not the only one!

How about 45 inches/

 

[remrug]

I thought the big ones spent the winter up north them migrated to the Chesapeake in the Spring to spawn.

 

[556ready]

They migrate in the fall and winter in the Chesapeake. Then spawn and head north in the spring. They basically follow water temperature.

 

[remrug]

They migrate in the fall and winter in the Chesapeake. Then spawn and head north in the spring. They basically follow water temperature.

Got it now.....thanks!!

 

[BSAN]

Been out alot the past month catching amazing fish all over the middle bay and potomac.

 

[44man]

Been out alot the past month catching amazing fish all over the middle bay and potomac.
View attachment 447123

man that’s a beautiful fish!

Congratulations!

 

[Baldheaded]

It’s been a wild bite in the middle bay the last couple weeks. Bunch over 40” on the jig.

Nice fish....

 

[yellowfin]

Went to Belize for bonefish with the wife. Did pretty well and did some scuba and spearfishing as a bonus. Definitely will get back there as soon and often as possible.

 

[WHBD]

It's a common thing for people to "try" kayak fishing and grab a $300 kayak to see if they like it and usually they don't because the kayak is just awful so they think kayak fishing is awful. A decent yak makes all the difference. I'm upgrading to pedals soonish.

I couldn't agree more. I got a stupid deal on an old Hobie years ago that I set up for fishing. Even that was so much better than what I'd used before that trading a rifle setup for a Hobie PA 14 was a no brainer for me. Incredibly enjoyable and even in chop or boat wakes you can stand confidently. Not to mention cover a lot of water.

 

[WHBD]

LOL,,
Gotta love the "Micro Skiff guys",, and their "Kayak Killers"
$3500 for the stripped hull that weighs 175#,, rig it out and you are at 300+ pounds
By the time you rig it, motor, trailer, etc,, You will be over $6000.00 for a basic set up.

My Jackson kayaks cost me $500-1200 and I can throw 3-4 of them in the back of my truck 70-80# each, No one is picking up a 200# skiff and "roof topping" it.
White Water rivers for small mouth in WV and crabbing in the bay, we camp out of them for 2-3 days.

Man, even roof topping a Hobie is questionable.

 

[WHBD]

Where at on the Choptank???

you can see Dover Bridge in the background

 

[kstone803]

Went to Belize for bonefish with the wife. Did pretty well and did some scuba and spearfishing as a bonus. Definitely will get back there as soon and often as possible.

Great place. I need to get back there. I'm sure it's changed a lot since I was there 15 years ago.

 

[yellowfin]

Great place. I need to get back there. I'm sure it's changed a lot since I was there 15 years ago.

We went to Hopkins 15 years ago and back there this time. It's growing a bit but still looks like its own self instead of overly touristy to the point of being Florida minus drinking age like Mexico and other places are.

 

[RFBfromDE]

You are all doomed!

Bad news for striped bass

It seems that in spite of record numbers of spawning-size striped bass in the Hudson River last spring, the young of the year numbers were just as dismal as they were in Chesapeake Bay. In an article by Jim Hutchinson in New Jersey Fisherman...

www.capegazette.com

OUTDOORS

Bad news for striped bass​

Ric and Roger Burnley show off a pair of big stripers. ERIC BURNLEY PHOTO
Eric Burnley
January 20, 2024



"It seems that in spite of record numbers of spawning-size striped bass in the Hudson River last spring, the young of the year numbers were just as dismal as they were in Chesapeake Bay. In an article by Jim Hutchinson in New Jersey Fisherman Magazine, he reported the young of the year count for the Hudson River was the lowest since the 1980s. In reading the graph, I would say it was between a one and a two.
New York samples 13 sites biweekly along the lower Hudson River from May until November. These dismal numbers track right along with the numbers reported from Maryland and Virginia.
It seems, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, that recent winters have been warm and dry with little snowfall. This has resulted in less snowmelt to cool the rivers and streams where striped bass spawn. The warmer water does not produce the number of zooplankton the striped bass fry need to survive. Even if the fish produce plenty of young stripers, there would not be enough food for them to eat. Also, in Chesapeake Bay, blue catfish have become so numerous that they have become a danger to the fry and can eat great numbers of them in the spring when other food sources are not available.
None of this information is good news for striped bass. While it is true we have had long runs of poor production in the past followed by large year classes that carried us through another period of poor reproduction, this time the reasons for the down slope are troubling.
Warm winters with a lack of snowfall are not going to go away. They are a result of climate change caused by an abundance of carbon dioxide in the air. The CO2 is a result of burning fossil fuel, and we won’t wean ourselves off of that for many years. On top of that, it seems striped bass are moving north. There are more spawning-size females in the Hudson River every year and fewer in Chesapeake Bay. I think this is due to the warmer water in the south and cooler water in the north. We have seen southern fish such as sheepshead, triggerfish, spadefish and pompano move into our waters, so why should we be surprised when striped bass move to the north?
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has already placed emergency regulations on striped bass with a 28- to 31-inch slot limit for stripers caught from the ocean. They will meet again later in January, when I expect that regulation to become permanent."

It's the Climate Change!

 

[Rich1911]

It's the result of too much raw sewage being pumped into the bay daily...

 

[Baldheaded]

Caught my first Snakehead yesterday. Was at the Nanticoke River bass, perch, pickerel, and crappie fishing and doing really good on the bass. Then out of nowhere I got a vicious strike and thought this is BIG. Too big to be anything we thought we would catch. Then I thought maybe a Rockfish. NOPE. I had never had a fish fight like this before. The line/fish did not run. It just sat there and wiggled. The fish was sitting there shaking its head back and forth very hard. I was using a 6' light action spinning rod and reel with 6lb. line and a small perch pounder spinner bait. I really wasn't sure what the hell I had on. It put up a great fight but was no match for ME!

Here it is.

 

[pbharvey]

Looks like a one fish limit in a narrow slot for rockfish this year.

19-24” applies to charters too.

 

[Baldheaded]

Looks like a one fish limit in a narrow slot for rockfish this year.

19-24” applies to charters too.

I think they are spot on with these new regulations. And I hope they do decide to close down the trophy season this year. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Baldheaded]

Man this thread isn't getting much attention lately. What happened to all you hardcore fisherman? Come on and knock the dust off those rods and get out for some fishing action!

 

[WHBD]

Man this thread isn't getting much attention lately. What happened to all you hardcore fisherman? Come on and knock the dust off those rods and get out for some fishing action!

Let me finish sadly packing up my hunting stuff and I'll dust off the fishing stuff.