Sunday Rockfishing in the Bay

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Middle Bay
Location: Sout of Breezy Poing down to Parkers Creek

Report for Sunday, 6/10/12, west side of Bay off of and south of Breezy Point down to Parkers Creek.

Environmental Conditions: Weather was calm all day, Bay was flat. Heavy stratification in water deeper than 35 feet with small fish marking in a narrow band between 12 and 20 feet. The stratification was less pronounced at depths less than 30 feet west of the southeastern corner of the Plum Point reef with massive amounts of bait and bigger fish marking in the 12-20 foot band with some fish down to the bottom. Breaking bait all over this inshore area with rockfish attacking from underneath. Went through one bait ball we could have walked across it was so dense. Looked like bunker. Saw over 100 cownose rays, and unfortunately snagged a big one, resulting in a lost rig when it broke off. Saw a small shark about 2.5 to 3 feet long based on the distance between the well-pronounced dorsal fin and the tail. Couldn�t tell what species. Lots of small crabs swimming on the surface. There was a morning bite and an afternoon bite. One boat caught 4 early. We had a breakoff and a 19 inch rock around 10:30. In early afternoon caught a 15 inch throwback schoolie and a 21 and 26 inch rock. The 26 inch rock had several crabs in its gut. A very large rock broke off at the boat (very disappointing). All fish took small white lures. Two took small white bucktails behind small umbrellas with white shad. Two took a Sabile 5 inch soft ghostescant (white) Magic Swimmer that I had rigged as a trailer 18 inch behind a 5 inch white swim shad behind a small white umbrella. The 26 inch rock took the Magic Swimmer. The large rock that broke off took a white bucktail.