Monday on the Bay

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Southern
Location: Chesapeake Bay

Yesterday, Sept. 30, 2019, I took a ride heading south out of Solomons on my friend Andy�s boat, "Reely Hooked". We were hoping for a few cobia on the last day of cobia season, but struck out. The weather wasn�t cooperating, with winds from the southeast causing some rough water.

On our trip south we stoppped to cast on breaking fish and caught some blues and rockfish. The winds did calm some and we caught a total of 29 rockfish and 14 bluefish, we were chasing birds and breaking fish back up towards Solomons.

We were casting 1 and 2 ounce vertical jigs and 2oz bucktail jigs dressed with paddle tail. The majority of our catch came from the water around the gas docks. The average size rockfish were 15� with a few keepers in the mix. The bluefish were nice and fat too. The fish were chasing and eating Bay anchovies, leaving plenty of evidence on the boats deck!

All said, we could have fished anywhere between the target ship and gas docks, there were bait fish the entire stretch with fish and birds feeding on them.