I was also out today on a friends boat. We launched from Ches. Beach in a light fog. Headed to red 78 where I got into some nice resident fish last week. Dropped lines east of 78 and saw a bird show about a 1/2 mile ahead of us. I thought "good, lets pick up three unders and then spend the day looking for bubba". We trolled around the edge of the birds; NOTHING. We trolled through the birds; NOTHING. Several other boats saw the action and came running. They jigged over the birds; NOTHING. Other boats trolled through the birds; NOTHING. $hit; what's going on here? We stayed in the area for a few more passes, but no hookups. Off towards the CP bouy we headed. Along the way we saw three charters working just southwest of the deep Choptank channel (false channel?). We dropped in among them and none of us did anything. We worked E/W down by the power plant and marked the most bait of the day on the western side in 35 ft of water. Still nothing. The gannets we did see dive, were all singles. You would spot one here and there, but never several diving in one place!!! The most we could hope for was three or four sitting together. We pushed them into the air, but still no fish. Decided to run back towards home and check out the Sharps Island light and CR bouy. No birds, no boats. So we headed to the radar towers and 35 ft of water. Trolled between Breezy and Ches. Beach without a knockdown.
We didn't run boards, only seven lines (three high and four deep). But still, we should have pulled in a couple fish. It was soooo slow, I called a friend who fished from a charter yesterday. He said they were out of Solomon's and only picked up 7 fish all day. Called another friend who lives in St Mary's county (Slayer) and fishes out of Point Lookout. He confirmed the fishing has been sporatic at best with rare good days and lots of mediocore days further south. He still has hopes of the main bunch arriving before the end of the season. I'm giving it a rest until Dec. 1st and I run my full spread.
I better not hear one newspaper person (Candus) or guide (Chris Dollar) talking about private boats "looking like porcupines" with 15 rods sticking out of them
. It appears that I need 15 rods to catch a damn fish this year
.
See you on the water (after Thanksgiving); best of luck.
5th (Marty)