Got to Breezy Point this morning at 7:30 am. Fellow TFer Thrillseeker ( Larry ) and my friend Tom were the crew. The new pier at the ramp is sweet but had frost on it. In fact - there was skim ice at the end of the boat basin. Once out on the bay - it got warmer due to 52* water. We ran SE to the CP marker so we could troll back with the SSE breeze. Got the spread out and zig zagged the channel - keeping look out for the deepwater crab pots. Heard a few unlucky anglers on the VHF complain they had lost rigs earlier in the morning. Strong incoming current and breeze has some floats underwater. The ones with flags were easier to see.
Saw some Gannets but none were diving. Bait was thick in 55 to 80 feet of water. Once up on the western edge in 50 - it all but disappeared. Most was at 20 to 30 feet down. Had a hit ??? off a planer rod but no hook up. Wandered north but stayed south of Parker's Creek. Out in 80 feet - saw the wire line outfit bounce - then bow down. This rig carries a white 20 oz MoJo and a white Tony #21. This is my dad's rig - over 30 years old. No idea how many fish it has caught over the years. Tom took the rod and was determined to add another catch to the total. Fish was intent on getting away and a nice tug of war ensued. Fish had made a fatal mistake of engulfing the spoon - the 12/0 hook had done damage to a gill raker and soon it gave up the fight. Larry dipped the net under a fat 41 incher.
This fish was too injured to release so it went into the box.
It did earn Tom an entry in the 2011 Md fishing challenge - fish caught now count.
We continued to troll the deep waters as the breeze picked up. The current was now outgoing - standing the waves up. Made for a rocky troll east / west but sure gave the lures some action. About 1:00 - we heard the thump of a planer board rod and soon Larry was reeling in a fat 37 incher. It hit a tandem 6 / 2 out 70 feet. The 6 oz bullet head was tied by Warren's - sorta as a joke to tease me. It is half chartruese / half white - for days the fish can not make up their minds. It often catches and sees a lot of time in the water.
We were now up at #78 - gave the area a few east / west passes but no luck. Pulled lines at 3:00 and headed in. Plenty of meat for us to divide - even though it was only two fish.
Got a surprise at the ramp - winch cable frayed and almost broke. Luckily - had safety turn buckle on it. Used a length of 5/8 '' rope to secure it for ride home. Had to clean the boat and fish under the flood lights - sun sets too fast now. Not the best day of catching but still beat working.