Help interpreting what I saw

[morsax]

I had a frustrating day of fishing yesterday and want to get some opinions from the "experts" out there. What have I gotten myself into?

Left SPSP with my permaHo Bug Guy (Bob) around 1:00 and headed to a spot where there were rockfish (sorry to burn the spot). Here is what I found:

In the deeper water, there were huge piles of bait stacked up but I didn't see big fish marks in with them. As we rolled up into slightly shallower water, the bait would abruptly end and there would be bigger marks hanging there (mostly suspended--but some closer to the bottom). We threw everything short of dynamite at them and couldn't buy a hit. The fish never seemed to move and never started busting up bait. It seemed to me that the rock we just chilling and not in a feeding mode--maybe waiting for some decent current. As far as current goes, there was a tiny bit when we got there, but it died out and never really got going (we hung out for quite a while). Unfortunately we had to run back to the park to take cover from the impending storms (Bob was mumbling something about aluminum being a good conductor) so we didn't get to wait for the current to really pick up.

Is that a probable explanation for what we were seeing? Any strategies for getting those fish to bite?

Anybody want to take my jigging so I can figure this stuff out??

Thanks
Hans

[oldfart]

Slack current, lock jaw, wait till the current starts to move and see what happens

[crabby and son]

We were out Thursday and saw enormous bait balls both near the bottom and suspended. Some looked like there were rock mixed in. Black drum stack on the bottom but usually on an oyster or hard bottom and in 15-25 feet. When there is that much bait around, your little piece on a hook can get lost. Slack tide is not good to catch anything. I can't imagine you two in the same boat..............Gary

[jumbo1]

Happens quite often actually...fish don't feed all of the time..just like us...I normally give great marks a couple drifts and thats it...fish that are suspended are more likely to feed since they are on the move...if they are on the bottom they may have just eaten all of the bait you saw...thats my theory anyway...usually seems to work......

[morsax]

Thanks!

Gary: Bob and I together isn't that bad...Mark survived a day of it with only minimal mental scarring

[crabby and son]

Originally Posted by morsax

Thanks!

Gary: Bob and I together isn't that bad...Mark survived a day of it with only minimal mental scarring

If Mark can survive me, you are a piece of cake. I just have a hard time seeing you and Bob in the same boat trying to scientifically figure EVERYTHING out...................Gary

[Skip]

I'd use the slack current as an explanation for the fish not biting.
One interesting thing about summer vs winter - in summer , the fish need to feed more often. Fish are cold blooded and speed up as waters warm.
They feed a lot but often when current is just right. With plentiful bait - it only takes a few minutes to find food.

After eating - they tend to go deeper and digest their food. After a few hours - time to eat again - as the current moves. One reason very beginning of current can be so good.

The fish near Annapolis face low oxygen levels and ofeten can not go deeper then about 30 feet. The water is cooler and darker - plus quiet down deep - Rock like it there. Years ago - those big marks would be down 40 feet - now they can only go down to 25 or 30.

In the bay - current , IMHO - is the biggest part of catching fish.
Sometimes we find them trolling - seeing the meter lit up. We circle until current is right and then often - they bite like gang busters for an hour or so.
After that - it can be 3-4 hours before they feed again.

Hit it right - it's fast fishing.

Get there an hour late - long wait until the current is good again.

You can adjust how you fish. Sometimes certain tactics work better at beginning of current then when current is screaming.

[goinsfishin]

I've been fishing further south, Deale to Breezy, but I've seen the same lockjaw pattern.......then it suddenly turns ON for about an hour just after the tide/current shift. I've also noticed that quite a few of the fish I've cleaned recently are chock full of Mayworms......I think they are gorging on worms still and then picking tidy morsels for desert from the available bait at the current shift.....makes as much sense as anything..

[morsax]

Glad to see that my thoughts on the situation were pretty much on. Unfortunately the storms drove us away before the bite turned back on. Oh well--there is always next time. Which will be in about 3 weeks after a week in Florida, a week in Delaware and another in Nova Scotia.

Hans

[Spot77]

garlien and I saw the same exact thing on Friday. Lots of baitballs but no fish near them.....then we'd hit a run of a few big fish but couldn't get a bite.

It was exciting to at least know that there's bait out there and fish. Didn't see any birds.