I caught Rockfish fever this October.  The warm days were growing short and few and I had still not been out fishing on the Bay. This was my 3rd Sunday in a row heading out for Rockfish, as I didn't cover my previous two outings this should serve as a clue that the outcome was slightly different this time.

The fishing reports have been consistent for a few weeks now, good bite in the early morning and around sunset.  Mornings have been cold and and with the boat an hour a way I've been opting for the evening slot.  I hit the water around 2pm.  The weather was mild, mid 60s and a mild drizzle.  The tide was running out with a low tide at 5pm. The previous two trips I went for the rising tide, but I'm mixing it up this week. If it ain't working, try something else.

I packed light for this mission.  I knew I wouldn't be jigging or bottom fishing. I was on the hunt for hungry fish and that meant trolling.  2 rods, one with an umbrella rig with a black ducktail and purpler trailer.  the other was my trusted 6oz white shad tandem rigs.  Simple, basic, usually effective. 

First plan was to chase the reports and head down to Thomas point.  The wind was gusting out of the South and abandoned that idea by the time I got to the mouth of the Magothy.  Turned due east and ran across the Bay to just off Kent Island near Love Point.  I like this spot, good hard bottom and it's been productive before. Trolled around 5ft off the bottom in 20 ft of water for an hour and no sign of life.  

I decided to head further east to the mouth of the Chester River where there's a nice 50ft hole. Maybe there are some Stripers or Blue catfish holded up in there so I get within a few hundred yards and work the deep water. Still nothing, more boats out now though as were getting close to sunset and I felt like I was at least in the right area.  Decided to stick it out and work the area until about 4:30.  Nothing.

I was questioning my luck, my faith, and the decisions in my life at this point. I pull in the lines, secure the hatches and start heading back west to dock.  Just as I'm hitting the Bay I see birds going crazy off Love Point, the same spot I struck out on earlier.  I'm annoyed, out a few hundred in fuel and lost rigs at this point over the month but as they are literally right in my path I decide I'll give It one pass. This had to be a sign.  I pulled in within about 150 yards and plot my course to the north of the activity by about 30 yards.  If there are stripers there, they're going to be picking off the straggler bait fish on the outside.

Dropped my first line with my tandem rig and get it down til it hits bottom then bring it in about bit targeting 5 feet off the bottom.  Turn my attention to umbrella rig when I hear the greatest sound in the world. The whirl of my drag going out.

I grabbed the rod and get to work, it was a good fight.  I got him to the boat and I realized I still had the net down in the cabin.  I was not losing this fish though so it was time for the old boat flip.  I get him the surface, open the transom door and launch him into the boat with a quick flick and he's on the deck.   He's a good size, and when I got him measured he's right under 24".  Pack away the gear and continue my trip back in.  The sun was setting and I was victorious. It was a good day on the Bay.

July 15, 2025. I set out for my first trip to Triadelphia Reservoir.  The Reservoir is private WSSC managed property, but they do allow fishing in the summer if you purchase a permit. The permit is $6. I loaded up the kayak around 0600 and made the short trip up to the Greenbridge recreation area. There were a few trucks already in the lot, I was a bit late as the area opens 30 minutes before sunrise, but still plenty of parking and an overflow. Trailers are allowed. Howard County’s finest were there bright and early to make sure I had a WSSC use permit and fishing license so make sure you have those with you. Personally it's good to see some enforcement against poaching, our waters get enough pressure as it is and need everyone to pitch in their money to maintain and preserve.

It was already hot that morning, upper 80s and humidity that was close to opening an old gym bag that had been sitting in the sun all day.  On the water, glass clam with lots of rising strikes for bugs on the surface that morning, if I was a fly fisherman I'd probably have a lot of luck this morning standing right off the side of the ramp.  The reservoir drops down to 30 feet pretty fast and is mostly flat along the bottom with little to no structure to hold fish from what saw, it seems they clear cut the trees before they built the dam. Didn’t hang up any lures on stumps on the bottom, nor did I see any sign of them on the fish finder. This was my first time out with the fish finder, a Lowrance Hook Reveal 7.  I thought it had water temp, but it was missing from my screen. I could spend time dicking with it, but it would cut into my fishing time. Decided to go without. 

Research says the water holds the typical bass, panfish and pickerel that are common around here, I was fishing crawls and chatterbaits along the bottom for bass most of the morning without much luck. No luck with Texas rigs either. by 11am it was bright and hot and I moved to deeper water with the same lures, about 25 ft. I'd see some schools of smaller fish around 7-10 ft but that was about it.

I switched over to scout mode a little after noon and tied on a rattle trap and crankbait and trolled them off the back while mapping out the water at about 5 ft deep. This was my first time here and had no idea what the bottom was like.  It's flat and featureless for the most part, a steady 25-30 feet across all the areas I paddled which were within a few miles of the ramp.  I didn't get much further west but plan to next t

I did manage a few small white perch with the trolling method so it was not an entirely unproductive day, basically confirming what I saw on the fish finder with schools of s

mall fish around 7 feet down. Pulled the yak out mid afternoon, it was hot and I was out of water. A few anglers were hanging out at the ramp, one with a rod trying one last time to catch something. We collectively agreed the water was just too warm and the fish were just bedded down deep and none of us could find them.  Really wish the water temp, be curious to see what the water temp was at the surface and again below 10ft where I saw the thermal-cline.

I wish I had some great pics to share of landing trophy sized fish for the first fishing report posted here, but that's just how fishing is sometimes.  Even with the lack of action, I will be back. The lack of shore access and the requirement of the WSSC permit and its apparently strict enforcement keeps a lot of the poaching and away and pressure down. There were maybe 6 boats total on the water that day while I was there and no gas motors meant it was a nice day of floating around.  

My advice so based on this trip for mid summer, go early or close out the day there. If you're there mid day, troll with some deep diving crank baits and rattle traps to cover more ground with low risk of hang ups.