Post
Getting to the Bottom Fishing Brings Fishing
Other Saltwater Fish, Saltwater Fishing theangler PM
All these things are true, but there are plenty of pluses.
For the angler who doesn’t own a boat a bottom-fishing expedition in a rented skiff provides a chance to control one’s destiny, at least as long as the motor holds up.
Action is almost always assured. Most marina operators will give you a rough idea of where the fish are likely to be, and then it’s up to you and your party to find the precise spot where the fishing is best. But practically no one gets skunked.
Bottom-fishing is the perfect way to introduce children and nonfishing friends to the world of hook and line. And it doesn’t cost a fortune.
The mecca for bottom-fishermen in the Washington, DC area is about two hours south of the city in Wynne, Md., at the mouth of the Potomac River. You will find at least two charter boat and skiff rental centers here.
Fishing Centers on nearby St. George Island have the advantage of protected river waters close to the Chesapeake Bay and have a good mix of river and Bay fish.
Both places should be good during mid-July and August for catches of bluefish and sea trout up to the 10-pound range. The old standby bottom fish-croaker, spot and perch — are also usually thick during this time.
Rent skiffs are in the 16 to 20-foot range with 6-h.p. motors for $30 a day, generally 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The boats hold no more than four adults and are not designed to go out into the Chesapeake. Stick to the broad river-mouth.
Up the Potomac is the town of Bushwood at the mouth of the Wicomico. This sleepy little fishing hold is more in the tradition of quiet bottom-fishing. There are no big blues or sea trout to battle this far upriver and the prey is all small stuff — perch, baby blues (snappers), spot and an occasional croaker.
You won’t load up the cooler in a hurry fishing out of the mouth of the Wicomico River because the fish run around three to a pound, but there’s plenty of action and delightful scenery.
Locals will often draw you a map of the hot spots before you go out on the water. They swear that the fish favor oyster beds and shallow water and will point out where they are.
When you get on an oyster bed, you can tell you’re there by the feel of the sinker bouncing along the bottom. As soon as you drop off onto a muddy bottom you won’t catch fish.
It may take a new comer about an hour before you find an oyster bed that will be absolutely carpeted with fish. Recommended equipment can be light spinning rods with two-ounce sinkers and two-book bottom fishing rigs. For bait, have on hand three or four peeker crabs, about 75 cents a piece, and perhaps a dozen bloodworns.
Some people say the fish are so thick you don’t need bait. Sometimes you can send down a rig with bare hooks and within minutes have a six-inch perch take the nonpaid.
If all goes well within about four hours, you should land about 50 perch, baby blues and spot worth keeping, while throwing back 50 more undersized spot.
A little motor trouble may almost be inevitable on these overworked rental skiffs, but the boats are a delight. Your rental boat will be an old, hand-made 19-foot pine and oak creation that will cut through the water the way it should and won’t leak a drop.
Bottom fishing on the lower Potomac is good and almost everyone agrees it gets better in August. Sunset is a good time to go out on the water to escape the scorching heat.
Skiffs also are available for rent in Solomon’s, Md., at the mouth of the Patuxent River north of the Potomac. Here, anglers can pull in spot, perch and occasional croaker.
You can also rent skiffs for a day, including motor and fuel. Most places have plenty of boats during the week but recommend reservations on the weekend.