Maryland's trophy rockfish season opened on a mixed note yesterday, with much of the upper mid and upper Chesapeake dirty due to spring rains, but farther south boats did much better, and many fish were of bragging size.

At Eastport, Rob Folstein of Crofton caught a 40-inch rockfish to win the fourth annual Boatyard Bar and Grill Tournament. The catch was made south of Calver Cliffs on an Alien Eye bucktail of chartruese at 1 p.m.

In second place was John Russell of Annapolis with a 39-incher taken near Solomons Island on an umbrella rig. MIke Gomber of Kent Island was third with a 39-incher that took a white parachute near Solomons.

Greg Hebling was tops in catch and release with a 38-incher. More than 750 fishermen on 152 boats participated in the charity fund-raising event.

The skies were bright, and so was the sun, as the season opened, but most fishermen were chilled and soaking wet. Northeast winds whipped the Chesapeake's stained waters, buckets of which splashed those in most boats. Many gave up early, others didn't even attempt to fish.

By noon, not a single striper was weighed in at Anglers Sports Center where a phone call told of a 39-incher caught by Roger Sexauer of Arnold while chumming off Sandy Point was to be checked in as soon as the party came to shore.

Meanwhile, some fishermen were still bobbing around on boats on the Chesapeake with few if any fish in the box. Some anglers claimed waves at times were as much as 4 feet. Charlie Ebersberger, proprietor of Anglers, said upper bay waters were the color of coffee - "with too much sour cream." Farther down the bay, both waters and fishing were better.

By early afternoon Capt. Bud Harrison had a 48-incher aboard - taken on a white bucktail and Sassy Shad combination fished on an umbrella rig at the lower mouth o0f the Choptank. He was nearing his limit, and said all fish were of 36 inches or better.

His dad, Capt. Buddy Harrison, had already taken a limit.

Rod 'n Reel Docks Chesapeake Beach reported all boats went out, many returned by late morning with limits, some fish of better than 40 inches. Scheible's Fishing Center at the mouth of the Potomac reported catches in the lower bay - and, better still - inside the river, which is open for rockfish under regs of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. It seems waters below Sharps Island in mid-bay are much more clear than north of there.

Something to think about as upper bay waters remain downright murky. When Charlie Ebersberger was driving east across the Bay Bridge the other day he noticed that on a fast ebb tide, waters coming out of the Magothy were much more clear than those of the bay, which of course could mean the same for the Severn, South and West Rivers on this side of the Chesapeake.

Certainly, fish prefer more clear waters, so might it be possible they are inclined to move into less gunky environment - and might it also be possible that's why in pre-season catch-and-release shoresiders at Sandy Point did so well? They had that more clear water, thanks to the Magothy.

For the first time I can recall, pre-season fishermen at Sandy Point did better than those at the Matapeake Pier. At the latter spot, there's no clearer water entering the bay on an ebb tide below the mouth of the Chester River. Some nice rockfish were taken at Matapeake, but it wasn't like Sandy Point where one fishermen caught and released 14 big fish in one day.

Maybe it's worth considering if trolling on an ebb tide to stick a bit closer to shore than the usual 40-foot edge of the shipping channel - and take advantage of cleaner waters. No guarantees, just speculation.

We can't clear up the bay, but perhaps we can clear up a question in the minds of trollers regarding the number of hooks on a rig.

The Department of Natural Resources has been in a huddle in recent days trying to clarify a muddle. Right now it appears: A trailer hook on bucktail, parachute, spoon, or whatever is not legally considered an additional (separate) hook. Thus, for instance, if a fisherman uses an umbrella rig with two baits, both of which have the regular hook and a trailer, it's legal.

Technically it doesn't count as four hooks, it counts as two.

Also, we're told, if a plug is made to carry three sets of triple hooks, it's now figured to be legal because - to put it simply - that's the way it was made. I'm still a bit confused. Allow me to quote from the official regulations: In the bay, "a person may not use more than two hooks or two sets of hooks for each rod or line. For the purposes of this subsection, artificial lures or plugs with multiple or gang hooks are considered one set of hooks."

This all came about years ago when DNR moved to snag the efforts of a small band of unsportsman-like sportsmen who resorted to sets of gang hooks to snag rockfish at the Bay Bridge. Since then things have been about as clear as the bay is today. My only suggestion if that if you intend to use more than a couple of baits on a rig with more than a hook and trailer attached, bring along a good lawyer. You might need his services - as we've noted in the past, individual NRP officers (and judges) have their own interpretations of the law. Enough said.

CALENDAR



Tomorrow: Opening of spring wild turkey season, all Maryland counties. Closes May 23.

Thursday: Seventh annual Treasure the Chesapeake Celebration of Chesapeake Bay Trust with Cal Ripkin Jr. as special guest, Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Kent Island. Call Jeanne Heineman, 410-643-9688.

Thursday-Sunday: MSSA Spring Rockfish Tournament with many check-in stations from Point Lookout to Rock Hall. Call 410-255-5535.

April 23: Beginning of two part Maryland Safe Boating course, Downs Park, Pasadena. Call Al White, 410-222-6230.

April 23: Coast Guard Auxiliary Global Positioning System course, 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Edgewater Library, Edgewater. Call Michael Prokopchak, 410-798-5952 prior to Friday.

April 29-May 1: Twenty-fourth annual Pro Am Fishing Tournament, headquarters at Rod 'n Reel Docks, Chesapeake Beach. Call 1-800-233-2080. On the web it's www.rodnreeltournament.com

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Calendar items, comments or news notes should be mailed to Bill Burton, P.O. Box 430, Pasadena, MD, 21122-0430, or faxed to 410-360-2427. Please include your phone number.

- No Jumps-

Published April 17, 2005, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.