One might turn things around and say "It was too bad to last."

And, that's the way it has been on the Chesapeake where the trophy rockfish season is now underway.

It didn't make for comfortable fishing, but the bad weather that prevailed on the opening day and for a long stretch before then was what we wanted for the catching of stripers - but not for the boat ride to catch them.

Then in early week, the weatherman tossed us a curve - and all the hot weather and light breezes moved in to make for a nice boat ride with good catches to boot. But, the higher the air temperatures, the warmer the water - and the shorter the spawning run. We can't have it both ways.

Bay waters warmed up several degrees in the warm spell, but there's much good fishing to come seeing that the upper bay is starting to clean itself up just in time for the 22nd annual MSSA tournament that starts tomorrow. More than 700 boats will be fishing it.

As the season opened, dirty waters messed up much of the caching north of Chesapeake Beach - with most of the best fish turning up well below that port. Cove Point to Solomons had clean waters and nice fish for early bird anglers.

Many upper bay anglers did what Ricky Warren of Warren's Bait Box, Glen Burnie, did - they went far south. Ricky didn't like the waters between Bloody Point and Poplar Island, so he switched to trolling way down at Breezy Point. His boat started trolling at 12:30 p.m., and by 1:30 it was all over.

His daughter Heather Warren had a 41-incher, and Rick and John Reilly had fish of 37 and 38 inches. White and chartreuse umbrella rigs did the catching, and along the 70-foot edge.

From the Potomac sector where a few hardheads are beginning to show in nets (and some have been caught at the Point Lookout fishing pier), Capt. Bruce Scheible reports very good trolling in the St. Georges Island area of the Potomac; most fish of 32 to 38 inches - also good catches in the Chesapeake channel down that way. Not many boats are chumming yet thereabouts, but will be shortly. There are also some nice stripers for trollers in Tangier Sound.

Capt. George Bentz of the Drizzle Bar which sails out Pasadena has had to make some long runs almost to Calvert Cliffs to find promising waters, but on his latest trip to deep waters (45 to 100 feet) off Chesapeake Beach he took a limit for his party - the fish were up to 36 inches, and some had fresh sea lice on them. He said they fished baits a bit deeper than usual.

Capt. Buddy Harrison of Harrison's Chesapeake House, Tilghman Island, says much of his fishing has been from Buoy 82 west of Tilghman to the C&P Buoy. Umbrella and tandem rigs fished near the top are the ticket, he says. Buddy adds that most boats are getting their limits early - and that only one in 40 fish appear to have spawned.

More than a few fishermen have reported that once clean waters are found, the catching starts before they are able to get their planing boards rigged - so they don't use them. Or, need them.

More clear waters are beginning to be evident in the Susquehanna area which should perk up the catch-and-release fishing on the Flats - and in the river there are shad (Deer Creek area) and white perch, also hefty catfish.

North of the Bay Bridge there have been some catches made at the Dumping Grounds, Love Point should do better quickly, the same for waters off the mouth of the Chester, maybe the Brewerton Channel. It all depends on how clear the waters get. A few fishermen prefer chumming when waters are stained - and they catch a fish or two.

In the mid bay, it's find good waters, and start catching via trolling; some anglers insist on white, others stay with chartreuse - both seem to catch. Some nice waters are found from James Island southwest. There are white perch and catfish available at the Choptank River fishing pier - will hardheads be next?

At Ocean City, a few flounder are available, tautogs have moved into the inlet area, some as far up as 4th Street - and a few rockfish are beginning to move in.

On the freshwater side, walleyes are plentiful at Deep Creek Lake where the annual walleye tournament turned up 342 fish the biggest of which weighed 5 pounds. Ponds are beginning to turn up largemouth bass on a catch-and-release basis, and Potomac River smallmouths are hungry.

SUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT: Eastport-based Boatyard Bar and Grill Fourth Annual Opening Day tournament (won by Rob Folstein of Crofton with a 40-incher) is no longer a little contest - it's in the big leagues on the bay. This year's affair with 152 boats and 724 fishermen raised $25,000 for CCA-MD, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Annapolis Police Department's Youth Fishing Camp.

Since its start with a field of only 24 boats, it has raised nearly $50,000 for those charities, and tournament weighmaster Dick Franyo predicts even bigger things ahead. This contest is putting Annapolis on the bay fishing map.

CAN YOU TOP THIS? In the Fishbones of Pasadena second Opening Day Tournament, Wilson Ford took a 43-inch striper to win $2,310. He fished an umbrella rig between Cove Point and Solomons. Dennis Miller of Pasadena was second with a 40-incher, and third was Andrew Wendell of Pasadena, 30-incher. Thirty five boats were entered; most fished waters far down the bay, according to proprietor Bud Hein, who added a few anglers caught a fish or two chumming not far from the Dumping Grounds.

It was white in color for a couple of nice fish checked in at Warren's Bait Shop, Glen Burnie. David Heron of Glen Burnie took a 42-incher of 29 pounds on a parachute, and Richard Scott, also of Glen Burnie caught a 44-incher on an umbrella rig at Breezy Point.

Greg Liebig took a 42-pound striper on the Susquehanna Flats on cut herring fished on a circle hook. It was packed with roe so he released it.

Chris Veneker took a 7-pound flounder in the Back Bay sector of Ocean City. David Lawrence III caught and released a bass of 8.3 pounds at Greenbrier Lake.



CALENDAR

Saturday: Lake Waterford/Pasadena Sportfishing Group's kids fishing tournament at Lake Waterford from 8 a.m. to 11:30. Bait and fishing assistance is free, but youngsters must bring their own rods 'n reels. Register at the park today or tomorrow, and the cost is only $2. It's $5 on Saturday. Call 410-222-6248.

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

Monday: 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 by tomorrow.

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 .

May 1: Bay Hundred Chapter of Ducks Unlimited second annual Ladies Rockfish Tournament out of Harrison's Chesapeake House, Tilghman Island. Call 410-886-2121.

May 7: Annual Fish Fry (sea trout) of Three Rivers Sportsmen Club, 1 to 5, at the club facilities, 215 Three Rivers Road, Harwood. Call Raymond, 410-257-2983.

May 16: Three-part Safe Boating Course sponsored by Friends of Anne Arundel Trails starts at Earleigh Heights Fire Hall. Call 410-222-6244.

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.

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Published April 21, 2005, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.