# Croaker blitz



## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

... does this ever happen any more  

I can remember early-to-mid August blitzes in OC where you could limit out in a half hour to 45 min  

And I'm not talking about <9inchers ... I'm talking nice ones up to 16 or 17 inches, with 12-13 inchers accounting for half the catch.

Have I just missed the boat here, or are there a lot less croaker around the past year or two? If so, what heppened to them? I remember a ton of them got killed when the cold water welled up to the surface ... was that off the MD coast a year ot two ago?

Anyway, maybe it's just a normal cycle and they'll be back next year


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## chump (Jul 18, 2005)

I think there were a few monster blitzes at CHP a couple of weeks ago. Tom reported of people limiting out on them and how they were the large variety as well.


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

The last time I was in a croaker blitz was at PLO about 5 yrs ago. The sizes were about 15'' or so. But for the past 3 yrs it was pretty mediocre to say the least. Don't know really what has happened. But this year, seen and C&R tons of little ones at around 10''-12''.


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## gwaud (Apr 14, 2003)

*each year*

the blitz get a couple day earlier. this year they have been schooling up and mixing in with the flounder in the back bays. the partyboats have been catching them both inshore and back bays also. the water has been so warm i guess there might not be a blitz.


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## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

I've read on several other boards that the croaker bite has been fairly consistent w/ decent sizes and numbers caught near Chincoteage. A few weeks ago Tom and I did pretty well @ CHSP and we weren't even targeting hh's. Early spring I experienced several blitzes in the late evening in an undisclosed location and limited out w/ in 2hrs of being there. Gamster was there one evening and he limited out and could barely get his cooler back on his own...

Can't remember when Tuna and I hit IRI last year, believe it may have been around Sept but we got into a mess of croakers on the bay side of the bridge. To our amazement BlueHeron actually got into some nice ones too..   .

Unforturnalety those runs were short lived but still fun none the least. Can't wait for the fall hh run.. previous years we've hit CHSP and slammed hh's all day... Chit.. can't wait to wet a line again... I'm going thru withdrawal symptoms.. I need a fish...:fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing:


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

Huntsman said:


> Can't remember when Tuna and I hit IRI last year, believe it may have been around Sept but we got into a mess of croakers on the bay side of the bridge. To our amazement BlueHeron actually got into some nice ones too..   .
> 
> Unforturnalety those runs were short lived but still fun none the least. Can't wait for the fall hh run.. previous years we've hit CHSP and slammed hh's all day... Chit.. can't wait to wet a line again... I'm going thru withdrawal symptoms.. I need a fish...:fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing: :fishing:


Dang, I almost forgot about that! Poor ole Blue Heron nearly had a heat stroke that day while you and I were all over the rail. Man, that was fun!!!


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## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

TunaFish said:


> Dang, I almost forgot about that! Poor ole Blue Heron nearly had a heat stroke that day while you and I were all over the rail. Man, that was fun!!!


LOL.. he sure did.. look like a boiled crawdad out there get'n into them hh's..


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## Big Rad (May 19, 2003)

Huntsman said:


> Early spring I experienced several blitzes in the late evening in an undisclosed location and limited out w/ in 2hrs of being there. Gamster was there one evening and he limited out and could barely get his cooler back on his own...


opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: 

My afrasianocentric brother from another mother, I luv you man   

Gov celly is still down....I'll get at ya soon


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

Nice to hear that they are not extinct, and that it ain't over yet  

... I'll certainly give serious consideration to a CHP or IRI trip on short notice for a decent chance at hh's ... shoot me a PM if you (anyone!) gets wind of some decent hh action ... we can meet up to catch them and I'll supply the FBBWs .. and perhaps cold beverages  in return


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## fishbait (Nov 11, 2005)

Hey FH, 2 weekends ago, they were hitting on sandfleas at Stinky Beach. Nice size to some of them too. I wouldn't call it a blitz, but it was steady for a while. 

A week before that, Oki found a nice hole at CHP and tore them up.


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## EugeneChoe (Aug 11, 2006)

man petey and brian called me out one night in spring and we all railed the croakers. basically anihalated them. haha i had to drag my dang cooler the whole way cuz it was so dang heavy. that night was awesome. not to mention all the fuss on the post about it  !

oh and at stinky beach it was a croaker blitz...for me, and john (oki) put me on it. he said try that hole over there around the corner. i said ok, and he was right! nailed em on every cast, every time my bait fell into the hole, as fast as i could get my bait in the water. haha ask john he will confirm haha. he basically said eugene they want to take you away from your blitz, and i said ok! haha. 

eugene


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

Ah ... I can almost taste them now  

I've been catching so many skunks in the surf (if you don't count throwbacks and junkfish) lately I've been comtemplating switching back to freshwater fishing (smallmouth) ... but they are nowhere near as tasty  

Thanks for the good feedback on the HHs!


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## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

fishbait said:


> Hey FH, 2 weekends ago, they were hitting on sandfleas at Stinky Beach. Nice size to some of them too. I wouldn't call it a blitz, but it was steady for a while.


That's because Eugene was on the blitz.


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## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

Big Rad said:


> opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:
> 
> My afrasianocentric brother from another mother, I luv you man
> 
> Gov celly is still down....I'll get at ya soon


Understood, I know how you can get locked down by the man..(cell down)..lol.. And I thought that beinga rebelfarian that you had the hook up.. Guess we all get put back into that special place at some time or another.. LOL...holla...


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## supercast (May 17, 2006)

*croaker bliz*

I visited a few fish markets last week and they had tons of fresh caught croakers from $o.90 - $1.90 per lb


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## supercast (May 17, 2006)

*croaker bliz*

I visited a few fish markets last week and they had tons of fresh caught croakers from $o.90 - $1.90 per lb I think these fish are in deeper waters:fishing:


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## 30ManStan (May 20, 2006)

*Croakers*

To really load them up this time of year, think Delaware bay in a boat. Water is deep and they bite all day, large ones


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## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

30ManStan said:


> To really load them up this time of year, think Delaware bay in a boat. Water is deep and they bite all day, large ones


Absolutely correct... they're in DE right now back bay and ocean sound... they are also catching hh's pretty consistenly on the VA side of the national seashore and the Chincoteague Bay.. 

If it's croaks that you want in good numbers then that's where ya need to go...


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

Croakah's!


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

Yep ... I've seen plenty more of them in VA than in MD/DE ... it's just a bit of a haul from SouthCentral PA


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