# Choptank 9/23: Live Spot, Big Rock



## John K (May 25, 2000)

Returned for first time since a slow night of Croakering this Spring; Fished towards the end of the Cambridge side from 7PM to Midnight.

Spent the end of incoming and slack catching spot to liveline; largest spot I've seen there; kept the 5-6 largest to eat (about 10") or so, had 4-5 7-8" (larger than I normally use) for livelining. Used bloodworms, but caught two spot on chicken liver, and one spot on...cut spot (little cannibal.)

I also fiddled with chicken livers on circle hooks but other than the two spot, I instantly either caught a 12-13" bluefish (which I don't eat) or a toadfish every time I dropped down, so I gave up on that.

Caught one 17" trout on a spot rig and a quarter-inch piece of bloodworm. 


Livelined the outgoing; Live spot on a fish-finder rig and a 4 oz. sinker, conventional reel in freespool with the clicker on, dropping the spot 3-4 feet away from a piling on the downtide (facing the new bridge) side.

Got one runoff but reeled in a bare hook, then another runoff and landed a 26" rockfish about 20 minutes later (About 11PM). 

Was a pain as by that time the only 3 other people on the end had left, and there was no one within a quarter of a mile to help me with the pier net...but I managed. 


Had one more INCREDIBLE runoff(I've fished DE Bay with eels for 10-30 lb. stripers, and tried a couple tuna trips, have NEVER had a fish stripping line that fast...clicker was screaming) but didn't hook up when I went to set the hook..waited a good long time too...about 45 seconds.

On getting home and cleaning the rock, in addition to a 6" baby rockfish, I found the original live spot I'd had as bait during the FIRST runoff..had hook hole in the back and was undigested..so I only lost 1 big rock, not 2, in the two runoffs where I didn't hook up.

Fishing for large rock has been terrible the last 2 years there; 3 years ago, though, in Sept/Oct. I limited every single trip there livelining spot...could be another good year this year.

I tried casting a rattle-trap for a little bit but caught nothing...very few breaking fish..that doesn't usually get good till the end of October.

Was one other guy at the end casting a spec rig that caught nothing, and two guys with the usual 12' surf poles and cut bait fishing the end, that I didn't see catch anything either; both left at slack tide around 9:30PM.

The big rock ARE UNDER YOUR FEET folks; leave the giant surf rods at home and liveline live spot.


----------



## peterkin (Sep 16, 2002)

I've never tried livelining a spot. What kind of rig to you use?


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Hmm...a question. I have a heavy 6' rod (actually a lake michigan trolling rod--not as stiff as bay boat rods, but still heavy action) with a trolling reel with a bait clicker on it. Could I use that for the livelining?
What size hook do you use?
I'd like to give this a try. Only thing is I don't want to go buy a pier net--I don't have a cart and have enough equipment to lug down the pier/bridge already. Guess I might have to get one though.


----------



## John K (May 25, 2000)

Here's the livelining rig:

1) Any conventional reel with a clicker, on a short stiff boat rod. You can buy cheap Penn combos like that at Wal-Mart for around $50, I think. 

2) Line isn't critical..I use 50 lb. braided line because I use the same rods for wreck fishing, but you could use 30-40 lb. mono too.

You WILL have fish running under the bridge and rubbing the line against pilings; I wouldn't go any lighter. 

3) On your main line, put a "fish finder" (sinker slider)....then a 3-4 oz. sinker (exact size not critical) on the slider. When the rock picks up the bait he won't feel the sinker at all. 

4) Then put on a small bead, to keep the slider from bouncing against the knot to the snap-swivel(not super critical since you're not drift fishing from a boat.)

5) Then tie on a snap-swivel, doens't need to be any expensive ball-bearing one, but get one decent-sized. 

6) Use about 4 feet of 40-50 lb. test leader; pre-made rigs of this nature are avaliable in tackle shops, but I tye my own using Owner Octopus hooks. Loop at one end goes in the snap-swivel snap. 

7) At the end, use a 5/0-8/0 octopus hook; I don't use circles since it's rare to catch anything sublegal ( I HAVE caught 17" rock on 6" live white perch, though.) I think I prefer the larger hooks with better hook-ups. 

8) Then hook your bait on through the back, then toss it a few feet behind a piling on the downtide side.

Spot are by far the best bait. I've caught fish on white perch too, but white perch really work poorly when there are still spot around; they work better after the spot leave, but never as good as spot. Try cutting off their dorsal fin. Perch are harder to swallow than spot; let them run even longer.

Don't worry about having to get real tiny spot or perch for bait; main reason people don't liveline or seem surprised when they see me do it out there is the mis-impression that you need a 40" rock to eat a 7" spot.

Rockfish have ENORMOUS MOUTHS that they can open VERY wide and will at least TRY to eat anything smaller than they are. Live I've said, I've CAUGHT 17" rock on a 6" white perch; half the perch was sticking out of it's mouth.

You put the reel in freespool, and put the clicker on (pull some line to make sure it's free, or you WILL lose your rod and reel over the side.) And just wait.

I can't emphasize enough YOU MUST WAIT FOREVER DURING A RUNOFF TO SET THE HOOK. WHEN YOU ARE SURE YOU'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH, WAIT SOME MORE.

Typically a spot will start getting "nervous" when a big rock comes near, and it will start pulling a little on the clicker in short bursts. Then the Rock gets it, and you'll have 2-3 short runs of 15 seconds or so, as it spins the spot around so it can swallow it headfirst. THEN it should have a long, fast run...wait another 15-20 seconds during this, then reel up the slack (And there will be a lot of this often) and then set the hook!

Check to see which side of the piling the fish ran under, since they usually run UNDER The bridge.....walk sideways to that side, so the line doesn't rub against the piling. You're using heavy tackle so you can basically lock the drag down and horse them in.

You CAN get away without a bridge net since most liveline fish are about 19-24"..I've reeled 18-22" without a net and never had one fall off.

But there are decent numbers of 23-26" fish and I suspect they'll fall off without a bridge net. And there are 26-40" prowling around..I'd hate to be out there, no one else near me on the pier, with a 36" rock swimming around on my line and me not having a bridge net. 

Best time is a hard outgoing tide..and always at night; don't even bother during the day. 

I only fish the Cambridge side. End is best, but you don't HAVE to be right at the end...I've caught at every one of the pilings beyond the last porta-potty.

There's plenty of room, which is why I have no problem telling people about this; heck, when I'm out there on a weeknight in October I'm usually desperate for ANYONE to help me with netting 

I'll usually have a "Falcon Rods" black or white baseball cap on. Say hi if you see me.


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I'll join you on a friday or saturday night if you want to show me the ropes. But I 'll give it a try myself too.


----------



## Gone Fishing (Jun 19, 2000)

Great report and thanks for sharing the info. I will definitely give it a shot before the season's out. Only problem is I live 2 hrs away.  If your story is true I'll be there.

Gone Fishing


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I do remember SandFlea talking about live lining at Metapeake.


----------



## Conway (Nov 24, 2000)

John K.-Why do you fish the East side rather than the West?Have you ever tried hanging a lantern or other type of light just above the water to attract baitfish to the bridge column you are fishing?I saw this done in OC years ago and the anglers were doing very well.Not sure if the light helped or if it is even legal but your post brought back the memory of the large trout in their cooler.


----------



## Axon (Sep 8, 2002)

I was also planing a trip to the Tank this weekend. Not sure which day, depends on weather and the tides. Husky if you want you can get a ride with me. I'll know more friday. I will send you my cell phone # so you can give me a call if you want.


----------



## John K (May 25, 2000)

Conway,

Hmm, I always think of it as the "South" side, rather than the "East."

The Main channel in the Choptank is much closer to the South Bank (Cambridge); thus, it's a shorter walk to the dropoff to deep water. 

I just got started fishing the Cambridge side (even though I come in from the North) and did well enough that I never bothered with the Talbot side.

Regarding lights, the entire bridge-pier is well lighted, and, from about the middle October through November, there are breaking rock on the surface most every night. Size fluctuates, often almost all shorts, sometimes lots of keepers. When there are breaking fish I cast a 1/2 oz. Silver Rattletrap; three years ago, I was typically able to limit out every time I went in 1/2 hour. Last year I had to fish very hard and spend a lot of time tossing back throwbacks to get keepers, but it finally got really good the last two weeks before the season closed. Season is extended this year so you should be able to catch there till December.

The keeper size fish concentrate right on the edge of the shadow from the lights on the bridge.


----------



## TRIGGERFISH (May 21, 2001)

John K- I was fishing the tank last year around the last part of Sept. first part of Oct. but on the other side about four lights from the deep water(mid-morning)and hooked into a nice rock around 24" and had no pier net,had to play him out until he was on his side and then I pulled him up hand over hand,but never again. I went out and got me a net,but I was using cut spot on a high rig(something I thought that would work)and it did,not once be several time after that.   TRIGGER


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Sweet. Axon was nice enough to hook me up with a ride to the tank tonight. Everyone I mention it to is worried about storms tonight, but accuweather.com says just one storm around midnight. That's what Burger King is for! 

Anyone want to join us there and what my feeble attempt at live lining? Doesn't the conventional reel get birdsnests if you leave it to run?


----------



## Manayunk Jake (Oct 3, 2001)

Greetings All!

All this talk about the 'Tank has me chomping at the bit. Unfortunately, my bestest fishing partner is under the weather and I don't want to make the haul from Philly alone. Good luck to everyone who shows up this weekend!

For a great story about a spot-eating rock go to: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishingreport/chesapeake.html 
(Cute Asian honey holding that trophy!)


----------



## Conway (Nov 24, 2000)

Husky-I look forward to a report on your trip as I plan on heading there Sunday night.


----------



## catman (May 28, 2001)

Trigger, are you ready yet? How about next Friday or Saturday?

Catman.


----------



## Axon (Sep 8, 2002)

Just a quick post... live lining works well, at least it did for us friday night. 21' Rock, 19'trout and a 19'blue all from live lining. The only problem is that spot were hard to come by all night long. 

talk more later need sleep now


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

WOW! The sound of the spool as the line goes flying out really gets the adrenaline pumping. I didn't hook up on my only shot. But, I was catching spot all night long...I guess everyone has their calling in life. It was a team game the other night. 

Thanks Axon for the company and the ride.


----------

