2017 PRFC Potomac Fishing Sizes and Limits

2017 POTOMAC RIVER FISHERIES COMMISSION

SPORT FISHING IN THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER

LEGAL SIZES, LIMITS AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS

PDF link to official PRFC published document

Striped Bass (Rockfish) Spring Season
Season Open: April 15 through May 15
Open Area: Below Harry W. Nice Bridge (Rt. 301)
Minimum Size Limit: 35”
Possession Limit: 1 per person/day (inc. charter capt.)
Bait Restrictions: No live eel. No more than 2 hooks
Special Restriction: When Fishing for Striped Bass During the Closed Season – Barbless Hooks are Required


Striped Bass (Rockfish) Summer/Fall Season
Season Open: May 16 through December 31
Open Area: Below Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-95)
Minimum Size Limit: 20” with only 1 over 28”
Possession Limit: 2 per person/day
Bait Restrictions: No more than 2 hooks
Special Restriction: When Fishing for Striped Bass During the Closed Season – Barbless Hooks are Required

Black Bass (Largemouth Bass)
Season: 15” March 1 – June 15
Minimum Size Limit: 12” all other times
Possession Limit: 5 per person

Pike (Chain Pickerel)
Minimum Size Limit: 14”
No Possession Limit

Black Drum
Minimum Size Limit: 16”
Possession Limit: 1 per person

Red Drum (Puppy Drum)
Minimum Size Limit: 18”
Maximum Size Limit: 25”
Possession Limit: 5 per person

Black Sea Bass
Season: TBA
Minimum Size Limit: TBA(1)
Possession Limit: TBA
(1) Tail filament is not incl. in total length of the fish

Spanish Mackerel
Minimum Size Limit: 14”
Possession Limit: 15 per person

Bluefish (Taylor)
Minimum Size Limit: 8”
Possession Limit: 10 per person

Spotted Sea Trout
Minimum Size Limit: 14”
Possession Limit: 10 per person

Catfish – Bullhead
Minimum Size Limit: 6”
No Possession Limit

Summer Flounder
Minimum Size Limit: TBA
Possession Limit: TBA

Crappie
No Minimum Size Limit
Possession Limit: 10 per person

Tautog
Minimum Size Limit: 14”
No Possession Limit

Croaker (Hardhead)
Minimum Size Limit: 9”
Possession Limit: 25 per person

Weakfish (Sea Trout)
Minimum Size Limit: 12”
Possession Limit: 1 per person

Eel
Minimum Size Limit: 9”
Possession Limit: 25 per person

Yellow Perch
Minimum Size Limit: 9”
Possession Limit: 10 per person

Catfish – Blue
Season: Year Round Blue catfish are likely causing detrimental impacts throughout
Minimum Size Limit: None their expanding range, potentially creating unbalanced
Possession Limit: Unlimited ecosystems.

Snakehead
No Minimum Size Limit It shall be unlawful to possess a live snakehead fish or to
No Possession Limit return, release, or otherwise discard any living snakehead fish
to the Potomac River.

Shad – American
Season Closed – Moratorium

Sturgeon
Season Closed – Moratorium

Shad – Hickory
Season Closed – Moratorium

River Herring (Blueback, Alewife)
Season Closed – Moratorium

Colonial Beach Rockfish Tournament 12 and 13 Nov 2016

The Fall Colonial Beach Rockfish Tournament is going on this weekend.  If I hear any updates, I will post them here.  Otherwise, here's a link to their official site:

http://rockfishtournament.org/

Potomac Fishing Report (by Coles Point Marina) 08 NOV 2016

This report was written by the folks at Coles Point Marina.  Visit Coles Point Marina on Facebook

Colonial Beach (VA) - there have been multiple reports this week of acres of breaking fish just off the beach in Colonial Beach. with birds giving their movements away. Fish have been spotted from the bridge to well below CB. Troll bucktails, clark spoons and tandem parachutes with 6” sassy shads in white & chartreuse. Jigheads with bass assassins or BKD’s work well with fish on top or heavy jigheads or stingsilvers on bottom below schools to locate larger resident fish.

St Clements Island (MD) - Trollers have had luck for a couple of weeks in 25-35’ of water in front of the island. Occasional breaking fish between here & Coles Point.

Coles Point/Tall Timbers (VA) - Casters targeting structure have caught plenty of healthy fish early on topwater plugs to 32”. Occasional afternoon breakers.

#7 & #9 - Keeper rockfish to 24” are being caught underneath school of small breakers. Trollers are catching too when they can track with the schools without spooking them

Point Lookout (MD) & Mouth of Potomac - Schools of undersized breakers seen as recently at this morning dominate the action at the mouth. Reports of keeper trout on bottom under schools on jigs in deeper water.

Chesapeake Bay - If you know where structure is and you can get there at first light there are a few local fish to 36” around the Middle Grounds. Jigs & topwater are the ticket. Look for plenty breakers in the afternoon with sub-legal rockfish.

Visit Coles Point Marina on Facebook

Potomac Rockfish Opening Season Tide Tables (18 and 19 April 2015)

Here are the tide reports for tide stations on the Potomac for Opening Day 18 April, 2015.

Colonial Beach
Nomini Creek
Ragged Point (Coles Point)
Lewisetta
Piney Point

Good luck this season!!

Colonial Beach, Potomac River Tide Charts

Mount Holly, Nomini Creek, Potomac River Tide Charts

 Ragged Point, Coles Neck Potomac River Tide Charts

Lewisetta, Potomac River Tide Charts

Piney Point, Potomac River Tide Charts

2015 Potomac Rockfish Regulations and Limits

There is a slot limit this Spring season, meaning that one fish in the slot between 28 inches to 36 inches can be kept, or one fish over 40 inches.  So, you CANNOT keep a fish between 36 and 40 inches.

2015 Potomac Rockfish Limits:

Striped Bass (Rockfish) SPRING Season 2015
Season Open:  April 18 through May 15
Open Area:  Below Harry W. Nice Bridge (Rt. 301)
Minimum / Slot Limit:  28" to 36" -OR- 1 fish over 40"
Possession Limit:  One (1) per person (including charter captain)
Bait Restrictions:  No Live Eel, No more than two (2) hooks

Striped Bass (Rockfish) SUMMER/FALL Season 2015
Season Open:  May 16 through December 31
Open Area:  Below Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-95)
Minimum / Slot Limit:  20" with only one (1) over 28"
Possession Limit:  Two (2) per person
Bait Restrictions:  No more than two (2) hooks

Here's  a screenshot of the actual PRFC regulation card for 2015.

Dennis Point Rockfish Tournament - 9/10 May 2014

Dennis Point Marina & Campground

46555 Dennis Point Way

Drayden, MD 20630

(301) 994-2288 phone | fax (301) 994-2253

Dennis Point Marina

Spring Rockfish Tournament

The Dennis Point Marina Spring Rockfish Tournament will be held at Dennis Point Marina & Campground on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, 2014.  The registration fee is $175 per boat with a limit of five people per boat. The  tournament  is  for  amateur as well as  commercial fishermen.   The entrance fee includes free transient dockage for Thursday and Friday nights (monitored by security), and free food Saturday during the awards ceremony.


The Rockfish Tournament Particulars are as follows:

•    Captains Meeting – Thursday, May 8th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

• 1st Day Fishing – Friday, May 9th
• Line In: 6:15 a.m.
• Weigh In: Entrance of Carthagena Creek by 4:00 p.m.

• 2nd Day Fishing – Saturday, May 10th
• Line In: 6:15 a.m.
• Weigh In: Entrance of Carthagena Creek by 4:00 p.m.
• Awards – 5:30 p.m.
• Full Dinner at Dennis Point Marina & Campground (each boat receives 3 complimentary dinners)

Optional Tournaments within the Main Event (OTME) ($30 per Event)

•    1st Day Heaviest Rockfish
•    2nd Day Heaviest Rockfish
•    1st Day Combo Weight
•    2nd Day Combo Weight
•    Heaviest Overall Rockfish
•    Teen Tourney (16 & under) – Heaviest Fish Over 2 Days of the Event

More Entry Form and complete rules -> http://dennispointmarina.net/events-2/rockfish-tournament.html

Spring boat commissioning - Volvo 5.0Gi DP-S

What a winter!  Now that it's finally started to warm up a little, I've spent a couple of days getting the boat ready for the water.  I wanted to be on the water a month ago, but it just wasn't meant to be.

First thing I had to do was replace a faulty aft bilge pump.  Originally, there was a 900 GPH pump with a separate float switch.  It had seized up and all but melted down, so I purchased an 1,100 GPH Attwood Sahara pump with a built-in float switch.  While I was in there, I spent a good amount of time cleaning out the bilge.  It was a bit grimy down there.  Simple Green cleaned it up in fairly short order.

I should have done a lot of this during layup at the end of last season, but just didn;t have time to do it.  So, engine oil and outdrive lube got replaced last weekend.  The past couple of years, I had used Volvo oil filters and engine oil, but their branded oils are way overpriced and I went the cheaper route this year.

I am running a pair of 5.0L (305c.i.) Chevrolet fuel injected engines (Volvo 5.0Gi PEFS) with Volvo DuoProp DP-SM outdrives.  Each engine requires 6 quarts of oil with filter change and each outdrive requires 2.6 quarts of gear oil.

Volvo Part numbers:
Oil Filter - OEM Volvo Penta Oil Filter 3850559
Gear Lube (Lower Unit) - Volvo Penta Gear Oil Synthetic 75W90 1-Gallon
Engine Oil - 

Acceptable alternatives, according to Rick - (No warranty implied!)
Oil Filter - Fram PH5 Extra Guard Oil Filter
Gear Lube (Lower Unit) - Valvoline 80W90 Gear Oil (Gallon)
Engine Oil - Rotella T1 SAE30 (Quart) - or - Rotella T1 SAE30 (Gallon)

Hand pump for filling lower unit from the bottom

An finally, There are two zincs on each outdrive - on mounted to the bottom of the gimbal housing and another at the front of the lower unit.  Here are the part numbers for those as well.

3855411 (Front of Lower Unit)
3854130 (Gimbal)

I guess that's about it for now.  See you on the water!