On Saturday, May 10th, I took The Hill 16’ out for a fishing trip for the first time by myself. One of the advantages of a lightweight 16’ boat is that trailering, launching, retrieving, and operating the boat is a relatively simple operation, even without extra crew.

The weather was lovely, slightly overcast with temperatures in the 70’s and a light wind. Launching from Beard’s Creek on the South River, it was a quick ride out to the Bay. The boat cruises comfortably at 20 or 25 knots and handles small waves, choppy seas, or boat wakes easily. I took her out to a spot south of Bloody Point Lighthouse and after some work I eventually got all 4 of my new trolling rods set up.

After a couple of hours of no bites, I finally got a hit on a chartreuse tandem rig just north of the lighthouse. Fish On! I reeled him in: a 22” rockfish….. As he was considerably under the 28” minimum, I released the little fellow back to the Bay.

After a bit more trolling, I reeled in lines and headed home, to spend some weekend time with my family. No big fish, but at least I didn’t get boarded by Pirates! Better luck next trip!