Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Report — Baltimore, MD
The Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Fishing Report is written by Tochterman’s team member, Kevin Trupia.
As of June 1st the Susquehanna restrictions on striped bass will change and be the same as the rest of the bay, 19”-31” with a limit of 1 fish per angler. They are being caught by anglers live-lining spot or white perch, and during the early morning or evening hours on topwater.
Snakeheads are still being caught throughout the Susquehanna and tidal rivers throughout the bay. Top water action is starting to get better with the grass beds becoming more common throughout the rivers, but spinners, flukes and chatterbaits still a good option.
Channel cats and blue cats are still in abundance all over the upper bay with fresh cut bait being the best option.
White perch action has been great throughout the bay and an occasional spot being caught at the mouth of the Magothy River and the Bay Bridge area. Bottom fishing with grass shrimp and lugworms or bloodworms has been best.
The Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Fishing Report is written by Tochterman’s team member, Kevin Trupia.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
NOTE: Maryland is hosting three license-free fishing days – June 3, June 10, and July 4 – during which a person may catch and possess finfish in the tidal and nontidal waters of Maryland for recreational purposes without a fishing license or stamp — you just have to follow laws and regulations on seasons, size, and catch limits.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
Anglers looking for a keeper striped bass in the Susquehanna River will see boundary restrictions removed and maximum slot size change beginning June 1. Effective that date the slot size becomes consistent with the rest of the Bay – 19 inches to 31 inches, with a limit of one fish per day per angler. Boundaries and dates can be found in a map on the Department of Natural Resources website and the online regulations for striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.
Striped bass are being caught along the deeper edges of the Susquehanna Flats by jigging with soft plastics. There has also been some early morning and evening topwater action along the shallower edges of the flats.
Northern snakeheads are being caught in the Conowingo Dam pool, the lower Susquehanna River, the Flats, and tidal rivers throughout the upper Bay. Paddletails are the most popular lure to use for snakeheads, but with grass becoming more common, buzzbaits and frogs can also be effective. The Department of Natural Resources instituted a tagging program to reward snakehead anglers who catch these invasives and report the tags. Read more on the department website.
A mix of channel and blue catfish can be found from the Conowingo Dam pool south to most portions of the upper Bay and all the tidal rivers within the region. Cut bait is perhaps the most popular bait and anglers chunking or chumming for striped bass will be catching their share of blue catfish.
Striped bass anglers fishing below the Hart-Miller Island to Tolchester line report a slow pick; the fish seem to be spread out in many areas. The Love Point rocks are giving up striped bass to those jigging with soft plastic jigs. Trolling is a good option, but it has been a slow pick. Umbrella rigs and tandem rigged bucktails dressed with sassy shads or paddletails are popular offerings. Jigging with soft plastic jigs around the Bay Bridge piers is popular. Drifting soft crab baits or using spot or white perch for live-lining is also a successful way to fish.
White perch fishing is good this week in the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and creeks. Anglers are using grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm on bottom rigs in the deeper waters. The season’s first spot are being caught at the mouth of the Magothy River and near Sandy Point by anglers fishing for white perch with bloodworms.
Middle Bay
Striped bass fishing is slow right now in the middle Bay, which has a lot of anglers scratching their heads. It has been difficult to verify the annual May worm swarm that should have occurred on the new moon May 21, but may be delayed until the following new moon on June 13. If the swarm did occur, it might explain why the striped bass are not very hungry.
For jigging along channel edges, locations such as Thomas Point are always popular destinations. The rocks along Poplar Island are producing some striped bass for those casting topwater lures during the early morning and late evening hours. Paddletails are also productive. The shorelines of the Bay near rock jetties and breakwaters can be good places to cast.
Trolling is always a good way to fish for striped bass, covering a lot of water along channel edges. Use umbrella rigs with swim shad or bucktail trailers and tandem rigged bucktails dressed with sassy shads or paddletails, and rigged to get down to the depths where the striped bass are suspended. Small spoons rigged with inline weight can also work well, just keep them from other lines as they can quickly make a twisted-up mess.
Middle Bay anglers may try some chumming along channel edges with some success. Those who have been fishing for white perch at the mouths of several tidal rivers with bloodworms are encountering the first spot moving into the region. Using spot for live-lining is one of the favored ways to fish for striped bass during the summer months.
White perch are being found in the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and creeks this week. Anglers are fishing with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm on bottom rigs when fishing deeper waters.
Docks with at least 10 feet of water below them are great places to find white perch holding close to the piers. This is often straight-down type fishing and a great opportunity for young anglers since they don’t have to cast. In the mornings and evenings, casting small spinnerbaits, spinners, and small soft plastic jigs near shoreline structure in the form of prominent deepwater points, sunken wood and rocks can be productive and a lot of fun.
Lower Bay
Striped bass fishing is slow in the lower Bay this week — the fish just don’t seem to be cooperating. Anglers are catching striped bass in the Bay and the lower Potomac, but it takes some work.
Trolling with umbrella rigs or tandem-rigged swim shads or bucktail combinations are a good way to cover water when looking for striped bass. Heavy inline weights are being used to get down to where the striped bass are holding. A lot of anglers coming out of southern ports near Point Lookout are making the trek to the lower Potomac to take advantage of higher catch limit of two striped bass per day, with a higher 20-inch minimum size. They have been trolling and jigging along the main channel edges and the steep channel edge from St. Georges Island and Piney Point.
Anglers are having success jigging along channel edges when striped bass are suspended close to the bottom, as spotted on depth finders. Soft plastic jigs of about ¾-ounce with chartreuse soft plastic bodies are the most popular combination.
On the eastern side of the Bay, anglers are finding a mix of striped bass, speckled trout, black drum, and red drum. Drifting soft crab baits has been a favorite tactic when black or red drum can be spotted on a depth finder. There are so many cownose rays in the region that baits should only go overboard when drum are spotted. Speckled trout and striped bass are being caught in the shallower waters along the marshes on paddletails.
Fishing for white perch is very good in many areas of Tangier Sound, near Hoopers Island, the lower Patuxent River, and the lower Nanticoke River. Grass shrimp and pieces of bloodworm are being used on bottom rigs. Increasing numbers of spot are being caught on bloodworms. Casting small soft plastic jigs and working them in some of the waters around 15 feet deep has been catching good numbers of white perch. Fishing for blue catfish is very good in the tidal Potomac, the middle Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers, and increasing numbers of blue catfish are showing up in the Wicomico River.
Recreational crabbing continues to show sparse results this week in all regions of the Bay. Reports from the middle Bay area tell of better crabs farther up the tidal creeks, and large but light crabs towards the mouths of tidal creeks and rivers.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Along the beaches of Assateague Island surfcasters are finding a mix of striped bass, black drum, red drum, and bluefish. The striped bass are being caught on cut baits and clams, the black drum on sand fleas and clams, red drum on cut baits and clams, and the bluefish on cut baits. More and more kingfish are beginning to show up and are being caught on bloodworms.
At the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, a mix of striped bass and bluefish are being caught near jetty rocks, bulkheads, and bridge piers by jigging with soft plastics. Many of the striped bass are just short of the minimum size, but some are in the legal range of 28-31 inches. Flounder are moving through the inlet and can be caught from the jetties or bulkheads.
There has been plenty of good flounder fishing this week, as the bay waters are clearing up after getting churned up by last week’s winds. The channels leading from the inlet, the East Channel, and the channel in front of the airport are all good places to drift for flounder.
Last week’s Northeast winds made it tough for boats headed out to the wreck and reef sites searching for sea bass. Better conditions are expected this week and the sea bass are waiting. When conditions are conducive to boats heading out to the canyons the boats trolling are catching a mix of bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and dolphin. Those deep-dropping are catching blueline and golden tilefish.
Freshwater Opportunities
Effective June 1, Delayed Harvest waters will be open to allow anglers to catch and keep 5 trout per day. A list of the trout waters in the central and western regions that are opening, along with regulations, can be found in the Maryland Fishing Guide by searching “trout management waters” on the Department of Natural Resources website.
The upper Potomac River is running low this week and getting about in a small boat can be difficult, the conditions are perfect though for wading and fishing from a kayak. Water temperatures are about 70 degrees. Look for smallmouth bass near deep current breaks and large submerged boulders. Long casts with light line are an asset when casting topwater lures in the early morning and late evening hours or fishing with tubes, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits.
Nighttime temperatures have been a bit chilly in Western Maryland for the past week, but fishing is good for a variety of species at Deep Creek Lake. Smallmouth and largemouth bass can be found near floating docks and shoreline structure. Flipping wacky-rigged stick worms under or near these fish is a great way to entice them to pick up a bait. Walleye can be found along steep edges just outside stirred-up shorelines and deep grass edges. Northern pike can be found outside coves and can be caught on spinnerbaits.
Anglers are beginning to see largemouth bass slowly drifting into their typical summer pattern of feeding during the early morning and late evening hours, and lounging under shade during the height of the day. The shade can take the form of thick mats of grass, overhanging brush, fallen treetops, docks, and bridge piers. Topwater lures in the form of poppers, buzzbaits and frogs can be a good choice when working those shallow areas during the morning and evening hours. Wacky-rigged stick worms are hard to beat when dropped through thick grass or flipped under shaded areas. Craws and creature baits can be good choices around deeper waters near structure and drop-offs.
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Angler’s Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Angler’s Sport Center fishing report is compiled and written by Anglers Team Member, A.J. Lewis.
Upper and Middle Bay
The Susquehanna River continues to be an amazing place to target multiple species! Lots of white perch are being caught around the beginning of Deer Creek using small shad darts or spinners. You may even find a shad or a rockfish here and there. The Conowingo Dam is another great location that offers loads of catfish and snakehead. Just remember you may only keep one striped bass per day, and it must be in the 19- to 31-inch slot. Lots of decent channel and blue catfish are being caught off the rock jetty at Sandy Point State Park. Anglers are finding great success with cut alewife or soft crabs. Anglers are also catching a good amount of white perch using Chesapeake sabiki rigs tipped with Fishbites or bloodworms. For the majority of the bay, the white perch have moved back into their summer spots, so expect to find them around structure like logs, docks or rocks. Spinners or Chesapeake sabiki rigs worked around structure will be your best bet if you’re looking to catch tons of these guys. Good sized striped bass are being caught all along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Anglers are reporting success with jigging, trolling, and bottom fishing cut bait. Spot are starting to show up in large numbers so expect to find them around the bridge as well!
South Bay
Anglers are reporting good sized rockfish in the more shallow waters as they’re targeting them with smaller jigheads and plastics. Anglers are also reporting good success in trolling around the edges of main channels as well! White perch have moved deeper into then tidal rivers all along the south bay. They’re found during the mornings/evenings around structure in shallower water, and during the day fanned out towards the deeper parts. Speckled trout are moving into the greater part of the south bay in large numbers. You can usually find them in areas mixed in with schools of striped bass. Your standard jigging with a soft plastic is key to targeting them. The tidal Potomac continues to offer amazing fishing for blue catfish. Feltcher’s Boat House is still a prime area for targeting them. Anglers are reporting 50 pounders mixed in with a bunch of smaller cats, and most are reporting the best success using smaller jigs with plastics.
Additional Info.
Along with our temperatures, crabbing has started to heat up! Anglers are reporting the sweet spot for crabs is around 10 feet. As always, chicken necks are a solid go to when it comes to trot lines, traps, or even hand lining. Rockfish are now open to fishing anywhere in the bay (minus the Potomac) with a window of 19 to 31 inches and a limit of one fish per angler, per day. We have a great selection of bait, lures, trolling combos, planer boards, umbrella rigs, tandems rigs, and so much more. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are here to help you select the best equipment and bait to fit your specific fishing needs.
Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report is written and compiled by writer and media professional, James Houck. Find the full report here, at reelchesapeake.com.
Recreational boats and anglers have exponentially increased in the Chesapeake Bay region, as Memorial Day came and went—and with it the unofficial start to summer. It’s like a fly hatch—we’re everywhere now. Mostly stable weather for the past several days, with air temperatures sitting mild between 50 and 70 degrees and just one passing rain system on Sunday overnight into Monday, has kept the water hovering around the 67—70F mark with mild turbidity. The fishing has been pretty good overall.
There’s a bit of a paradox occurring, however. These mid-Spring nights continue dipping to the low 50s (even high-40s a couple nights), which is less-than-ideal for the sunrise topwater bite (for a variety of species). Topwater should be increasingly turned on as we inch to June. (June 1st, by the way, marks the opening of the 19–31” striped bass slot throughout Maryland’s entire portion of the Chesapeake Bay and all tributaries.) Nevertheless, anglers that have hit the water at the magic hour, by boat or by bank, are creating some success by being persistent. That other magic hour, sunset, may be a better bet for topwater action until the region sees warmer weather move in.
Striped bass continue to be the main play in the Bay. The best reports come from charters in southern waters. They are fishing the Tangier Sound grass flats and connecting on stripers, speckled trout, red drum, and, as of this week, bluefish. Lighter jigheads (1/4 to 1/2oz) with paddletails get the strikes in the shallow water. As the day wears on and fish move deeper, heavier jigs up to 2oz may be needed. We’re hopeful that these fish, particularly specks, puppy drum, and blues, continue heading northward.
In the middle Bay, schooling stripers can be found hovering around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge pilings, channel edges, and some of the more popular bars/reefs including Hackett’s, Tolly Point, Gum Thickets, Bloody Point, and, especially, Poplar Island. Charters leaving Annapolis will often head to the riprap shoreline of Poplar Island for the shallow water bite (even trying for them by stripping a Deceiver or Clouser fly).
Fish are also pushing up the tributaries in search of bait, roaming sandbars, points, and around any grass in the rivers during morning and evening hours. They move to drop-offs or around deeper docks come high sun. We found a few fish in the 15–20” class enjoying dock shade before deciding to hit our 1/8oz jighead tipped with a small, 2” micropaddletail. Sometimes downsizing your offering will get the strikes when larger baits are ignored.
The bonus is that you’ll likely entice strikes from willing white perch, even yellows, in the same spots. White perch fishing is particularly good right now throughout most rivers, and especially in the South, Severn, and Magothy. Tip a small hook or dropshot with grass shrimp, and you’ll have no problem catching perch holding on the bottom.
Northern snakehead are also a hot topic as many anglers have similar reports–fish are beginning to pair up for their spawn. From Blackwater to the Potomac, this can make getting a strike challenging, but anglers willing to sight-fish a spot repeatedly have had success. The bite will improve as spawning concludes, and fish go into protective-mode of their fry. Largemouth bass, meanwhile, are offering anglers all the post-spawn action they can handle. The Tuckahoe and Marshyhope creeks on the Eastern Shore hold plenty of bass, as do the large reservoirs on the Western Shore. Nearly all farm/mill ponds and small lakes throughout the watershed have frisky bass willing to hit small crankbaits, spinners, and chatters. The trick will be working lures through choked-out vegetation.
Lastly, the Bay’s most popular species, the beloved blue crab, is starting to run in the mid-Bay tributaries. We saw, first-hand, a consistent week of 6–7” crabs caught in the Severn River. Successful reports have also come from the Patuxent and Tred Avon rivers, indicating their first push of the season into the tribs. Good luck!
View the full Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report, written and compiled by writer and media professional James Houck, at reelchesapeake.com.