Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Report — Baltimore, MD
The Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Fishing Report is written by Tochterman’s team member, Kevin Trupia.
Striped bass fishing is still going well on the Susquehanna Flats. In the upper Bay, many anglers are live-lining spot using a non-offset circle hook, which is mandatory and helps to reduce the mortality rate of the fish upon release. Most of the action has been at the Key Bridge with boats coming from all over to get in on the action.
Spot and white perch are in abundance all over with the Bay Bridge area being a good region to target. Bottom rigs tipped with blood worms, lug worms, or minnows are working well.
Snakeheads can be found in heavy grass with topwater frogs being your best choice. And of course, catfish can be caught all over the bay and its tributaries with cut bait, and shrimp working 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.
The summer season is now in full swing, and anglers are enjoying good fishing adventures with family and friends this week.
As we advise anglers every year, high summer air and water temperatures increase catch-and-release mortalities in striped bass. The Striped Bass Summer Fishing Advisory Forecast on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website is an awareness campaign aimed to reduce striped bass mortality during times when conditions are most dangerous for the fish. For that reason, all areas of the Chesapeake Bay will be closed to any targeting of striped bass from July 16 through July 31, statistically the hottest part of the year in Maryland.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
The Conowingo Dam continues its midday power generation schedule, bringing cool water to the lower Susquehanna River. Anglers are reporting striped bass action in the dam pool during the early morning while casting a mix of paddletails, jerkbaits, poppers, and crankbaits. Near the Susquehanna Flats there is some early morning and evening striped bass action along the edges of the channel. Northern snakeheads are protecting fry balls in the grass of the flats and sometimes can be enticed to strike a buzzbait or soft plastic frog.
The real striped bass action unfolds at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Boats are coming from as far away as the lower Bay to get in on the action. Most anglers are live lining with spot with excellent results. Jigging is a good option that gets you away from the fleet, as is trolling with umbrella rigs.
Non-offset circle hooks are mandatory for live-lining or using cut bait for striped bass, and their use helps reduce the mortality of released fish. Careful catch-and-release practices, which you can find on the Department of Natural Resources website, will also help reduce mortality during high summer water and air temperatures.
Spot can be found in about 15 feet of water at the mouth of the Magothy River south past the marina at Podickory Point, Sandy Point State Park, and the shallower west end of the Bay Bridge. Fishing for white perch is very good this week and anglers are catching a nice grade of white perch in the region’s tidal rivers and creeks. Anglers fishing in deeper waters are using bottom rigs baited with pieces of bloodworm or artificially flavored baits, minnows, or shrimp. Dropper rigs can be effective and casting small spinnerbaits, spinners, and jigs can be a fun way to fish in the morning and evening along shoreline structure.
A mix of blue and channel catfish are waiting for anglers in the deeper channel waters of all the region’s tidal rivers. A variety of fresh cut bait, chicken liver, clams, and shrimp all work well. Snakeheads can be found in thick grass in the tidal rivers and casting buzzbaits or frogs are a good way to fish for them.
Middle Bay
Striped bass fishing in the middle Bay can be a tough nut to crack this week, either in the mainstem or the tidal rivers. There is some action with live-lining at the 35-foot drop off on the east side of the Bay Bridge, but the best opportunities are early in the morning on a running tide. Jigging near the bridge piers in the early morning hours is also a good option. Anglers are reporting some early morning and late evening action at the Poplar Island rocks, Thomas Point, and the shorelines of the Bay and tidal river for those casting poppers and paddletails. Anglers are also catching speckled trout – also known as spotted seatrout – in these same areas.
Fishing for white perch in the region’s tidal rivers, creeks, and Bay shorelines offers some fun action. The white perch are holding near deep structure such as oyster reefs, deepwater docks and wharfs, and breakwaters. Grass shrimp and pieces of bloodworm on a bottom rig is a great way to catch them any time of the day if the tide is running. In the morning and evening, casting small spinnerbaits or spinners near shoreline structure is a fun way to fish for white perch.
Lower Bay
Striped bass fortunes are a bit sparse this week in the lower Bay. Recently the best fishing for striped bass has been in the tidal rivers although they have been stained from thunderstorm runoff. Hopefully these conditions are in the process of clearing. The good news is that anglers are catching speckled trout and slot size red drum while casting lures for striped bass along the shorelines of the Bay and tidal rivers. Topwater lures in the form of Zara Spooks are working well over grass beds and in stump fields. Casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs is also a good bet. Small bluefish are showing up at various locations in the lower Bay chasing schools of bay anchovies.
Increasing numbers of large red drum are moving into the lower Bay and the greatest numbers tend to be on the eastern side near the Target Ship, the Mud Leads, and the Middle Grounds. At times they can be spotted on depth finders, and anglers are dropping soft crab baits to them or jigging. Trolling large spoons behind inline weights will also work for this fun catch-and release fishery.
Anglers have been anxiously waiting for cobia to show up in greater numbers, and fishing for them is improving. Most are being caught while chumming and fishing with live eels at the deep end of a chum slick. Sight fishing is always one of the more exciting ways to fish for them and there are reports of success. Smith Point, Pocomoke Sound, and the Target Ship area are good places to look for cobia this week.
There is plenty of excellent fishing for white perch in the tidal rivers and creeks of the lower Bay. They can be caught in deeper waters by using pieces of bloodworm or artificial bloodworm baits on a bottom rig, or by casting small spinnerbaits, spinners, or jigs along shoreline structure. The early morning and evening tend to offer the best shoreline fishing opportunities. Spot and small croakers are also part of the mix when fishing in the deeper waters of the tidal rivers.
Recreational crabbers are out in force trying to fill requests for a crab feast for family and friends, and most have not been too disappointed. The Middle and Bush rivers are a good place to crab in the upper Bay this week. Kent Island, Eastern Bay, and the Miles, Wye, and lower Choptank rivers are good locations in the middle Bay. Little Choptank and the complex of tidal rivers on the western shore are all good places to set trotlines and strings of collapsible traps. In the lowerBay, the entire Eastern Shore offers good crabbing opportunities as does the St. Marys River. Chicken necks are the most commonly used bait, but razor clams will never disappoint.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Following recent thunderstorms, surf fishing has been a bit lackluster lately, but anglers are catching a mix of kingfish, small bluefish, clearnose skates, and cownose rays.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, fishing for a mix of striped bass and large bluefish continues to be good for those casting soft plastic jigs and Got-Cha lures. The jetty rocks, bridge piers, dock piers and bulkheads are all good places to jig. Others are having good luck drifting cut baits in the current.
Flounder fishing is good this week when clear water can be found. The channels are the place to fish but just be very careful of large boat traffic. The largest flounder are being caught with live mullet, spot, and menhaden. Gulp baits can also be a good choice when targeting the larger flounder.
Outside the inlet and offshore, boats trolling inside of the 30-fathom line are finding Spanish mackerel and bluefish. The boats fishing the wreck and reef sites are experiencing good fishing for sea bass, triggerfish, and large flounder this week. Out at the canyons, the boats that are trolling are bringing a mix of bigeye and yellowfin tuna back to the docks.
Freshwater Opportunities
The special trout management waters in western Maryland are offering some challenging but exciting fishing this week. Most of these areas have excellent populations of trout because they are catch-and-release only and many are restricted to artificial flies and fly-casting tackle. Flows are down, which is typical for the summer months, but stealthy approaches and light tippets can put the odds in your favor. Angler Bryson Meyers was fishing the North Branch of the Potomac recently for trout when he caught a new state record fallfish that weighed 3.01 pounds.
The upper Potomac River is also experiencing low summer flows, and this can make boating difficult. The low water conditions open opportunities for wading and casting to pools and eddies where smallmouth bass may be holding. In the early morning, poppers are a fun way to fish and as the day wears on, casting tubes, small crankbaits and swimbaits can work well.
Largemouth bass is always a popular target species for freshwater anglers during the summer. Anglers who are out during the early morning and late evening can be treated to shallow water topwater action near grass beds and the mouths of small feeder creeks. Frogs, buzzbaits, and poppers are great lures to use and in tidal waters northern snakeheads can be found in thick grass.
Later in the morning, casting spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits along the edges of grass beds and deeper waters anglers can find largemouth bass in transition zones between the shallows and deeper waters. As the day wears on, largemouth bass will seek cool shade in deeper waters, under thick grass mats, or under overhanging brush, fallen treetops, and docks. Flipping whacky rigged plastics under these shaded areas or through floating grass mats can entice bass to pick up a bait.
Fishing for crappie can be a fun and relaxing way to fish with a simple minnow rig and slip bobber. One can cast near deep brush, fallen treetops, marina docks, bridge piers, and almost any kind of structure in water with some depth. Fishing for bluegills can offer some summertime fun, especially for kids with a worm and bobber rig. More experienced anglers can cast floating foam ants or small rubber-legged poppers with a light fly rod.
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 Potapsco River is continuing to offer tons of opportunities for striped bass. Anglers are reporting success around the mouth of the river, with the preferred method of live lining spot. Other successful methods include jigging in areas around the Key Bridge.
Anglers are finding tons of spot around the west side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. You can find plenty of white perch and small croaker mixed in as well. Jigging with a Chesapeake sabiki rig tipped with bloodworms, lugworms or grass shrimp is a solid way to catch these smaller targets.
The Conowingo Dam pool, because of the cooler waters, is hosting some pretty good striped bass and snakehead fishing this week. Anglers are reporting success using paddletails and topwater lures. Further down the Susquehanna River, anglers are finding a good mix of blue catfish and snakehead along the shorelines.
The white perch can be found just about anywhere in the tidal rivers. Small spinners dragged past structure is always recommended for more shallow waters and a bottom rig or a Chesapeake sabiki rig for deeper waters.
Anglers are reporting good sized stripers around the coast of the Choptank River using the Pink Lady G-Eye Jigs rigged with 5-inch Z-Man DieZel minnows!
South Bay
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is offering tons of opportunities to get good sized red drum and black drum. Most anglers are finding success in the early morning hours using cut pieces of soft crab or peeler crabs.
The mouth of the Potomac and the lower areas of the Patuxent are proving to be good places to catch striped bass while live-lining spot! Speckled trout can be found mixed in with the striped bass as well.
Targeting structure, grass beds, and bridge piers in the early morning hours is a great way to get on tons of striped bass and speckled trout. Anglers report success using smaller jigheads and paddletails as well as topwater lures.
The white perch are being found in their permanent summer spots. Using small spinners in areas of shallow water around structure like docks and oyster beds will net you plenty of white perch. In deeper water, perch can be found around channel edges or deeper structure like bridge pilings. Using Chesapeake sabiki rigs tipped with either bloodworms or lugworms is a perfect way to get on them!
Captain LJ of G-Eye Jigs reported he’s having great success using 4-inch DieZel minnows coated with Pro Cure Super Gel. Giving it a slow presentation is a fantastic way to get on black sea bass in around 28 to 30 feet of water in the South Bay!
Additional Info.
Starting July 16th, all areas of the bay will be closed to striped bass fishing so make sure to get your fill before then!
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.
Happy Fourth of July week! It’s been a barn-burner the past several days in the Chesapeake Bay region, and the Atlantic beaches, from Maryland to Delaware, which is where we report from today. Air temps, water temps…you name it…are approaching mid-summer peaks and the region finally saw several blue-bird days consecutively, making for ideal outdoor experiences. The fishing has been hot, too.
In the Annapolis area, inclusive of the Bay Bridge, the Magothy, Severn, and South rivers, anglers are hitting a hot schoolie bite, with the largest fish generally in the low-20-inch range. Regardless of size, the action has been consistent in the early morning and late-evening hours around the many points/sandbars jutting into main stems. Topwater rules at these magic hours and your best options are walking spooks or chugging poppers in the direction of current. Four to six-inch plugs are working well for these smaller stripers. For mid-day fishing, many anglers (myself included) are hyping four-inch paddletails on 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigheads and swimjigging them around deep-water docks (generally >8 feet) in the lower and middle sections of the rivers. This has been the ticket for the past month and will continue until the two-week Maryland moratorium on striped bass fishing (except coastal waters), which begins July 16th.
By then, we expect to see the bluefish and Spanish mackerel making a scene in the middle-Chesapeake. Right now, anglers are suggesting the species are in the Solomons area, but we haven’t seen many reports. They’re certainly there according to some, but the numbers aren’t blowing up yet. When they fill in and move northward, try #1 or #2 planers with sleek silver or gold spoons and motor 7 to 9 mph to zip them through the main channel.
South of Point No Point Lighthouse, charters are gearing up for cobia, more bull red drum, and currently hammering specks. The large fish are roaming along shorelines on both sides of the Bay and so are eager anglers flinging light jigheads tipped with bright paddletails and flukes across the shallows and grass flats for feeding fish.
At the coastal resort towns—we’re currently in Dewey Beach, DE—surf anglers can soak chunk bunker on large circle hooks hoping for a mighty take-n-run from sandbar sharks.
They’re hitting big, juicy baits and provide incredible action. After hearing of the success that angler Eddie Weber had with four-footers this week, we gave it a shot and had a heck of a hookup—heavy fish, spooling run, and on the turn…a breakoff. Such is fishing. Such is life. On the bayside of the coast, fluke, specks, and stripers are the play. Bluefish can be found, too, everywhere so fling ‘n zip some metal spoons/jigs when you see the seagulls or pelicans crashing water. Good luck!
View the full Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report, written and compiled by writer and media professional James Houck, at reelchesapeake.com.