Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Sailing out of West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing Charters reported slow action on the sea bass grounds late last Friday into the weekend. Despite some calmer conditions and marking plenty of fish, they had to work for every single bite in order to send their regulars home with some fillets. There were some brief flurries of action, as the skipper put it, but the fish were generally picky. One angler stuck a near 4-pound sea biscuit that took the pool, while boat regular Sea Bass Bob climbed into double-digit catch numbers (with some quality keepers) by sticking to the jig. On Saturday, they had some good action from mostly short sea bass and there were a couple cutlassfish in the mix. The skipper cancelled their trips on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday due to heavy southwest winds and rough seas, but they’re back out there today. Give them a shout to get in on the action.
From Ocean City, the guys at Always Bent Fishing OC reported:”We had an awesome few days toward the end of last week catching yellowfin each day; we had our limit Thursday, and one over 120 pounds on Friday! Boats had trouble finding them Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday everyone caught some. White and blue marlin, and even a sailfish were hooked, along with big eye, bluefin and yellowfin! Over the weekend, some big, stud yellowfin were caught— it seems like the summer bite is finally heating up with fish being taken from Wilmington to Norfolk Canyon.”
Earlier this week, OTW Editor Jimmy Fee enjoyed a fishing vacation in Chesapeake Bay in the form of cobia and large red drum. The cobia were tougher to come by, but he was able to catch his first one to knock them off the bucket list. On the red drum front, Jimmy said the big schools of drum they came across made for incredible fishing. However, at times, boats running through the schools would spook the fish and kill the action. They were catching on everything from bucktail jigs to large soft plastics.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
This week the fishing was good for the first few hours of daylight each morning, especially for those targeting striped bass. The topwater bite continues hold up if you can get out before the sun comes up. Once the sun is up, finding moving water is key! Fishing the Bay Bridge pilings has produced some good fish when the tide is moving, and either jigging or live-lining spot have been the tickets to success.
Meanwhile, anglers fishing shallow water structure have found some good white perch up to 12 inches, and even some puppy drum at times, especially for those fishing south of the Bay Bridge. Beetle spins tipped with curly-tail grubs have been working, as well as the 3-inch NLBN paddletails.
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
It is now officially summer, but with this heat we didn’t need a calendar to tell us that! The early mornings and evenings offer some relief for anglers — wading or an overhead canvas, T-tops, or the simple shade of a shoreline tree, or wading can offer a cool and peaceful place to fish. July 4 is coming up and provides a license-free fishing day in Maryland – a great opportunity to introduce someone to fishing for the first time.
For anglers who catch striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, remember that summer heat can be deadly for fish that are not keeper sized and must be released. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources provides a weekly striped bass fishing advisory forecast during the hottest months, using “warning flags” to let anglers better plan their fishing to help protect our state fish.
Lower Bay
Water quality is good in the lower Bay this week, except for areas of the Potomac River in the general area of the Route 301 Bridge, which show low dissolved oxygen values for fish. In the lower Potomac River near Point Lookout and in the St. Marys River anglers are finding good fishing for a mix of striped bass and small to medium-sized red drum along the shorelines.
A mix of striped bass and red drum that are often referred to as puppy drum are providing good fishing near Hooper Island south to Tangier Sound waters. Casting topwater lures over grass beds has been an excellent tactic. Drifting soft crab or peeler crab baits at the mouths of marsh draining creeks on a falling tide is also a great way to target striped bass, puppy drum, and speckled trout. Catches of speckled trout have fallen off in the past week but some are still being caught.
Flounder have been a welcome addition to the species being caught in the lower bay region recently. There are a fair number of throwbacks but anglers who are targeting them are catching legal-sized flounder around Point Lookout and Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The hard-bottom shoal areas next to channels have been a favorite place to target.
Fishing for spot has been good in the lower Patuxent and Potomac rivers, and Tangier Sound, but recreational anglers are not the only ones pursuing the spot. Pods of dolphins have been working the schools of spot over and are reported to be pushing them farther up the rivers.
Catch-and release fishing for large red drum has been good in the general area from the Middle Grounds past the Target Ship. Most anglers are spotting them on side scan sonar and then getting over them and dropping soft crab baits or large soft plastic jigs. If one keeps watch for slicks or disturbed water, schools of red drum can be spotted that way. Trolling large spoons is also a viable option. Bluefish are being caught along the main channel edges by trolling spoons and surgical tube lures. Cobia are known to also hit tube lures and a few are being caught that way. Most anglers in pursuit of cobia are chumming and drifting back cut bait, or live eels; when waters are calm, sight casting large soft-plastic jigs or live eels to surface cruising cobia is an exciting way to catch them.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers are enjoying a summer mix of species this week along the Assateague beaches. Bluefish and large red drum are being caught on cut mullet and menhaden along with a variety of inshore sharks. Black drum are being caught on peeler crab, sand fleas and clams. Kingfish and spot are being caught on bloodworms, and flounder and blowfish on squid.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, a mix of striped bass and bluefish are being caught by anglers casting soft plastic jigs during the early morning and evening hours. Jetty rocks, bulkheads, bridge piers and dock piers are all good targets. Drifting cut bait in the current is also a good way to catch both species.
Flounder are providing plenty of action in the inlet and the back bay channels this week. Boat traffic can be a real problem and safety hazard so be careful. Fishing in Sinepuxent Bay can be a good alternative with less boat traffic. In front of the Ocean City Airport has always been a productive location to fish for flounder.
Outside the Ocean City Inlet, anglers are finding flounder on some of the inshore shoals and wreck sites. A little farther offshore the artificial wreck and reef sites have been providing good fishing for black sea bass, although captains are reporting sometimes the sea bass seem to have lockjaw.
Out at the canyon waters, yellowfin tuna are becoming more common for boats trolling. Gaffer size dolphin can also be part of the mix, and hopefully white marlin will begin to show up. Deep drop anglers are enjoying good fishing for a mix of golden and blueline tilefish, with some impressive fish coming back to the docks.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.