Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Sailing out of West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing reported good black sea bass fishing over the weekend and into this week, with a mix of ling, a few mahi, and even a small cottonmouth jack. On Saturday, they had Scott Lenox of Fish In OC aboard with a group of friends and they enjoyed calms seas and some good sea bass fishing over patchy coral bottom. Scott also managed to hook one quality inshore mahi, the only one of the day. The following day, sea bass fishing was hit or miss; some anglers did decent while others did very well, but fishing was good overall. One trend, the skipper noted, was the lack of a jig bite on Saturday and Sunday. Sea bass were showing a strong preference for baited high-low rigs, which happened to yield a bycatch of red hake (a.k.a. ling) on Sunday. They also managed to land a cottonmouth jack that one angler caught while casting around a piece of floating debris in search of mahi. Another interesting observation made by the captain, was the lack of sea bass on his electronics; he believes the fish are holding very tight to bottom because they’re catching, but he’s not marking them. Good sea bass fishing continued into Tuesday following that same trend of sea bass hugging bottom. However, despite slightly choppy seas and some wind, some quality fish continued to come over the rail, including a nearly 5-pound, pool-winning sea bass caught by Bill from Chester, MD. Wednesday’s trip was set to be a mahi trip, with sea bass a safe Plan B, but as they pressed on, south southwest winds persisted. Mahi fishing became less feasible, but thankfully, the sea bass were chewing; in the words of the captain, “sea bass wanted to chew the bottom off the boat.” Keeper-size sea bass were taken on bait and on jigs, including another jumbo pool winner. To get in on the sea bass and mahi action with The Morning Star, check out their website or Facebook page.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Maryland anglers are always able to adjust to conditions, if it involves catching fish. During the current striped bass closure in effect through July 31, many anglers are focusing on blue catfish. The action tends to be non-stop.
As a reminder to all Maryland anglers, please participate in the Department of Natural Resources Volunteer Angler Surveys. This allows citizen scientists to contribute valuable data to the monitoring and management of several important fish species.
Middle Bay
A mix of white perch and small spot can be found at various hard-bottom areas near Tolly Point, out in front of Chesapeake Beach, and near Black Walnut Point. A simple bottom rig baited with grass shrimp, peeler crab, or pieces of bloodworm will do the trick. Kent Narrows is an excellent place to target white perch.
A few bluefish have been showing up in the middle Bay for those trolling a mix of Drone spoons and surgical tube lures.
There are plenty of channel and blue catfish to be found in the region’s tidal rivers this week. Anglers are urged to move farther upriver to avoid blue crabs ravaging baits. The Choptank River near Denton is a great place to fish for blue and channel catfish.
Lower Bay
Lower Bay anglers are fortunate to have so many fishing options while striped bass are off the table. Bluefish are being caught by trolling Drone spoons and surgical tube lures behind planers and inline weights along the main channel edges. Large red drum can also be part of the mix and offer some exciting catch-and-release action.
Cobia fishing is good this week. Anglers are anchoring up and chumming near Smith Point, the Target Ship, and nearby Mud Leads. Most are drifting with live eels or cut baits to the back of the chum slick with good results. Cownose rays continue to be part of the mix. On flat days with little wind, sight fishing for cobia can be productive with large soft plastic jigs and an offering of live eels.
Anglers working promising shorelines, grass beds, and stump fields are finding a mix of speckled trout and puppy drum. Casting Zara Spooks over grass or paddletails near structure is working well for light-tackle anglers. Drifting peeler crab or soft crab baits at the mouths of some of the major creeks has also been producing nice fish.
Flounder are being found in Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, and the Point Lookout area this week by anglers working minnows or pink, chartreuse, or white Gulp baits along hard-bottom shelves next to channel edges.
Sheepshead can be found near the Target Ship and peeler crab tends to be the most popular bait. Black sea bass are also being caught near some of the artificial reef sites. Most are undersized but a few keepers are being caught.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers are enjoying good fishing for a mix of kingfish and spot along the beaches. The best fishing is reported to take place during the morning. Those fishing larger baits are catching bluefish and a mix of inshore sharks and stingrays.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area, anglers are finding fun fishing for a variety of species. Bluefish and a few striped bass are being caught by those casting soft plastic jigs and Got-Cha lures. Anglers are reminded that striped bass season is open in the Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays with a 28-31 inch slot. At night, drifting cut baits is also an effective way to fish for bluefish. Sheepshead are being caught near the jetty rocks and bridge piers on peeler crab and sand fleas. Flounder are always moving through the inlet, so casting Gulp baits and working them slowly across the current is a great way to target them.
In the back bay area channels, flounder are the focus of most anglers. Boat traffic can make fishing difficult and even dangerous at times. The East Channel and Thorofare are busy, but Sinepuxent Bay usually has less boat traffic. A lot of the flounder are undersized but larger ones are being caught, especially when using larger baits. White and pink Gulp baits and finger mullet are excellent larger baits to use. Traditional baits of squid strips, minnows, and silversides are a mainstay of the summer flounder fishery.
Flounder are also being caught at the shoal areas and offshore wreck and reef sites off the coast of Maryland. The anglers fishing for black sea bass often find flounder being a welcomed addition to their daily catch. Fishing for black sea bass remains very good this week.
The fleet headed out to the offshore canyons are finding good numbers of fish species for their anglers. Bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna are at the top of the list, while white marlin, longfin albacore, and dolphin finish the list. To add a little more meat to the catch, many are taking a break from trolling and deep drop fishing for limit catches of blueline and golden tilefish.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.