Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Sailing out of West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing reported a very good sea bass bite last Friday despite rough seas and windy weather conditions. They kept the trip closer to shore than usual as a result, and it turned out to be the safer choice, plus, the fish were very cooperative. As the skipper put it, “the bite was ferocious most of the day, even if the release ratio was sky high.” They fished pieces of reef structure that they built with the OC Reef Foundation, and while everyone brought home some meat for the table, there was only one limit among the crew of anglers. The sea conditions improved by the afternoon, and they sailed again on Saturday in calmer conditions, which yielded a slightly slower bite but several limits of keeper sea bass. In the mix were a couple of just-short flounder and a nice cobia, which was destined for release due to the closed season. On Sunday, they broke the inlet to find slightly roiled seas due to growing southwest winds, so the captain headed just 3 miles of the inlet where they hit 4 different spots with very little to show for it besides a couple of keepers and some short tautog and flounder. They’ll be sailing when conditions allow, so keep an eye on the wind and weather and give them a call to get in on the action during the next outing.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Wind and cooler temperatures have put fish on full-blown fall feed mode. We had some windy days that kept anglers in the rivers and creeks but still finding plenty of action from perch, pickerel, catfish, and even some striped bass. The Severn River, Magothy River, and Patapsco River have been offering a wide mix of species and been providing some cover during the windy days. Bottom fishing for catfish with bait like cut spot or bunker has been working the best, and live minnows under a bobber are working well for pickerel and some perch.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The mornings show signs of the approaching colder weather, but the daytime air temperatures and sunny weather are delightful. Trout anglers are enjoying the fall stocking of trout, while Chesapeake Bay and coastal anglers are focusing on a variety of fish.
With the fall fishing season well underway, anglers are encouraged to participate in the Department of Natural Resources’ volunteer angler surveys. This is a chance for anglers to directly help with fisheries management. The information you provide assists the Department’s fisheries biologists with collection of important data, including species caught, harvest (fish kept), total catches, and fish released.
Lower Bay
The large bluefish are still in the lower Bay this week. Anglers are urged to take advantage of this fishery that will not last much longer. Water temperatures are in the upper 60s and the bluefish will soon be heading further down the bay. Trolling has been the most effective way to catch them; they tend to be deep, 25 feet or more along main channel edges. Surgical tube lures and large spoons are good choices to be pulled behind planers to get down to the fish. The channels near the Target Ship and the mouth of the Potomac River are the best places to find them this week. Occasionally the bluefish are reported close to the surface chasing bait and if you’re lucky enough to encounter that situation, casting metal jigs with a wire leader is the way to go. We’re talking about some serious teeth and a large mouth.
The shallow water fishery for a mix of striped bass, puppy drum, speckled trout, and white perch continues to be a fun and exciting way for light-tackle anglers to enjoy some excellent fishing opportunities. The tidal rivers and creeks flowing into the lower Potomac River are excellent places to fish this week. Casting poppers and Zara Spooks during the morning and evening hours offers a lot of fun. Paddletails, crankbaits, and jerkbaits are also good choices for lures.
On the eastern side of the Bay, the cuts through Hoopers Island, Tangier Sound, and Pocomoke Sound offer good fishing for puppy drum and speckled trout and the occasional striped bass. Poppers, Zara Spooks and popping corks with a trailing plastic shrimp are excellent items to work over grass. In deeper waters, paddletails make a good lure choice. Drifting peeler crab baits where the currents prevail is a good way to fish for puppy drum and speckled trout.
Blue catfish are available for anglers who’ll fish for them this week. The Potomac River and several of its tributaries are holding a lot of blue catfish. A simple bottom rig with a sliding egg sinker, an inline small float, and a circle hook is popular when fishing from a boat. Shoreline anglers often use a regular sinker as a sliding sinker to better hold bottom. Any cut bait of chicken parts are popular baits. The Patuxent River from Benedict to Jug Bay and the Nanticoke River near Sharptown are two other good places to fish for blue catfish, and more are showing up in the Wicomico River.
Fishing for white perch remains very good this week in the tidal rivers and creeks near structure or prominent points. Small spinnerbaits, jigs, and spin-jigs are popular lures for casting. Fishing minnows under a bobber is a great way to target larger white perch along deeper shorelines. A mix of spot, small croaker, and kingfish are still being caught at the mouth of the Patuxent River, Tangier Sound, and Pocomoke Sound.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers have been hampered by rough surf conditions, but prevailing northwest winds may improve conditions. Anglers are enjoying the fall run of large red drum in the surf this week. Anglers report that the catch-and-release action is often best on a high ebb tide, and after dark is a great time to get in on the action. Most anglers are using large cut baits of menhaden or mullet. Bluefish can be part of the mix and anglers targeting them often use finger mullet rigs. Casting Gulp baits or soft plastics rigged with a strip of squid is a good way to catch flounder in the surf.
At the inlet, bluefish and striped bass are the target for anglers casting soft plastic jigs or paddletails. Drifting cut bait on an outgoing tide has also been effective for catching bluefish. Fishing for sheepshead has been very good at the South Jetty and various bulkheads and piers near the inlet; sand fleas are a popular bait. Anglers are reminded that the daily catch limit for sheepshead is four per person with a 12-inch minimum.
Northwest winds are making it a bit bouncy in the back bay areas this week and the wind is predicted to switch to northeast by the weekend. Most anglers drifting for flounder are sticking close to the channels leading to the inlet. Water clarity has not been good due to the wind churning up the shallows, so a flood tide near the inlet would offer clearer water conditions.
A few hardy souls went out the inlet for the opening of the black sea bass season; most stuck close to the inshore wreck and reef sites due to the northwest winds. There was plenty of action reported and most anglers put a good catch together despite a lot of throwback fish that didn’t meet the minimum size.
There were fewer reports from the canyons this past weekend due to strong wind conditions. If the wind subsides, anglers may still find dolphin at the lobster pot buoys and some tuna action. Deep drop fishing always seems to put some meat on the boat.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.