Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Sailing out of West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing reported picky sea bass amid calm seas during Tuesday’s trip to the offshore wreck and reef sites. Bouncing between spots after making a handful of drops was the key to keeping rods bent, as they were met with quick action at each location before it petered out just as quickly as it started. Jigs and clams did the trick, per usual. However, the skipper attributed finicky sea bass to the clouds of sand eels they marked at just about every reef. Monday’s trip was a similar story; they were able to make a few drops before the fish just shut down. Despite only one angler catching in the double-digits on Tuesday though, just about everyone on board took home some fillets for the dinner table. The captain is planning to sail again today (Thursday), weather permitting. Give them a call at 443-235-5577 between 8 AM and 8 PM to inquire about upcoming availability or to reserve your spot on the rail.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC said that a handful of boats headed out the inlet in search of tuna this past week and were able connect with bluefin and even a few yellowfin. However, the boats that did the catching made it a long haul, with some running as far as 100 to 150 miles out, over 30 to 40 miles beyond the 100-fathom line. Locally, he said, they are still seeing great striper, bluefish and flounder fishing right around the inlet and the area bridges on the standard soft-plastic paddletails and swimming plugs.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Upper Bay
Anglers who enjoy fishing for striped bass in the lower Susquehanna River and the Conowingo Dam pool are looking forward to this coming Sunday. All areas of the upper Bay, including tidal rivers, will be open for striped bass fishing on June 1.
Middle Bay
Anglers are targeting striped bass at the Bay Bridge this week with good results. Live-lining spot and drifting them back towards the bridge pier bases is a good tactic. Drifting soft crab baits back towards the pier bases also works well. During the morning and evening hours, casting soft plastic jigs and bucktails at the pier bases is also a fun way to fish. If you’re not chipping paint off your jigheads you’re not getting close enough to the bridge piers.
Striped bass anglers are urged to report their catches and fish they release on theDNR Volunteer Angler Survey. The information from anglers is very important to the striped bass program biologists.
The shallower waters of the middle bay region are providing a lot of excellent striped bass fishing this week. The shorelines of the bay, Eastern Bay, the Poplar Island rocks, the Sharps Island Light, the shores along the mouth of the Choptank River, the James Island stump fields, and a multitude of other locations are good locations. All are enjoyable places to cast poppers, paddletails and jerkbaits in the shallows near structure or over grass beds during the morning and evening hours.
Lower Bay
Anglers in the lower Bay are enjoying a fine mix of fish this week – in addition to striped bass, bluefish have moved into the region. On June 1, all Maryland waters including all sections of the tidal rivers will be open to fishing for striped bass.
A lot of anglers have been fishing the shallower water by casting a mix of paddletails, poppers, and jerkbaits. This type of fishing is traditionally an early morning and evening fishery, but with water temperatures in the upper 60s, the good fishing lasts longer as the morning progresses. Switching from topwater to soft plastic jigs and paddletails in slightly deeper waters is a good tactic as the morning wears on. Bluefish and speckled trout are becoming a more common addition when fishing shallower waters. The lower Patuxent, Potomac, St. Jerome Creek, St. Marys River, Cedar Point rocks, and the Eastern Shore marsh edges are just a few of the good places to try.
Jigging along channel edges where concentrations of striped bass can be located on depth finders is an excellent way to target striped bass this week. The channel edges in the lower Patuxent and Potomac are good places to look for striped bass suspended along those edges. Soft plastic jigs worked along those edges work well for light tackle anglers.
Large red drum are steadily moving into the lower bay region, mostly on the eastern side of the bay. Locating schools through looking for slicks, disturbed water and vigilant watch of depth finders lead the way to locating these fish. Jigging with large soft plastic jigs is a popular way to target them, but trolling large chrome spoons behind inline weights is another way to target them.
Large black drum are still being found along the eastern side of the Bay near the Middle Grounds and the Mud Leads above the Target Ship. Dropping soft crab baits to them once located on a depth finder is the classic way to fish for them. Cownose rays are in great abundance in the lower bay at this time, so good-tasting baits don’t last long when they are around. Those who are trolling are not happy with them either, when they become snagged.
Anglers are catching a mix of striped bass, bluefish, and speckled trout along the march edges and cuts of the Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound regions. Most are reporting that drifting peeler crab or soft crab baits has been the most successful way to catch the speckled trout. Anglers fishing around the Target Ship with peeler crab are catching speckled trout but also some large sheepshead.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers fishing along the beaches of Assateague continue to pick away at black drum this week. The numbers are down from earlier this month but there are still some to be caught on sand fleas. A few large red drum are being caught and released along with some large striped bass that measure over the allowed slot size, both are being caught on cut mullet or menhaden.
Flounder fishing has been very good in the inlet and close to the mouth of the inlet and the South Jetty. Gulp baits tipped with squid or minnows have been popular baits. Striped bass and bluefish are also being caught inside the inlet and near the Route 50 Bridge area. Soft plastic jigs or bucktails dressed with soft plastics are favored lures for casting.
Coastal bay waters are starting to clear and flounder fishing in the channels leading from the inlet is good this week. A variety of baits are working well, and the throwback ratio can depend on what size bait one is using. Minnows and squid are traditional baits, but larger Gulp baits can attract larger flounder.
Fishing for black sea bass at the offshore wreck and reef sites is very good currently and limit catches of sea bass are common. They are being caught on traditional baits of squid, but jigging has also been successful. Word spread through the Ocean City docks this week of the first yellowfin tuna to be caught out at the canyon waters.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.