Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC said there are some slot-size stripers lingering by the inlet and the local bridges, along with some huge bluefish. The bass have been mostly active at night. There have been tons of rays in the Ocean City area as of late, both in the back and on the beaches, and Bakke said a lot of the striper anglers jigging plastics are getting “rayed”—which translates to break-offs. Good flounder fishing continues out at the reef sites, while offshore, the fishing has been nothing short of excellent. After landing a 38-pound wahoo on the Bad Habit with Capt. Jeff Rosenkilde last week, they were able to boat some nice yellowfin and mahi this week. Bakke said they are competing in the 38th Annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament this weekend, so follow along their Instagram page for updates!
Sailing out of West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing reported decent results from sea bass, flounder, and triggerfish during Monday’s inshore trip, which was a change of pace for the skipper. A forecast of high afternoon winds and some rain kept them close to home, but the action was rather steady. The pool-winning flounder, according to the skipper, would likely have lost out to some of the triggerfish that made it over the rail had it not been a “sea bass and fluke only” pool. The next day, the inshore fishing started out very tough, so the captain decided to make a run further out into some deeper water; despite marking fish at almost every spot, anglers on board were only able to stick a few, or none at all! Finally though, boat regular Cathy managed to pin two respectable keeper flounder to win the pool. Finally, with some nicer weather and calmer seas, Wednesday’s trip produced great results for anglers dropping bait and jigging. Plenty of keeper sea bass came over the rail along with a nice flounder that decided to hit jig. There’s some more decent weather ahead, and the Morning Star is sailing for sea bass when conditions allow, so give them a shout at (443) 235-5577 between 8 AM and 8 PM to reserve your spot on the rail!
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Not much has changed since last week; striped bass are still spread throughout the region, with the upper part of the bay hosting some good fishing from the Susquehanna Flats around the grass edges down to Pooles Island. The central bay striped bass fishing has been hit or miss, with the best areas being around the Key Bridge, the port of Baltimore, and the Bay Bridge pilings in Annapolis. Anglers down south have been doing well around the grass flats and islands of the Tangier Sound, with a mix of striped bass, speckled trout, and even some puppy drum.
The hot bite has been in the southern portion of the bay, where bluefish are the main show in town. There are plenty of schools of breaking blues, all in the mid-20-inch range, and a few Spanish mackerel mixed in as well. Point Lookout to the mouth of the Choptank River is the best stretch for a good, consistent bluefish bite.
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Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Read the full DNR report here.
Middle Bay
Bay water temperatures in the middle Bay are holding around 82 degrees this week, but anglers can expect water temperatures in the shallows to reach as high as 89 degrees. Shallow-water fishing during the early morning and late evening is one of the most popular ways to target striped bass right now. To experience the best action, anglers are out before sunrise casting topwater lures and paddletails. Promising-looking shorelines of the mainstem Bay, Eastern Bay, and the mouth of the Choptank River are all good places to give casting a try. Unfortunately, the action does not last very long once the sun is up.
Live-lining spot along steep channel edges is a good tactic when fish can be spotted on depth finders. Hacketts Point, the edges near Kent Island, Buoy 83 south to the Clay Banks and Sharps Island Light and Breezy Point are always worth a look. Jigging soft plastic jigs at these same sights can also be productive when suspended striped bass are located. Bluefish are in the middle Bay and will be part of the mix whether one is live-lining, jigging, or trolling. If trolling, the bluefish are partial to red or green surgical tube lures.
White perch are always a summer mainstay in the region’s tidal rivers and creeks, but good white perch fishing has not been easy to find this summer. Grass shrimp is the best bait to use when exploring old docks and wharfs for white perch holding there, bloodworms and peeler crabs can also work. A good running tide is very important when fishing for white perch near structure.
Lower Bay
Some of the best fishing for striped bass in the lower Bay continues to be reported in the lower Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Anglers are catching them by live-lining spot along the steep channel edges of the Potomac from Piney Point to St. Georges Island and anywhere striped bass can be spotted suspended close to the bottom on depth finders. Jigging with soft plastics is also very popular for light tackle anglers. Bluefish will be a part of the mix.
Trolling is a good way to fish for the bluefish, and red and green surgical tubes lures pulled behind inline weights will get the job done. The mouth of the Potomac, artificial reefs, and the main channels of the Bay are good places to troll. The eastern side of the Bay near the Target Ship can offer up a possible bonus of a cobia. The large red drum are moving out of the shallower areas and can be spotted near the Middle Grounds and the Target Ship area. Trolling large chrome spoons in a trolling spread is a great way to get in on some exciting catch and release action.
There are recent reports of anglers encountering breaking fish, which are usually bluefish in the 2-4 pound range. Casting into breaking fish is always fun with metal jigs. Anglers might keep a watch on their depth finders for heavy marks underneath and hugging the bottom – they may be large red drum. Jigging with large soft plastics may hook you up with some exciting catch-and-release action.
Cobia are being found in the lower Bay and most of the action is occurring on the eastern side near the Target Ship, but there have also been reports of cobia catches off Smith Point. Sight fishing is always fun and when the waters are calm, spotting cobia and casting a soft plastic jigs or live eel is exciting. A substantial portion of the cobia are short of the 43-inch minimum and must be released. Chumming and placing a live eel at the back and bottom of the chum slick is a traditional way to fish for cobia, cownose rays and the occasional small shark will be part of the mix attracted to your chum slick.
The shallow water fishery in the lower Bay is mostly an early morning and late evening endeavor this week due to rising water temperatures in the shallows. Casting topwater lures or popping corks trailing soft plastic shrimp or peeler crab is a great way to fish over grass beds. A mix of striped bass and speckled trout will be waiting. In some of the deeper waters, casting paddletails is a great way to fish around docks and shoreline structure.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers had to deal with some choppy surf over the weekend, but conditions have calmed down. Bluefish and flounder are being caught in the surf this week. Anglers fishing larger baits are catching cownose rays and inshore sharks.
At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area striped bass and bluefish are center stage for anglers casting a variety of jigs and paddletails. In the evenings when boat traffic has settled down, drifting cut bait is a good way to catch bluefish. Flounder are always in play at the inlet and drifting Gulp baits on the bottom and across the current is a good way to target them. Sheepshead are showing up at the South Jetty and can be caught on sand fleas.
The back bay waters became cloudy over the weekend due to storm activity but are finally settling down. We are now in the height of the summer season and anglers fishing for flounder in the channels need to be extra cautious of boat traffic. Gulp baits and live spot are catching the largest flounder. The minimum size for flounder is currently 17.5 inches.
Fishing for a mix of black sea bass, flounder, and triggerfish is very good this week for anglers fishing on the wreck and reef sites. Farther offshore at the canyons anglers are experiencing excellent catches of yellowfin tuna and a mix of bigeye tuna, dolphin, and white marlin releases. The deep drop fishing for blueline and golden tilefish is very good currently.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Read the full DNR report here.