Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC said Monday was a hectic afternoon and evening on the Bad Habit. Bakke and Bad Habit mate, Alex, ran the boat after a long, arduous weekend of fishing the White Marlin Open; their goal was to get in on a wahoo bite that was happening on a lump just 30 miles out. They set up to troll and in no time, received a knock down from a large wahoo that Bakke estimated to be between 70 and 90 pounds, but unfortunately lost it boat side. As dusk approached they reset their spread and, despite the lack of marks on the fishfinder, hooked a nice bluefin right as the sun set, securing one of the last bluefin of the year before the closure went into effect. While tuna action has been spotty in general, Bakke said that marlin and mahi are keeping the fleet entertained and there are some wahoo around to make things interesting.
Back inshore, he added, flounder and sheepshead fishing has been good in the bays, and the inshore wrecks out front are giving up some nice flounder and triggerfish. Bakke’s friend, who goes by “Hobie Steve”, caught a 26-inch sheepshead last Friday evening, which is just 1/2-inch short of the state record. In addition to flounder and sheepshead, there are some respectable striper and bluefish in the coastal bays and around the inlet, including a 41-inch bass that Bakke’s friend caught on live bait on Tuesday night.
Captain Walt of Light Tackle Charters out of Crisfield reported: “While certainly late, I’m starting to put my clients onto more and bigger speckled trout. We’ve had a bit of an outburst of hypoxia (low oxygen algae bloom areas), which has prompted me to run more miles than usual — but I’m happy to do so to find my clients speckled trout to 25-inches.” Give Capt. Walt a call at (410) 845-3231 to book a trip or inquire about his upcoming availability.
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.
With some hot days back in the forecast, remember to take care when catching and releasing any striped bass. Visit the Department of Natural Resources website for tips on catch-and-release fishing, and check the striped bass fishing advisory forecast below to help plan your fishing trip.
Middle Bay
The Bay Bridge piers are providing some striped bass action this week; most anglers would describe it as a slow pick but there is some success there. Drifting live spot or soft crab back to the pier bases is the most popular way to fish there. A good moving current is key and the early morning hours are reported to offer the best chances of hooking up with a striped bass. The 30-foot edge on the eastern side of the bridge is always popular but other pier clusters offer good fishing. Casting soft plastic jigs at the pier bases is always a fun option.
Fishing for striped bass in the middle Bay is a bit spotty this month; August does not have a stellar reputation for striped bass fishing.
If you can get to your favorite location at dawn, striped bass can be found in shallower waters near prominent points or shoreline structure in the form of rocks and piers. The warm water temperatures have striped bass headed for deeper water once the sun clears the horizon. Casting 3-inch paddletails is a very popular way to fish and speckled trout may be in the mix. Poppers are always the most fun lure to fish the shallows; they stay above the grass beds and always provide entertaining surface strikes.
Fishing for Chesapeake Channa, or northern snakehead, can be a worthwhile endeavor this week for a little change up from fishing out in the Bay. The tidal rivers of Dorchester County hold large populations of them and they are actively feeding now that they are in a post-spawn mode of behavior. The thick grass beds and spatterdock fields offer good fishing for these toothy fish.
Lower Bay
Bluefish have taken center stage for anglers in the lower Bay this week. They are being caught by trolling red and green surge tube lures and spoons behind inline weights or planers. Trolling along the main channel edges and especially near the Target Ship and HS Buoy has been very good, with anglers catching their limits. Anglers are also encountering bluefish chasing bait on the surface and enjoying casting metal jigs into the action. The first Spanish mackerel showed up this past weekend and were caught by anglers casting metal jigs into breaking fish. Most likely more will be caught by increasing trolling speeds and by pulling small Drone and Clark spoons behind inline weights or planers.
Striped bass are being found here and there throughout the lower Bay. The lower Patuxent River near the Route 4 bridge and the lower Potomac near St. George are two areas where jigging and live-lining spot are working. Other anglers are finding a few striped bass along shorelines with docks, piers, and rock jetties by casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs during the morning and evening. Speckled trout may be in the mix, especially on the eastern side of the Bay.
Large red drum between the Middle Grounds and the Target Ship are being found usually by spotting slicks and disturbed water that is verified by depth finders. Jigging with large soft plastic jigs is very popular and some are dropping soft crab baits to the drum. An influx of cobia has been reported in the past week which makes sight fishing and chumming anglers happy. The area around the Target Ship has been the best place to find them.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Anglers are enjoying some excellent summer fishing in the surf this week. They are catching a nice mix of spot, croakers, and kingfish on small baits of bloodworms, artificial bloodworm baits, and small strips of cut bait. Those fishing slightly larger cut baits are catching bluefish; squid strips on a jig head with a Gulp bait can entice flounder in the surf. A few pompano are also being caught on sand fleas.
At the Ocean City Inlet, striped bass are being caught during the morning and evening hours by anglers casting soft plastic jigs and bucktails, and bluefish are also part of the mix. At night, drifting cut bait is an effective way to catch bluefish. Good flounder fishing is occurring in the inlet and sheepshead fishing near the jetties has been excellent.
Flounder fishing in the back bay channels has been good this past week, water clarity is good, and some impressive flounder are being caught on live bait and Gulp baits. Those fishing with squid will see a mix of croakers and small sea bass added to the mix.
Outside the inlet and nearshore waters, anglers who are trolling are catching bluefish, false albacore, and Spanish mackerel at times while trolling spoons behind inline weights. The inshore lumps and wrecks sites are providing some good flounder fishing.
Farther offshore at the deeper wreck and reef sites, fishing for black sea bass has been excellent with limit catches being common. Large flounder and triggerfish can also be in the mix. Anglers can also be treated to small dolphin being attracted to the boat.
NOAA has issued a closure for bluefin tuna for all size categories and all areas for recreational anglers. At the canyons a summer mix of white marlin, blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and dolphin are being caught by trolling a variety of lures and ballyhoo dressed with plastic skirts. Anglers are also enjoying fun fishing for small dolphin around the lobster pot buoy areas by casting with spinning tackle. Deep drop anglers are catching limits of blueline tilefish.
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.