Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
From West Ocean City, Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing reported some decent sea bass fishing on Tuesday of this week. Keeping rods bent required frequent reanchoring; the sea bass would chew, then the bite slowed to a trickle of action, and they had to pick up anchor and reset. Cutlassfish were mostly missing in action to the delight of the crew, although they did move in and shut down the bite at one spot. There were a handful of limits around the rail and the anglers who didn’t manage their limit still caught enough to take home dinner. Sign up for the Morning Star’s email list to stay in the know, and give them a shout at (443) 235-5577 between 8 AM and 8 PM to inquire about dates and rates or to reserve your spot on the rail for an upcoming trip.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported that flounder and sea bass fishing is very good on the wrecks out front. He tore up some sea bass with Capt. Jeff Rosenkilde on the Bad Habit last Friday. Sheepshead continue to chew inshore and along the inlet jetties, he added. Yesterday, Bakke went out with his uncle and they landed a respectable sheepshead, which was his uncle’s first, setting the bar high for future efforts. There have also been quite a few bull red drum caught in the surf off Assateague this week, and slot-sized stripers are feeding around the bridges, dock lights, and the OC Inlet at night. Offshore, he said, they’re still seeing some decent marlin fishing, but there’s not much happening in the way of tuna; the best action seems to be further north off New Jersey, where yellowfin have been stationed for some time. Check out the Always Bent website for more in-depth daily fishing reports and subscribe on YouTube for local fishing videos.
Capt. Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters reported that stripers can still be found over shallow grass beds and structure in the bay, but they are clearly beginning to transition to deeper water in the rivers where peanut bunker have been more concentrated. Slightly heavier skirted jigs are catching stripers that are holding in deeper holes when they’re not taking topwater lures in the shallows. Check out ES Light Tackle Charters’ Facebook page and give the skipper a call to book a striped bass charter this fall.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Most of the tidal rivers and creeks have seen an increase in action this week, with a mix of fish to target. The middle bay rivers, from the South River to the Patapsco, have a good topwater bite for striped bass going on during the morning hours that carries into the afternoon when it’s cloudy. Some anglers are reeling in pickerel as bycatch when fishing shallow with subsurface baits like paddletails or jerkbaits, and some of those pickerel have been pushing citation size (24 inches). Anglers in the rivers are also catching a good amount of white perch that have been feeding to get ready for the cold months ahead of us. Using small spinners and paddletails in the 2- to 3-inch range has been the ticket to getting some of those bigger perch to bite.
Down south, guys are still finding some schools of bluefish in open water, with most of the consistent action from the Target Ship down into Virginia waters. There are a few blues just north of Solomon’s, but it seems to be really spotty action.
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
Striped bass are being found at the Bay Bridge piers this week, but the action tends to be variable based on tides and the time of day. The mornings have been offering some of the best fishing for anglers drifting live spot or cut spot back to the pier bases. The 30-foot edge on the eastern side of the bridge has been popular for live liners. Casting soft plastic jigs at various pier bases has also been accounting for striped bass. Spot and white perch can be found in the shallower waters at the ends of the bridge.
Shallow-water striped bass fishing is one of the best options this week. Cooler water temperatures are holding the striped bass in the shallower waters longer into the morning hours and starting earlier during the evening hours. Poppers, jointed jerkbaits, and paddletails are popular lures to use for casting in the promising looking shorelines of the main Bay, Eastern Bay, Poplar Island, Thomas Point, and the lower Choptank.
Trolling spoons, umbrella rigs with spoons as teasers, and surgical tube lures behind planers and inline weights are a good way to catch bluefish this week along the channel edges from Buoy 83 south past the Sharps Island Light and the False Channel.
Lower Bay
Large bluefish are creating some exciting fishing for anglers trolling from the HS Buoy south past the Target Ship with surgical tube lures and spoons behind planers and inline weights. The bluefish are large and fat and as usual putting up a good show on the end of a fishing line. At times they are being found pushing bait to the surface and casting with metal jigs is a fun light tackle way to catch them. The Spanish mackerel seem to have headed south.
The lower Potomac River is producing some good to excellent fishing for striped bass this week for anglers who are live-lining spot or jigging with soft plastics along the channel edges in the Route 301 Bridge area. Bluefish are also part of the mix below the bridge to the mouth of the river. Striped bass are also being found on the eastern side of the Bay; the cuts between Hoopers Island are good places to find them.
Large red drum are providing exciting catch-and-release action on the eastern side of the Bay near the Target Ship and Tangier Sound. Spotting schools of large red drum on depth finders or by spotting slicks and jigging with large soft plastic jigs or fishing with cut spot is getting most anglers in on the action. A mix of striped bass and speckled trout are being found by anglers working the shallower waters of the eastern marsh edges.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Anglers fishing at the beaches of Assateague Island are beginning to see the transition into a typical fall fishery. Bluefish are more abundant and large red drum are now being caught and released in the surf. Finger mullet rigs and traditional surf bottom rigs baited with cut mullet are working well. A mix of kingfish, spot, flounder and pompano are also being caught.
At the Ocean City Inlet anglers are enjoying excellent fishing for sheepshead along the jetties. Sand fleas, pieces of crab and wild shrimp are all good baits to fish for the sheepshead. Flounder fishing at the inlet has also been very good; bluefish are being caught by casting jigs or drifting cut bait.
The back bay waters have cleared up significantly and flounder fishing has been good in the channel waters leading towards the inlet. Gulp baits and live bait have been catching some of the larger flounder. Traditional squid strips are catching flounder and croakers.
The nearshore wreck and reef sites have been a great place to find large flounder this week. Anglers are catching limits and a mix of sheepshead and triggerfish. At the offshore wreck and reef sites, black sea bass catches have been good with some triggerfish, bluefish, and flounder rounding out catches.
The canyon waters have come to life as a mix of yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, long-fin albacore, dolphin and white marlin are being caught. Anglers are rounding out trips with deep dropping for a mix 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. Read the full DNR report here.