Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported that the striped bass bite has been a little hit or miss this week. Recently, he said, there’s been more action in the back bays rather than close to the inlet, but there are definitely plenty of fish around. Convincing them to eat, however, has proved challenging. The main story this week is the excellent inshore tautog bite, which continues to produce quality fish. Additionally, out front, there have been more bluefin tuna showing up, and some guys are playing catch and release with them. The safe bet going into the holiday weekend is to target stripers in the backwaters or drop crabs for tog. For detailed local reports, videos and more, check out Always Bent’s website and social pages.
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters said that striped bass have completely moved out of the rivers and are actively chasing bait up on the ledges in the Bay. Right now, the skipper added, the fish can be found in 20 to 35 feet of water, and the average size is getting better by the day. Smaller baits, especially 4-inch paddletails and soft plastic with skirted jigheads, seem to be the key to getting bites at this time. He expects some very big bass to show up in the next few weeks as migratory fish push into the bay, completing their fall migration down the coast. Capt. Jamie has limited availability for the next few weeks, but he does have some openings at this time, so head over to his Facebook page for trip rates and contact info. to get in on the action.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
The striped bass bite has been hit or miss lately. There is a good amount of fish locally but at times, it’s been hard to get them to bite. Some of the areas that saw the most action this week were north of the Bay Bridge to Swan Point, and south of Chesapeake Beach to the mouth of the Patuxent River. Jigging in 30 to 50 feet of water has been the ticket, as most of the fish are being found down deep. Trolling is also a great option, especially when trying to locate schools of striped bass. Some of the hot jigging lures recently are the new Z-Man 4.5-inch DieZel KickerZ paired with 1-ounce jigheads, while umbrella rigs are getting the job done for those who are trolling.
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
The Bay Bridge piers and rock piles are still holding some striped bass this week, and the deep water of the rock piles tends to be a good place to try jigging. Anglers are also finding large white perch holding at the rock piles, but it takes a small but heavy jig to get to the deep zone where they are holding. Water temperatures in the middle Bay are about 50 degrees this week and slightly cooler in the tidal rivers, while salinity values in the Bay are relatively high.
There are still some striped bass to be found in the shallower waters of Eastern Bay, Poplar Island, the Choptank River, and other tidal rivers. Most striped bass are steadily moving to deeper and warmer waters, and anglers are reporting finding them as deep as 55 feet. Trolling with umbrella rigs or tandem rigged bucktails often behind inline weights as heavy as 24 ounces.
Lower Bay
The lower Potomac River in the general area from Cobb Island downriver past Piney Point has been the place to be this week if you’re looking for striped bass. Steep edges in the form of the Line Bar, Sheepshead Bar, Piney Point, and St. Georges Island are excellent locations to jig large soft plastics along the deep edges. There is also good fishing for striped bass below the Route 4 bridge in the deeper channel waters. In all cases the striped bass tend to be suspended close to the bottom.
Out in the Bay, the 30-foot to 45-foot channel edges off Cove Point and on the eastern side from Buoy 76 south past Buoy 72 are good locations to fish. When striped bass can be spotted on depth finders suspended close to the bottom, jigging with large soft plastics measuring 6-10 inches in length are popular. Thin braid and a fast action fishing rod are very helpful when jigging in water depths of 40 feet or more.
Trolling is certainly becoming popular as the striped bass hold in deep waters. It can take a lot of lead to get umbrella rigs and tandem rigs down to where the fish are holding close to the bottom. It is a very effective way to catch striped bass but takes some cranking to get everything topside. On the plus, side a warm cabin where one can get out of the wind can make trolling more comfortable.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surfside anglers continue to watch baits this week and many will be out along the beaches for the holiday weekend. A few trophy-sized striped bass are being caught, but the main body of fish still seems to be camped at the mouth of Raritan Bay. Spiny dogfish and clearnose skates are keeping anglers busy.
There is excellent fishing for striped bass this week in the Ocean City Inlet waters and the back bay areas. Most of the striped bass are a little short of the required 28 inches to keep them, but there is a lot of catch-and-release action to be had. The jetties, bulkheads, bridge piers, and docks in the inlet area are excellent places to cast soft plastic jigs. The bridge piers of the Route 90 and Verrazzano bridges and nearby marsh banks are good places to cast soft plastic jigs and paddletails. Tautog are being caught near the jetty rocks, bulkheads and dock piers on crab and sand flea baits.
Outside the inlet there is good fishing for black sea bass with a mix of porgies and occasional flounder on the wreck and reef sites. The inshore wreck and reef site are holding tautog and anglers are enjoying excellent fishing opportunities.
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.