Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters reported that the shallow water striped bass bite in the middle Bay region has been fantastic, although the fish their charters are catching are noticeably smaller than weeks past. The skipper said most of the big post-spawn fish have headed south to begin their migration up the coast. Capt. Jamie will be sailing out of Cape Charles for a bit to target not only those bigger bass as they head for the ocean, but trophy red drum, too. Meanwhile, Captain Mike will continue to run striper trips in the middle bay beginning this Friday, May 1. As of late, there are smaller striped bass all over the place—they’re hanging around sea walls, jetties, and other forms of hard structure where anglers are catching on topwater plugs and soft plastics. Head to the ES Light Tackle Charters Facebook page for contact info, open dates, and trip rates to get in on the shallow-water striper action with Captain Mike.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC said the local striped bass bite this week has been, in a word, insane. There are tons of big fish—slot-sized and over—in the neighborhood lately, from the backwater channels and bridges to the ocean surf which, in addition to some much nicer weather, has attracted the masses. He also mentioned that there are still plenty of smaller schoolie-size fish in the back bays and marshes, which are a blast on light-tackle and can provide some fast action. On the beach, anglers soaking bait for black drum and striped bass have even reeled in a few red drum. As if that’s not enough to draw crowds, bluefish have begun to show up in the last few days as well. With flounder and tautog also available, it’s shaping up to be a great late spring in the Ocean City area.
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
Written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
The striped bass fishing is going through its seasonal change and we are settling into our early summer patterns. More 20- to 30-inch fish have been caught around shoreline structure using topwater baits and subsurface plugs. Eastern Bay has been a great area to find fish, as well as the Bay Bridge. The season opens up on Friday, May 1, this year, allowing anglers to keep one fish between 19 and 24 inches long.
The white perch run is starting to show signs of slowing down, which tells us that those perch will be back out in the main part of the bay in about a week or two. Some anglers are still finding a good bite in the upper Patuxent River using live grass shrimp. Shad are still in the area, but that bite has slowed down as well with the flows in most rivers down this year because of the lack of rain. The Potomac and Susquehanna are still producing some hickory and American shad.
Blue catfish are still being caught around the north side of the Bay Bridge in good numbers using cut bait on the bottom. We should also see the first few spot show up in the area, hopefully in the next two weeks.
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.
There is much excitement in the Chesapeake Bay fishing community this week, as many areas will be open to striped bass anglers to keep a fish within the slot size. Starting Friday, May 1, anglers can keep one striped bass per day measuring 19-24 inches in the Chesapeake Bay from the Brewerton Channel to the Virginia line, excluding all bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers, except Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds and all Potomac River tributaries downstream of the Nice Memorial Bridge (U.S. 301). The spawning rivers will still be off limits to all fishing for striped bass. Anglers trolling will still be limited to six lines, barbless hooks and no stinger hooks.
Upper Bay
The striped bass spawn at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and surrounding areas is ending and the post-spawn striped bass are headed down the Bay, eventually bound for New England’s ocean waters. Once they cross they cross south of the boundary line between Abbey and Worton points, anglers can practice catch-and-release. Beginning May 1, anglers below the Brewerton Channel may keep one striped bass per day within the 19- to 24-inch slot.
Anglers are trolling and jigging along the main channel in the upper Bay this week. Light tackle anglers are also finding striped bass along the shallower Bay shore waters by casting paddletails, jerkbaits and glide or twitch baits.
There are still some hickory shad to provide catch-and-release action in the lower Susquehanna River, Octoraro Creek, and near the mouth of Deer Creek. There is no question that the hickory shad spawning runs are a fraction of what they used to be in the area. The question remains as to why. Once they head out to the Continental Shelf to live their lives, what happens is unknown to us. A variety of colorful flies, shad darts, of various colors, as well as small gold and silver spoons all work well under certain conditions.
Middle Bay
Post-spawn striped bass are coming down from the upper Bay spawning sites, and striped bass have been leaving the Choptank River for weeks. Water temperatures in the middle Bay are holding at 60 degrees or slightly above.
Light-tackle anglers have been enjoying good catch-and-release fishing in the shallows of the Bay’s shores and soon they will be able to keep a slot-sized striped bass. The waters of the Bay are extraordinarily clear this month due to the lack of rain, so sight fishing in the shallows is a fun option. Topwater lures offer the most fun, and paddletails are another excellent choice.
Trolling the channel edges is another popular option once the harvest season begins, but anglers need to be aware that only six lines can be trolled. Lures must be barbless and no stinger hooks. If fishing with bait, non-offset circle hooks are mandatory and eels are prohibited as bait.
Lower Bay
Many of the larger post-spawn striped bass from the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers have moved through the region but many the smaller male striped bass will be found lingering about. Light-tackle anglers can enjoy casting topwater and paddletail lures along the shallower waters along the bay shores or jigging in the deeper channel waters. Trolling and jigging will be popular along channel edges.
The steep channel edge on the east side of the Bay from Buoy 76R to 72B, Cove Point, Cedar Point, Point Lookout, and Smith Point on the west side are traditional haunts for striped bass. In the Potomac, the steep edge from St. Georges Island to Piney Point is always worth a look, as is the Route 4 Bridge area on the Patuxent River.
The hickory shad and American shad spawn runs in the Potomac River in Washington D.C. has been hindered due to extremely low flows this month. Anglers have been moving up close to the Chain Bridge for the best catch-and-release fishing. The pool waters at Fletchers Landing have been unproductive. The predicted rain later this week may transform this fishery to a more active status.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers are enjoying a run of black drum along the beaches of Assateague and Ocean City this week. Sand fleas and clams are popular baits. Large striped bass and bluefish are also moving along the beaches on their northward migration. Most anglers are using cut bait in the form of menhaden and report that the head tends to resist being chewed up by clearnose skates and dogfish.
At the Ocean City Inlet, anglers are catching and releasing large striped bass by drifting cut bait during the evening and nighttime hours. During the early morning and evening, smaller striped bass are being caught and released by anglers casting paddletails and soft plastic jigs. Tautog are also in the mix near jetty rocks, bulkheads and bridge piers and are being caught on sand fleas. Flounder continue to move through the inlet towards the back bay waters.
The channels leading from the inlet are the place to be when fishing for flounder this week.
Charter and private boats headed out to the inshore and offshore wreck and reef sites are finding good numbers of tautog and flounder. Pieces of crab have been the most popular bait.
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.