Upper Bay
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Fishing for rockfish is still hot in the Upper Bay, especially in the Patapsco, Magothy, Chester rivers, as well as the Bay Bridge. Jigging channel edges and open water structure with five inch paddletails or six inch straight tails has been working well. Casting topwater plugs at shoreline structure during the sunrise and sunset hours has also been productive. For those looking to live line, target structure like the Bay Bridge pilings. Cooler weather this past week has allowed for both blue and channel catfish to start biting more. Pooles Island, the Upper Magothy River, and the Patapsco River are good areas to target. Use a fish finder or catfish float rig baited with chunks of alewife, spot, or shrimp for the best results. Perch fishing has been reported as good, but not great, in the Upper Bay. There is no one hot area right now, but we’ve found that the fish are, for the most part, not sticking close to the shoreline as we would expect. Docks with deep dropoffs, shoals, lumps, and artificial reef sites are holding fish, but it will certainly take some looking around. Micro jigs or sabikis tipped with grass shrimp are the best bet to score a bite. Spot and croaker can be caught on bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms or fishibites with regularity in these same areas, as well as the Bay Bridge pilings.
Middle Bay
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Rockfish are biting in their typical summer pattern, feeding heavily during those sunrise and sunset hours. Poplar Island, the mouth of the Choptank River, and the Severn River have been reported as hot areas. Look to beat up some shoreline structure and riprap on a moving tide with topwater plugs, diving plugs, and four inch paddletails. Speckled trout are continuing to increase in numbers in the Middle Bay zone, and can be caught in the same areas and on the same lures as rockfish. It does pay to downsize to a 3 inch paddletail and add some scent like Procure to specifically target trout, though. White perch is basically the same story it’s been all summer; finding fish is hard, and when you the size is there but the numbers are not. Target docks, open water structure like artificial reefs, and shoals in the main Bay, Patuxent River, and West River. With the bite being relatively tough, using live or fresh bait like grass shrimp, soft crab bits, and bloodworms will score more bites than artificials. Spot and croaker are plentiful just about anywhere there is contour or structure, so drop down a sabiki tipped with fishbites or bloodworms and enjoy the action. Schools of pan-sized bluefish are around as well, and most anglers are finding them breaking at the surface during last light. Heavy mono or wire bite leaders may be required to prevent breaking off. Metal jigs like stingsilvers should get the job done.
Lower Bay
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Bluefish, bull reds, and cobia are the highlight in the Lower Bay right now. Schools of blues are thick along the channel edges from the Choptank and south, with the highest concentration hanging out between Solomon’s and Point Lookout. They aren’t blowing up on the surface as much as they were in previous weeks, however there are plenty of them under bait, so keep an eye on your electronics. Make sure to use a heavy mono or wire bite leader and a metal jig so you can keep fish pinned. A few Spanish mackerel have popped up as well, but not enough to reliably target them. Bull redfish are around in pretty decent numbers, but again, finding them on the surface is a rare treat. Once you spot them on your electronics, drop down a six inch to eight inch jig, and hold on tight. The channel edges and flats surrounding the Target Ships have been productive. Cobia numbers are much lower than redfish, but there are still plenty around to be caught. Sight fishermen will do well on calm days searching the same areas as for bull reds. Those anglers relying on their electronics to find submerged fish should cruise the same areas around the Target Ships as well. Big paddletails will get the job done on the artificial side of things, whereas chunks of alewife and live eels will do well as bait. Rockfish and speckled trout are being caught in the shallows and inside the Lower Bay rivers around rock structure and riprap. More puppy and slot red drum have been reported as well, along with the occasional flounder. Fish topwater plugs, diving plugs, and paddletails for the specks, rockfish, and drum. Gulp baits on a light jig head are also a great option for targeting all four of these species at once. Bottom fishing along contour, artificial reefs, wrecks, and other submerged structure is producing a mixed bag of spot, perch, croaker, pufferfish, toadfish, small black sea bass, and flounder. Use a sabiki rig tipped with bloodworms, Fishbites, or soft crab bits for the best results.
Freshwater
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Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are becoming more active with the cooler temperatures. Rivers like the Monocacy, upper Potomac, and Susquehanna have been productive for the brown ones. Topwater lures like ploppers and spooks are working well during the sunrise and sunset hours, and ned rigs and chatterbaits are getting bites during the day. For the largies, try St. Mary’s lake, Tuckahoe Lake, or Annapolis Waterworks. Topwater frogs while fishing lily pads is always a great option for an exciting blowup. For a subsurface bite, we’ve heard reports of fish being caught on senkos and chatterbaits. Sunfish remain active and are great for keeping kids busy. A simple nightcrawler or red worm under a bobber will almost always get the job done. Blue catfish are biting a bit better with the cooldown as well. Cut gizzard shad, alewife, sunfish, and chicken livers have all been working well.
Coastal
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Ocean City was buzzing last week with the White Marlin Open taking place. Multiple whites, a 900+ pound blue, and some massive tuna were brought to the scales. The Washington and Baltimore canyons have been reported as hot areas for pelagics. Mahi are around many of the lobster pots in these same canyons. We’ve also heard numerous reports of boats limiting out on blueline tilefish on the outskirts of the canyons in 300 feet to 400 feet of water. Surf fishing picked up significantly this week, with plenty of reports of keeper flounder, slot and bull redfish, bluefish, sharks, and of course rays. Chunks of bluefish, croaker, or spot are great baits for targeting blues, reds, sharks, and rays. Squid/minnow sandwich is the go-to for flounder, with Gulp/bucktail rigs being the best bet for the artificial side of things. Sheepshead and tautog are still being caught in the inlets and around rock jetties, with anglers using fiddler crabs or sand fleas on bottom sweeper jigs. At the offshore wrecks and reefs, plenty of flounder and seabass are being caught, along with the occasional cobia. Ribbonfish are a fun target around these same areas as well and are best targeted with metal spoons or jigs.
Crabbing
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August and September are some of the best months for crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay. Reports are thick of folks collecting full bushels in a day or less of work. Razor clams and chicken necks are working well in pull traps, on hand lines, and on trot lines. Look to target three feet to eight feet of water in the Severn, Chester, Choptank, Magothy, and South Rivers.
