7/28/2017 Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report Update:
Although in weeks past may anglers have been running North to catch fish, Alltackle in Annapolis now reports that many are now staying local, fishing spots like Thomas Point and the mouth of the West River, where large schools of fish have gathered. The middle Bay has been full of life the past week, with large pods of dolphin and a new variety of species moving in. Our angler-in-chief Lenny Rudow reports finding working birds just outside the mouth of the West out about as far as the Green #1, with some schools holding all dinks and some others holding fish up into the mid-20's. He also said that at times, it looked like three-inch bunker were raining as they danced of the surface trying to avoid rockfish and dolphin.
Within the rockfish bite around Thomas Point, where Anglers reported that fish are hitting topwater lures and live spot, bluefish have also begun to be mixed in with the catch. Bluefish have been stealing baits from live-liners, biting them in half or even stealing the entire rig. Marty's added that spot are on the eastern side of Poplar and live-lining is producing decent catches in eastern bay and some surprisingly large stripers (up to 30 inches) at Thomas Point. But if you're going to fish the light house get there early, as even on weekdays there will be several boats maneuvering for the best position. Bottom fishing is great for big perch and lately, lots of spot.
Bay Country Crabbing Supply reports that Spanish mackerel have also showed up, down near Chesapeake Beach, and are hitting number one planers and drone spoons. Bay Country also reported that crabbing has slowed down in the area as crabs are moving into the shallows getting ready to molt.
7/23/2017 Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report Update:
Hordes of fish showed up off the mouth of the West River this weekend. In between dodging thunderstorms, anglers found pods of dolphin chasing pods of rockfish chasing masses of three to four inch bunker. While the biggest fish we pulled aboard was in the low 20's and the majority of the fish were in the 16 to 19 inch range, we spoke to one angler working the same area who caught them to 26 inches and a second angler who said he had a 28. The fish were taking pretty much anything you threw at them, jigs and topwater alike. The best area was at the 15 to 20 foot contour slightly south-west of the green number one buoy, but the fish were moving around quite a bit (mostly to the south and west).
7/21/2017 Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report Update:
There's some good news for middle Chesapeake anglers this week, but before we get there, all Maryland striper sharpies will want to check out todays' Angler Alert: New Summer Striper Tournament With Serious Cash Potential!
Fishing in the middle bay has been picking up! Many anglers within running distance are still making the journey up north to fish since it's been red-hot, non-stop action for chummers (read the Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report to learn more). But Thomas Point, Hacketts, and The Hill have all been worth checking out according to All Tackle in Annapolis. Most anglers fishing these spots have been chumming. Angler-in-chief Lenny Rudow also reports that fishing in the Middle-Bay area seems to be improving and mid-week he ran out to a spot within sight of Thomas Point in eight to 12' of water, and he and Vadim Lubarsky limited on fish from 22' to 24" in under an hour. White BKDs were the hot bait, the fish were holding near bottom, and they were active at the end of an outgoing tide. They also observed some bottom fishermen nearby catching white perch (and possible small throw-back stripers, of which there were plenty) on bottom rigs.
Perch fishing has been excellent, and most all the local rivers and creeks have been holding these fish in large numbers. Most perch are decently sized, primarily between 8 and 10 inches. Dave at Island Tackle Outfitters let us know that some guys have been live-lining with spot around Eastern Bay and catching larger fish, and that bluefish have moved in around Sharps Island. The live-lining report coincides with something else we've been hearing about this week: a good spot-bite on perfect bait-sized fish, in the middle bay area. Read How to Live Line With Spot, Part I, to get some insight into loading up on these little baitfish quickly and easily. The spot are biting bloodworms on bottom rigs, and have been concentrated on hard bottom. The mouth of the West River and up inside Eastern Bay have been mentioned as good areas to try. One angler mentioned that he did well on the spot in surprisingly shallow water, just eight feet deep.
Crabbing has been great and most guys are coming home with bushel baskets full. Chicken necks have been the bait of choice for trotliners and potters alike.
7/14/2017 Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report:
Most anglers residing around the middle Bay have had to run either north or south to get to the fish in their boats. Anglers running north have been going to Podickory Point, Love Point, and Swan Point to get in an action-packed day of fishing. (See the Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report for the details). Anglers running south have headed down to the target ships, looking to catch cobia, stripers, and blues hanging around them. (See the Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report for more details).
According to Bay Country Crabbing Supply, despite slow rockfishing in the area, most rivers and creeks are full of perch. If you’re not looking to run very far, perch fishing is a good option to put dinner on the table. Island Tackle Outfitters reports that some croaker have been mixed in with the perch catch. There are also some stripers to be caught at Thomas Point, though the vast majority are throw-backs. White BKDs on light jig heads have been the best bet.
Some stripers have been popping up in the South River for trollers, and they're surprisingly far up the river. Unfortunately, light tackle casting in the same areas has been disappointing with relatively low numbers of fish and mostly throw-backs.
Crabbing has been hit or miss, some watermen are coming home with bushel baskets full, while others are going home empty handed. Razor clams are still the crab bait of choice.
7/8/2017 Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report:
Anglers Sport Center let us know that the rockfish bite on the Middle Bay has been slow, seemingly because most anglers have been running up to Podickory Point or Love Point to fill their coolers. Those staying in the area are fishing just south of the bridge for rockfish, and have been chumming or jigging. Most fish have been residing on the benthos, due to the rising water temperatures. There are also good numbers of fish around the Bay Bridge rockpiles and surrounding pilings and at times (mostly at daybreak when temperatures are still low) these fish are coming up to the surface and breaking water. The majority, however, are throw-backs.
We spoke with several anglers who probed the waters around the mouth of Eastern Bay, both jiggers and trollers, and reported lackluster catches. There are still a few fish around, but in recent days the bite wasn't nearly as good as in past weeks.
Wow, it's not too often a whopper like the one in this picture above comes around!
White perch are heavy in local rivers, especially around structure providing shade and relief from hot, open water. Fourth of July weekend brought the best in Maryland—especially when it came time to cook up dinner. Many Marylanders opted for crabs as their party meal-of-choice, headed out on the water, and brought in bushels. Those who had the best crabbing this weekend strung up their trotlines with chicken necks and bags of razor clams. Most crabs have been in five to nine feet of water, mainly in the rivers. Rain received over the fourth of July weekend could potentially change the dynamics of where both the crabs and the fish are over the next week.