Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 25, 2019 Update:
Beautiful fall weather coupled with great fishing has been drawing plenty of boats out on the water this week. Tochterman’s reported that the Key Bridge area, the mouth of the Magothy, Severn, and Seven- and Nine-foot shoals all provided excellent action. They also had a few reports of good action around the Podickory Point and Swan Point channel edges. The best bite remains focused around the Key bridge, where the best bite has been in the morning and late afternoon. Jigging has provided plenty of daytime action and near-constant schoolies. Using chartreuse, white, and pearl BKDs or Gulp! lures has been the most common choice. Most channel edges are also holding stripers, however, locating them will require searching and keeping a diligent eye on the depth finder. Keeping an eye out for working birds is advisable, as well. Plenty of anglers are scoring the bulk of their catch under the birds, and although the stripers are often undersized, they’re providing fast action.
Several reader reports also came in from the lower Chester, where the story is much the same except that a few larger fish up to 28-inches were also reported. Fishing deep (often on bottom) in areas with active birds was the ticket.
Anglers tired of catching schoolies this season are turning to catfish, which have been crazy large. The catfish are eager to snatch chicken breast, cut menhaden, and clam snouts drifted on the bottom. Strewn throughout the Upper Bay, they’ve been an easy target for shore-bound and boating anglers.
White perch are relocating from shallow waters into deeper areas as the weather cools down, but can still be caught off local shorelines and piers. They haven’t become fully inaccessible to shorebound anglers, and periods of high winds have made them a great option if you’re looking to get in some fishing time. Dropping down bloodworms and a bottom rig is a great way to get them on the hook.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 18, 2019 Update:
Wacky weather and tides this week kept some boats at the docks, but those who did venture out enjoyed stellar fishing for fall schoolies. Tochterman’s reported that the Key Bridge area, the mouth of the Magothy, and Seven and Nine foot shoals all provided excellent action. The Key Bridge has been a stand-out, lately. Although the best bite has been in the morning and late afternoon, plenty of daytime action has been going on for jiggers. Bouncing soft plastics off the bottom in these areas has been very productive. Most channel edges are also holding stripers, however, locating them will require searching and keeping a diligent eye on the depth finder. Keeping an eye out for working birds is advisable, as well. Plenty of anglers are scoring the bulk of their catch under the birds, and although the stripers are often undersized, they’re providing fast action.
The Chesapeake is also supporting a healthy catfish population, which anglers are turning to for larger catches. The catfish have been chunky and eager to snatch chicken breast, cut menhaden, and clam snouts drifted on the bottom. There hasn’t really been a specific place guys are going to target them – they’ve been strewn throughout the tribs and Upper Bay.
White perch are relocating from shallow waters into deeper areas as the weather cools down, but can still be caught off local shorelines and piers. They haven’t become fully inaccessible to shorebound anglers, and recent periods of high winds have made them a great option if you’re looking to get in some fishing time. Dropping down bloodworms and a bottom rig is a great way to get them on the hook.
Boating Alert: The super-high tides last week dislodged a lot of flotsam from the shorelines, including large logs and limbs. Cruise with care, and keep a sharp eye out.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 10, 2019 Update:
During the few breaks between gusty winds, days spent on the Upper Bay recently have been primarily centered around cruising the channel edges in hopes of spotting a school of stripers with the depth finder, or birds with binoculars. Although some of the past week’s hotspots have slowed down recently and the fish have been very scattered, ample opportunity to catch fish is being provided by schools of schoolies spread along the channel edges and feeding on baitfish near the mouths of the tribs. Fish aren’t really centered in any specific area. Going after them has basically entailed spotting them or trolling the channel edges with a collection of small spoons and bucktails, leaving the depth finder on. Heading to working birds and tossing soft plastics or bucktails into the mix, or jigging under them, has been producing plenty of schoolie stripers underneath micro-fish (eight- to 12-inchers) making up the bulk of the fray. The occasional keeper is mixed in. The tune at the Key Bridge has been slightly different with a number of boats gathering around the area, and anglers jigging bucktails and soft plastics enjoying a healthy bite. While the general trend has been lots of action with little to brag about, this spot does seem to be producing the most keepers in the area.
In the tribs, catfish and white perch have been abundant. Dropping clam snouts, cut menhaden, or chicken breast at the mouths of the rivers has been landing plenty of blue and channel cats. Drifting bait along bottom has been a great tactic for getting one on your hook, they’ve been chunky, and if you’re looking for a good fight catfish might just be the way to go. White perch are continuing to hold close to shore, but as the weather cools down, they’ll begin to move into deeper waters. For now, heading to your local pier with some bloodworms and a bottom rig is a great way to land them.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 4, 2019 Update:
Striper action continues to be strong in the Upper Bay for both jiggers and live-liners, though spot are becoming a bit more difficult to locate and some anglers are switching over to small white perch (which are still getting the job done). Just south-east of Pooles Island, Man O War shoal, and Seven Foot Knoll have all been producing fish. Jiggers slinging BKD lures and similar offerings in the four- to six-inch range and slow-trolling plugs and small bucktails dressed with paddle tails have also been finding some keepers in the lower Patapsco and around the Key Bridge, as well as around the Bay Bridge pilings. There’s a high percentage of throwbacks, but plenty of fish in the low-mid 20s, if you work for ‘em.
White perch are the other species of interest right now, in the tribs and creeks. Bait anglers using bloodworms on bottom rigs and lure anglers using Beetle Spins and Perch Pounders are both getting plenty of fish along the piers, seawalls, and rip-rap.
Crabbing Report: Well, there are some crabs in the Upper Bay tribs but as has been true all year it isn't exactly spectacular action. If you want to load a basket heading for a river south of the Bay Bridge is a good idea.
A note to readers attending the Annapolis Boat Show this week - Upper Bay Report Sponsor Riverside Marine is there with tons of fishing boats on display. If you see 'em, be sure to say "thanks" for sponsoring this report!