Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 25 Update:
Anglers: due to all the blustery weather the past week, we had a tough time getting our usual data dump. Reader reports were down and several of our usual sources simply said they haven't been able to get out. We've gathered what info we could, but have to warn everyone that this week's reports are on the thin side.
Rockfish have been at the bridge and the rockpiles for a couple of weeks now, though it’ll be crowded on weekends so getting there early or staying late is a good way to boost the catch. Good reports continue to come in from readers fishing the Magothy, who are encountering lots of pickerel. They’re mostly bycatch for folks who are perch fishing at this point in time, but a great sign for the late fall/early winter tributary pickerel bite. FishTalk bro Steve Rudow also let us know there are some keeper stripers in the shallows, and he bagged a 21-incher mid-week on a white soft plastic with a hot pink paddle-tail. Angler’s Sport Center confirms that the shallow water bite is on the up-swing, and recommends fishing early and late in the day on points and structure.
In the Weird-Catch-of-the-Week department, Brian McCormick snagged an honest to goodness smooth puffer fish (that’s the poisonous kind!) at Belvidere Shaols, while jigging. Be careful out there, people! Perch are also on Belvidere, where they’re easy to pick up with bottom rigs and bloodworms or Chesapeake Sabikis.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 18 Update:
Although the Spanish mackerel have begun their retreat south, there’s still plenty of action happening north of the Bridge right now. Tochterman’s crew member Tim Campbell reported on some awesome striper action that happened last weekend as the Back River Restoration Committee (BRRC) held their 13th annual tournament. The tournament winners were all within an inch of each other — three 33-inch (and change) fish! The second and third place fish were caught by anglers trolling the Bay Bridge north, however, the winner caught their whopper drifting live eels around Pooles Island. (We'll have a full run-down on the tourney results in a future edition of FishTalk). The BRRC tournament also had one mackerel place, a 20-incher. And while most reports indicate that the cool nights we’ve had recently sent the schools of mackerel scuttling south, we did hear from a reader who caught a nice one while casting jigs at Nine Foot Knoll.
Fishbones reported that anglers trolling six-inch green Tsunami shads were getting into some big ones between the Sandy Point light and Hacketts. Tochterman’s also recommended hitting the area between Seven and Nine Foot Knolls, as well as the area around Man-O-War shoal. They’ve all popped up as hotspots for the fall season so far. Boats have also been lining up along the western shore four-piles at the Bay Bridge, jigging and live-lining to put their stripers in the cooler. We also had a couple of reports of success from the rockpiles, too, however, word is that they’ve been crowded at times and difficult to fish.
If you’re hoping to catch some perch, the mouth of the Magothy, Chester River, Swann Point, and the Bay Bridge pilings all have plenty of perch hanging around. Dropping bottom rigs with bloodworm, FishBites, or grass shrimp is popular. Small spinners are working too, up the tribs and in the shallows.
Crabbing Report: It’s on, people, bait up your trot lines!
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 11 Update:
A fleet formed up early in the week off Sandy Point and up to the north, mostly live-lining and chumming but also with a few jiggers working the edges and humps just inside the shipping channel. By all reports fishing was good but not great with a fair number of throwbacks and a few keepers being caught. Angler’s Sport Center reports a decent bite in the shallows and up the rivers, particularly on topwater at daybreak and sunset.
Heading out for white perch has been a popular option. They’re hanging around shoals throughout the Bay, and are easily accessible throughout the tributaries. Anglers have multiple options, from the shorelines and by boat. Most guys targeting perch right now are dropping down bottom rigs baited with blood worms, grass shrimp, or Fishbites. Chesapeake Sabikis have become tough to find as many stores have sold out on them and are waiting for a resupply. Tochterman’s mentioned using small spinners around the Key Bridge. Speaking of the Key Bridge, there are some keeper rock in that area too, though mostly scattered and being caught in onesies and twosies. One reader checked in to let us know he trolled up a keeper in that area while pulling spoons, and another reported getting the fishbox slimy thanks to a six-inch tandem (white) pulled off Love Point. There are also reports of some decent jigging action at the bridge rockpiles and the Sewer Pipe.
Crabbing Report: Crabbing is on fire—get ‘em while the getting is good!
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 4 Update:
White perch are making news in the Upper Bay. Herb’s reported that there are plenty in tidal creeks and rivers, as well as hanging out at Seven Foot Knoll, Swan Point, and on the Bay Bridge Pilings. Dropping bloodworm/Fishbites baited bottom rigs and Chesapeake Sabikis has been catching them. At Seven Foot, Swan Point, and on the Pilings, stripers have been coming up, too. Herb’s noted that most of them are small in size, but are compensating with their numbers. If you try any of these areas and find yourself in a pocket of throwbacks, it’s good practice to move on. Removing the fish from the water during high surface temperatures stresses them out. Tochterman’s mentioned that there are also white perch and schoolies around the Key Bridge.
In an interesting note, some of those micro-drum that have been caught in the Middle and Lower Bay have worked their way as far north as the Magothy. They aren't keeper fish, but how many people can say they've caught redfish north of the Bridge?! We didn’t hear anything about Spanish mackerel up north of the bridge this week, meanwhile, although that doesn’t mean they’re not around. Tough conditions kept anglers off the water this weekend, possibly causing the reduced catch.
Crabbing Report – We didn’t hear first-hand from any recreational crabbers working the Upper Bay zone this week, but since they’re running strong in the Middle Bay and crabbing has picked up Way North, we have to figure the Upper Bay tribs are a good bet for stringing out the trot line right about now.