We all know printed fishing reports are generalized and weeks have passed before the report gets into your hands, so for timely, up-to-date reports, visit our Reports section. Current reports will be published every Friday by noon — just in time for your weekend fishing adventures. In the meantime, here’s our monthly prognostication.
COASTAL FISHING FORECAST
It may be cold out there but December can be a fabulous month along the coast. With a little luck, by the time this forecast gets printed we’ll have trophy-sized striped bass inshore, at the inlets, and/or at the mouth of the Bay. With a little more luck big bluefin tunas will be cruising along the inshore shoals and shadowing schools of bunker. We should also note that the last few seasons wreck fishing along the coast has remained hot well into December, with sea bass and tautog the main fare but flounder and bluefish in the mix.
FRESHWATER FISHING FORECAST
On the freshwater front December might be one of the most underrated months of the year. Trout will still be biting (though water conditions will dictate just how fiercely) and bass will be blasting baits fished along relatively deep structure like channel edges and submerged timber. One of the most active species at this time of year, however, is crappie. They’ll be schooled tightly, often suspending relative to structure, and thoroughly willing to hit small bladebaits, jigs, and minnow. Remember that in large reservoirs they’ll often flock to bridge pilings right about now.
WAY NORTH CHESAPEAKE FISHING FORECAST
It’s catfish time, people. Again. Expect the holes and channels to be loaded with ‘em and any deep water within sight of the 95 bridge clear out to the Flats should prove productive. Up in the river walleye and a few smallmouth should be chewing, and in nearby tribs like the Northeast now’s a great time to target crappie. On top of all that, yellow perch should begin showing up in solid numbers this month, ready to hit micro-jigs and minnow.
UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY FISHING FORECAST
We have until the 10th of the month to take home a fresh rockfish dinner, and past that point enjoy some catch-and-release action. If the trends we’ve seen in recent years continue expect the Patapsco to be a red zone and if we get uber-lucky, by mid-month when the season closes those trophies will be within cruising distance.
MIDDLE BAY FORECAST
The first third of December rock remain open and beyond that… well, let’s just say every striper aficionado within 100 miles of the Middle Bay will be watching the reports for signs of a repeat of last December. If it happens, we’ll be enjoying an epic bite on 40-plus-inch fish as they blast bunker from Bloody Point down to the Lower Bay zone. This was indeed epic last year, folks, but that body of fish is the last big pool of breeding-sized fish so be sure to study “Trophy Spring Rockfish Catch and Release,” which is all about how to handle these fish while doing minimal harm.
LOWER BAY FORECAST
As we transition from targeting rockfish for dinner to catching and releasing, there’s no telling if or when the megarock will pass through, if they’ll continue up to the Middle Bay, fail to show up at all, or decide to set up shop in the Lower Bay zone. It happened in a big way in decades past, so keep your fingers crossed. Meanwhile, southern portions of this chunk of the Bay may well continue to enjoy action on speckled trout for a little while longer. And up the tributaries in fresher zones trophy-sized blue cats should be feeding hard at this time of year.
TANGIER, POCOMOKE, AND LOWER SHORE FORECAST
Once December 11 arrives and rockfish go out of season it will get a bit tougher to take home a fish for dinner, but recall that southern portions of the ESVA enjoyed speck and redfish action well into December last year. In fact, anglers who shifted their attention from the shallows to slightly deeper structure reported some banner days until late in the month.
WAY SOUTH AND VA FORECAST
We’ll be holding our breath to see if those big cow stripers decide to hang out near the CBBT this December, but even if they don’t, a good push of fish should be passing through at some point. We’ll be just as interested in seeing if the reds and specks set up shop in areas like the Elizabeth and the inlets, as they did last year. Either way it’s a safe bet that tog fishing at the CBBT, HRBT, and nearby structure will be in prime form this month.
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