Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 25, 2019 Update:
The past week's heat wave has passed, and it’s time to get out on the water this weekend. Fishing for stripers has stayed steady, and live-lining has been an anglers’ best bet at catching. Most boats leaving the dock have been headed to the Bridge, Hacketts Bar, Thomas Point, and Bloody Point. (Up on Thomas in 10’ to 15’ of water is where you can find plenty of spot, too, though they’ve become widespread and are not hard to find elsewhere). Our Angler in Chief visited the bridge pilings last week and reported an excellent bite consisting of mostly 20-somethings but some very nice fish in the mix, including up to 35-inches. Anglers suggested heading out at dawn, as the bite has been best earlier in the day, especially in shallow locations. They also mentioned that most fish are being caught in less than 20 feet of water. Anglers jigging these areas have had limited success, and those who have are relying on spotting them with the depth finder. Getting everything done early truly seems to be the ticket to bringing home dinner this weekend. Alltackle also mentioned the importance of heading out early not only to get in on the bite, but to find your spot in the fleet. The water has been busy lately, leading to precarious situations and frustratingly limited access to hotspots.
In the past week anglers have also spotted fish breaking water in the Thomas Point vicinity, in the open Bay out near the ships, and in Eastern Bay. Most of these fish are undersized and fish you aren’t keeping should be quickly unhooked and released without taking the fish out of the water. Current conditions are stressful for them and they’re highly susceptible to dying off right now. The DNR is currently recommending that fish not be taken out of the water during the release and if temperatures break 95-degrees, switching to other target species after 10:00 a.m. That said, if you jig or live-line down deeper below the breaking fish there are some keepers to be found holding in the 20 foot depth range.
Heading to the Patuxent to catch spot is another solid option, the Tackle Box reported that Green Holly, Sandy Point, Point Patience, Kingston Hollow and Hawk's Nest have been great locations and there’s a mix of bait- and eating-sized spot in the river. There are also stripers in the river with anglers doing best live-lining around the bridge pilings at Solomons.
If you’re looking to catch white perch, head no further than your local dock. White perch are packed in around shoreline structure, and have been highly active around dawn and dusk, and in shaded patches of water over structure during the day. Most guys going after them are using bloodworms or grass shrimp on a bottom rig, or tossing small spoons and spinners.
Crabbing Report: Crabs have started picking up a little further north and are being caught in the West and South, but it’s not nearly as consistent as we’d all like until you get down to the Choptank or Patuxent.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 18, 2019 Update:
See the Upper Bay Report, rinse, and repeat – the Bay Bridge is still uber-hot and uber-crowded as both Upper and Middle Bay anglers head there in great numbers. On top of that it’s supposed to be obnoxiously hot this weekend, but luckily the best bite in other areas of the Middle Bay seem to be in the evening when the sun isn’t beating down overhead. As the sun sets, Bay Country Crabbing Supply suggested heading outside the mouth of the South or just north of Thomas Point, where stripers have begun to school up and break water in the past week. We also heard from two readers who found them busting water under birds in the mid-Bay, between the ships and Thomas Point. The majority of fish schooling up in the middle of the Bay have been on the smaller side, between 15 and 22 inches, but there are keepers in there and they’re providing some steady action. At the bridge itself live-lining spot is hot. President of the Annapolis Anglers Club, Kevin McMenamin, checked in to let us know that their annual summer fishing trip filled five boats out of Anchor Bay Marina – and all five hit their limit of stripers using that tactic around the pilings, with enough time left over to catch some perch back in the South River.
Spot can be found on hard bottom in 10 to 20 feet of water, through most of the mid-Bay tribs. They’ve been particularly packed into the Patuxent, including some bigger than bait and big enough for the fryer, and are glad to take bloodworms on a bottom rig. In the rivers, catfish and white perch are also making their presence known to anglers using cut bait (catfish) or blood worms (perch). Contributor Eric Packard also noted that some keeper stripers are coming off the bridge pilings in the lower Pax, for those who live-line some of those smaller spot.
Hellish heat this week has forced the fish int he shallows into deeper water and shade. Locating a shady patch near shore seems to be the ticket to landing white perch. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow reports that finding shady patches over rip-rap shoreline was the key to gathering a nice perch dinner mid-week, as he cast small spinnerbaits a-la Perch Pounders and out-fished the FishTalk Reports editor hands-down (wait a sec – what?!)
Crabbing report: Bay Country let us know that the crabbing has been hit or miss, with little apparent rhyme or reason. It seems to be coming down to luck, location, and having fresh bait. Heading to the Patuxent has been the move for guys not looking to drop crazy money on a bushel.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 12, 2019 Update:
The Middle Bay has provided steady fishing for the past few weeks with some periods of lockjaw, but generally speaking a great area to get fish in the cooler. Bay Country noted that the major shift of the past week has been the fleet straying from jigging and moving to live lining as far more spot are present around areas with a hard bottom, and live lining them has been many anglers' ticket to larger and more plentiful stripers. Most guys have been heading to Hacketts, Thomas Point, and the channel edges to catch them. Spot are typically being caught on bloodworms in 12 to 15 feet of water. Hacketts Bar and and Deale Reef have been common destinations for liveliners. Bloody Point, Thomas Point, and Gum Thickets have been great areas as well. However, Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow notes that he’s hit Thomas a couple times in the past week and this spot has been beaten on so hard lately that most of the fish still present are throwbacks, especially on the lighthouse rocks. Just getting within casting distance has been tough, due to the abnormal pressure. Bay Country also reported that the fleet is moving back to chumming as well as livelining - plenty of schoolie fish are being caught on fresh-cut menhaden. Locating them has been a bit of an issue, and many guys are relying on their fish-finders around channel edges to do so. On the flip side, it seems that trolling has experienced a bit of a drop off this week. Fewer noteworthy fish were caught by trollers in recent days, and the bite has been a bit slow.
In the tribs, snakeheads are moving up the creeks. Anglers Sport Center suggested going after them with live minnows or plastic frogs. Their ability to thrive in shallow water and holes makes them a perfect target for shoreline anglers, who should seldom have to travel far for their catch. Catfish are in the same boat and remain a pesky bait-stealer for many anglers. But their numbers seem to be on the rise in the tribs and falling in open waters, as the salinity levels finally begin to creep up a bit in the Bay and these fish seek slightly fresher climates.
Perch fishing, meanwhile, is on fire in the tribs. Each day this week my younger brother has launched our boat to travel in search of perch and his effort have not been in vain - the perch fishery in the creeks of the South in particular has absolutely taken off with Perch Pounders and Beetle Spins (especially yellow/pink-dotted Rooster Tail Supers) taking fish after fish on rip-rap and in shaded areas when the sun is high. Many anglers coming into Alltackle in Annapolis reported that in addition to biting steady, the white perch have been absolutely huge this year and 10-to-12-inch perch haven’t been an uncommon sight. Another panfish of note: The Tackle Box mentioned that spot are hot in the Pax (around the oyster bars near Sandgates has been doing well), where eating-sized fish (with some small croaker mixed in) can be bailed two at a time quite often on bloodworms or Fishbites on hard bottom in eight to 25 feet of water.
Crabbing Report: Spotty at best. The West, Rhode, and South have all shown promise in recent weeks, but are having some tough sets of days. Getting into the crabs and catching has been a matter of persistence, and luck. Heading south to the Patuxent has been the move for many anglers unwilling to drop crazy money on bushel.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 5, 2019:
High winds and thunderstorms made fishing tricky at times this week, but anglers who did manage to leave the docks enjoyed some stellar fishing around the Bridge and just south of it. Anglers Sport Center says most of their customers are still heading to the Bridge but Gum Thickets and Hackett's Bar have been common destinations as well, and there has been a strong bite for jiggers in the area. Thomas Point and Bloody Point are doing well too, and many anglers have been headed out right at dusk to get in on the topwater bite. Chummers run the risk of being catfished, while trolling the Bay has been an absolute madhouse in recent weeks in many hotspots as the crowds have been very large. Particularly at the bridge, expect to encounter a fleet.
Alltackle mentioned that for chummers, dropping a chunk or two of soft crab along with your alewife baits is sometimes the key to success. However, there are now enough spot on shell bottom in the 12 to 20 foot depth range that live-lining for rockfish has become a viable option. (See How to Live Line With Spot, for the details on how to catch 'em and how to fish 'em). The Tackle Box reported that spot are concentrated near the O'Club, Sandy Point, Drum Point, Green Holly, and Point Patience. They also mentioned that there are plenty of spot at Hawk's Nest at the mouth of Cuckold's Creek, however, the amount of perch in the mix is a greater percentage. Further up the Patuxent at Helen's and Gatton's Bar and at Broome's Island there have been smaller spot, perch and tons of eight-inch rockfish. They noted that big spot will move up the river in the next few days if the area avoids big rain squalls.
Those who enjoy ultralight tackle fishing for perch in the shallows should get out and hit the creeks and coves of the closest trib asap. We had many reader reports of white perch now in the shallows on rip-rap, piers, and pilings on both western and eastern sides of the Bay. Small spinnerbaits in green, white, and gold color patterns are being smacked with abandon, especially in shaded areas during the day and along rip-rap shores during the evening hours.
Crabbing Report: Crabbing remains okay in the Pax but best in the Potomac and below, however they’re slowly moving north. Down-river locations in the West and Choptank have been viable spots for crabbers recently.