Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 28 Update:
The month we love and cherish called Rocktober is coming to an end, but it is leaving us with some spectacular fishing in the Middle Bay. AIC Lenny Rudow says the bite has become much better in his neck of the woods, with breaking fish popping up most days last weekend and early this week somewhere between Tolly Point and 85A, usually in 20 to 30 feet of water. Relatively shallow water off the West River in seven to nine feet has also been good at times. A reader checked in with a nice 24-incher among the fish having smashed his white skirted BKD in the mouth of the West. Water temperatures are getting cool enough that it many fish are moving out to deeper water. Another reader checked in from south of the West River to report breaking fish and lots of bird action multiple days this week. They noted that most of the action came in the afternoon and evenings with not much to show in the mornings. Schools of fish were in around 20 feet of water and larger fish were holding near the bottom. One evening them had the school to themselves and caught enough fish to develop sore arms and an intense case of fisherman's thumb. The rockfish were in the 16-to-24-inch range. The bite inside the rivers has remained tough, though, and the perch seem to have left them as well.
We had a reader check in from west of Poplar and another from the area around The Hill in Eastern Bay, both reporting sporadic bird action when rockfish in the teens to mid-20s pushed bait to the surface. One noted that the evening bite has been a lot better than the early bite. South of Poplar hordes of bay anchovies can be spotted with birds dipping over them, but no predators were harassing them. The white perch seem to have vacated the shallows of the rivers for the most part and have headed to the deeper shoals and oyster beds. Those still wanting to target the perch will have the best luck in 20-to-40 feet of water. Bottom rigs baited with bloodworms or Fishbites should get the job done. The perch are fat this time of year and are a good option for stocking up on fish fillets for winter.
The Patuxent has produced similar results with fish scattered from Benedict to Cedar Point. Several readers noted catching nice fish in the zone and a kayak angler reported a pair of nice fish in the mid-20s caught around the bridge at Solomons.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 20 Update:
We have been blessed with some great fishing this past week as Rocktober gets into full swing. Readers hitting the mouth of the Severn report a strong jig bite on fish into the mid-20s. Readers fishing inside the mouth of the South and West reported sporadic bird action but very fast-moving schools and only getting in a cast or two before the fish would disappear. AIC Lenny Rudow seconded that report, noting that most of the fish are undersized but there are a few 20-somethings mixed in, in shallower water. He also noted that fishing the shallows and docks inside the South River itself has been disappointingly slow. And we heard from a reader who trolled small tandems through the West/Rhode/South zone but came up blank.
But – and this is a BIG but – the AIC also made several trips finding breaking fish north of Thomas Point and south of the green number-one. These schools were also up and down fast, but when you could get there quick enough fish in the 20- to 25-inch class were smacking just about any offering. Finding them on the meter after the birds settled was key but when successfully done, every angler on the boat hooked up on fat rockfish. Trollers working the area were also doing well with what looked to be tandem rigs.
Shore fishermen at Matapeake have had excellent fishing this past week. Anglers reported that multiple fishermen have caught keeper rocks and some have even been pushing the 30-inch mark. In addition to the rockfish, there have been some surprise catches of black and red drum using peeler crab. A reader checked in from the shallows of Shady Side and reported a slow but steady perch bite using minnows floated under a bobber near shoreline structure. He noted that although there wasn’t a large school of perch, they had some size to them with most being 10 inches plus. The perch have started, and will continue to, make their way into deeper water along shoals and oyster beds. Holland Point has been productive for anglers bottom fishing using soft crab or bloodworms on bottom rigs. The perch are fat right now and offer a good opportunity to fill a cooler to stock up on fish fillets before winter hits.
Crabbing Report: A reader checked in from Deale and reported that crabs were still running good in the creeks. They used drop traps baited with white perch and caught a heavy two dozen in about an hour. Those looking to crab should get out there and take advantage of them while they are there because the crabs will soon be heading for deeper water as water temperatures drop.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 14 Update:
Fishing for rockfish is really starting to pick back up after poor weather gave us a slow start to Rocktober. Multiple readers report that the fall push of fish at the mouth of the West River has begun. Trollers reported solid action pulling light tandem rigs up and down the contours at the river mouth, and a kayak angler checked in with a dozen-plus rock up to 24” falling for paddle-tails trolled in seven feet of water. He noted that his crankbaits didn’t get touched.
Light tackle jigging is a popular method this time of year and many areas in the middle Bay are holding fish for the taking. Two readers reported finding quality mid-20s rockfish down deep in Eastern Bay in 30’ to 35’ of water, including a few solid fish in the 26” range, although both also said it required dedicated hunting with the fish finder. Small stacks of the fish were sitting down near bottom and bouncing jigs after spotting the pods was key. A third angler reported seeing them but being unable to coax any bites out of the fish. And a troller working the channel edges from Bloody Point down along Poplar tied into five blues plus a bonus flounder (small but still cool!) while pulling small bucktail tandems and Clark spoons. And another reader reported hitting the Bloody Point-to-Choptank zone to no avail during one of the post-storm bluebird days. Rockfish are very active in the shallows right now but finding areas with clean water and moving current seem to be holding the most fish. Creek mouths, shoreline points, and rock jetties are all good areas to target in the shallows.
The Tackle Box reports that the mouth of the Patuxent around Hog Point and Goose Creek on the Naval Air Station has been good for rockfish. Anglers have been catching them on lures such as swimming plugs and jigs with paddletails. Contributor Eric Packard found rock plus several puppy drum multiple times this week, kayak fishing on the north side of the river’s mouth. Four-inch white paddletails and three-inch Gulp! twisters on half-ounce heads did the trick.
Anglers reports that the water temperatures in the Bay are steadily dropping which has started to push the white perch into deeper waters. They can still be caught in the rivers and tidal creeks near rip-rap, docks, and other shoreline structure on jigs, minnows, and spinners but some of the best action will start to be in deeper water. Oyster bars and shell bottom have had good action for the perch recently and a Chesapeake Sabiki rig, or bottom rig baited with bloodworm, Fishbites, or peeler crab works great for these tasty fish. The Bay Bridge has had good bottom fishing at the shallow pylons from 10 to 20 feet of water. Anglers are catching mostly perch but there are still a few spot hanging around. The next few weeks will make for some great fishing so take advantage of your opportunities to get out on the water. Good luck and tight lines!
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 6 Update:
The weather from Hurricane Ian made fishing nearly impossible from last weekend through the early part of this week and reports from the Middle Bay have been scarce since then. Water is till muddy from the rains, and it will likely take a few days for the water to clear up but hopefully when it does the rockfish fishing will pick back up. Live-lining is still an option this time of year, but spot will soon be heading south making it more difficult to find live bait. Boats anchoring along shoals and reef sites prior to the storm were catching rockfish into the mid 20s on spot, eels, and peeler crab. Rockfish will start to school up along river mouths and channel ledges as cooler temperatures push baitfish out of the tidal rivers and into deeper water. Trolling with smaller shad umbrella rigs can be effective this time of year. If you are marking fish deep, use inline wights to get your baits down to the fish. Light tackle jigging will also become a popular option as cooler water temperatures push baitfish into deeper water. The shallow water fishery has been great in the Middle Bay and once water clarity increases, should provide great action. Chesapeake Outdoors says the Choptank, Little Choptank, West River, and Eastern Bay are all good places to throw topwater baits and paddletails close to rock structure and points.
We dodged a bullet with Ian, and even though it’s been chilly Contributor Eric Packard came home from a vacation, took a few casts into the lower Pax, on his third toss caught a striper, and soon after that a small speck. Overall, he said the bite was very slow, though, and early this week rain, wind, and extreme tides were still creating difficult conditions. The recent rain and colder weather have likely pushed the remaining mackerel in the Middle Bay south for the year, but the bluefish will stay around through the end of the month. Expect the bluefish to be mixed in with rockfish feeding on bait in open water. Keep an eye out for birds while cruising around. Anglers let us know white perch are still available to catch in the Middle Bay tidal rivers but that they have started to school up on deeper water oyster beds. Those targeting perch close to shore should focus their efforts along dock pilings and rock jetties while throwing spinners and jigs through the end of the month. Hopefully fishing will improve this weekend and we can get back to some of the great bites that October normally provides.