Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 25 Update:
Rocktober has about a week to go and anglers are still waiting for the fishing action to bust wide open. While the striped bass fishing hasn’t been great throughout Maryland, Upper Bay anglers are experiencing the better bite with the Patapsco River being a hot zone. The fall bite hasn’t reached full throttle, but bird shows and blitzes are starting to pop up more frequently with early morning topwater action being reliable as well. An angler fishing near Fort McHenry reported finding white perch and striped bass willing to hit metal jigs in 12 to 17 feet of water. They also had two surprise catches with a pair of flounder in 10 feet of water just 100 yards off the fort. They quickly released them without measuring, but guessed they were around 16 inches. If you hit the water at sunrise, casting topwater plugs and poppers towards rip-rap shorelines and other structure will often produce aggressive fish willing to eat. A lot of the fish in the river are 18 to 24 inches and a lot of fun on light tackle.
Readers live-lining spot at Love Point report decent action on slot fish but note that they’ve become wary lately and the bites are slower to come by. Another noted that the fish have been scattered and trolling white tandems in 18’ to 25’ has been doing the trick. We had a report that the slowed action in the Magothy, which slumped since the weather changed, has continued. A few perch and rockfish can be caught by casting along the docks but nothing like the bite they were enjoying there a couple of weeks ago. There were a few reports from boats fishing at the mouth of the river and along the bayfront who said that trolling the ledges produced better results than fishing in the river. Tandem rigs, Rat-l-Traps, and paddletails were all mentioned as working well. Another boat trolling at Seven Foot Knoll caught their limit of stripers quickly and said they marked plenty of fish along the ledge at the knoll.
The colder months bring back an excellent angling opportunity in theUupper Bay rivers. Chain pickerel can be found in the Severn, Magothy, and Baltimore area creeks and the cooler water temperatures get them more active. These fish will be found in the smaller creeks branching off the main stem of the rivers and will often be found near docks and shorelines with fallen trees. Shiny lures such as spinners and jerkbaits work exceptionally well for them. Live minnows fished under a bobber is another common tactic that can usually get them biting if they are being stubborn. Pickerel have sharp teeth, so make sure to use heavier leader that will hold up during the fight. They will be active throughout the fall and winter and are a reliable option to target when other bites start to slow down.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 18 Update:
Temperatures were on the colder side this week which seemed to give fish lockjaw at times. We heard from some disappointed anglers who said the bite grew tough once the abnormally high tides ended and the temperatures began to drop. Two reported jigging the bridge and sewer pipe and one skunked while the other caught just two dink rockfish, and another angler said he hit the Love Point rocks, the lower Chester, and Ken Narrows to no avail. This October ‘lull’ seems to be apparent across much of the Middle and Upper Bay as fish patterns are transitioning. The open water bite hasn’t cut loose yet, but that should kick off with more consistency once November arrives.
The Patapsco River still seems to be where the most consistent bite is happening, though bite windows have been limited to mornings and evenings. An angler fishing inside the Key Bridge on the Patapsco reported a steady topwater bite along rip-rap shorelines. They caught plenty of smalls and five slot-sized fish that were all released. They said the bite shut off around 9:00 a.m. Another boat went out in the morning for the holiday at the beginning of the week and said they caught close to a dozen stripers in an hour before the wind kicked up and pushed them off the water.
Perch fishing is still good in the creeks and rivers of the Upper Bay. Grass shrimp baited on shad darts and small jigs have been the bait of choice for fish in the shallows. In deeper water at shoals on the main stem of the Bay and at river mouths, perch, spot, and some small croaker are all biting. Bloodworms and Fishbites tipped on bottom rigs are working at the Bay Bridge pilings, Six Foot Knoll, Seven Foot Knoll, and other areas of deeper structure. Reports of puppy drum being caught in the Magothy are still coming in as the temperatures drop, and this week we heard from a pair of readers who caught them on small paddletails fished in the shallows.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 11 Update:
While Rocktober is off to a slow start in other regions of the Bay, the bite has been very good in the Upper Bay for the most part. The Patapsco continues to be highlighted for providing steady action and the largest schools of fish. Early morning topwater action has been good around docks, sea walls, and other structure. There are good size schools of striped bass cruising around the river chasing bait. They aren’t always easy to find, but if your boat has electronics, covering enough water with side scan will usually allow you to find some worth casting to. An angler working rip-rap shorelines last weekend reported that the early morning bite was on fire as they caught around a dozen slot stripers a few channel catfish and a white perch. Topwater lures worked well at sunrise then four-inch paddletails kept the fish biting once the sun got up. They did mention that the bite died down around mid-morning. Anglers fishing around Pooles Island report that the bite has slowed down a bit and they are having to work harder for their fish. There have been sporadic bird shows popping up, but without any consistency. The fall pattern should continue to shape up through the end of the month.
Catfish are biting steadily in the Upper Bay, both on cut bait and also at times on eels being offered up in hopes of rockfish. Reports of a mix of blue and channel catfish came in from the Patapsco and the Pooles Island area this week but truth be told, any deep water north of the Bridge can be productive for these fish.
The white perch bite in the Patapsco River has been very good lately and anglers are reporting a nice class of fish. You should be able to find perch anywhere from Six and Seven Foot Knoll to the old Key Bridge, and up to Fort McHenry. Live minnows work well to get the better class of perch to bite and will help weed through the little guys. Bloodworms or Fishbites will also work well when dropped down on bottom rigs. One angler fishing in an undisclosed location of the river filled a cooler with white perch and had three fish over 13 inches during a trip this week. As water temperatures continue to drop, look for the perch to school up and hang out in deeper water. Right now, they can be found scattered in the shallows and out deeper, but as we approach November, they will be holding in 20 to 30 feet of water. Bottom fishing will still work, but a fun way to catch them in deeper water is to drop down small metal jigging spoons. Perch will hit them aggressively and make for a fun catch on light tackle.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 4 Update:
The famous month of “Rocktober” has arrived and we are already off to a good start in this region. The Patapsco River continues to be highlighted as a hotspot for striped bass fishing right now. Stripers have been tough to locate in many regions of the Bay, but the Upper Bay seems to be offering the best chance at a consistent bite. There have been good reports from anglers targeting them in the vicinity of the old Key Bridge. Jigging has been a very effective tactic, but fish finders have been the key tool in locating the fish. An angler fishing further up in the river near the shipyards reported that last weekend they saw plenty of action with over 30 fish caught. Most were under slot, but a few were slot fish up to 22 inches. The overcast days made for an excellent topwater bite close to shorelines. A couple of reader reports also came in of rockfish off Love Point, with the unexpected problem that at times the fish are over the slot. Fishing live spot was the ticket but one reader said it seemed like the fish were getting smarter, and they were playing with the spot quite a bit before taking the hook at times.
Bottom fishing at the river mouths and shoal areas is good right now. An angler fishing at Seven Foot Knoll reported that there is an abundance of small flounder hanging around. Another angler fishing at Fort Smallwood said that croaker and spot are biting well on most days and at times his rod is getting hit every cast. Many of these fish are on the small side, but there are fish worth eating if you can weed through the little ones. Throwing out bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms, peeler crab, lug worms, or Fishbites is a sure-fire way to get the fish biting. White perch fishing is also good right now and they can be found in open water or at inshore areas near structure. In the shallows, search for them at docks, rip-rap shoreline, and marshy shoreline. Light tackle angler find good success throwing small spinners and jigs for them. There have also still been a surprising number of puppy drum in the shallows of the Upper Bay. Most of the pups are under the slot, but they are still a cool bycatch and fight hard for their size.