Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 26 Update:
Although it is the first official week of fall, not much has changed this week for the Upper Bay. Striped bass are still being caught in isolated areas. There has been some schooling fish near Hart Miller Island, Pooles Island, and Tolchester. The schools of fish have been in depths of 15’ to 25’ but aren’t always easy to find. Other areas of isolated structure have also produced some stripers, including the Bay Bridge, Love Point, and shipping docks in the Patapsco River. An angler fishing in the Patapsco reported a good topwater bite along a section of shoreline with rip-rap. There was a major fish kill in the Baltimore Harbor this week, which is being blamed on “turnover”. This naturally occurring phenomenon can happen when air temperature swings cause the top half of the water column to cool and sink to the bottom. This brings oxygen-poor water from the bottom half of the water column to the top. Low dissolved oxygen then kills fish in the area. Menhaden were the main loss, and the seagulls have been busy feeding on them near the harbor. Don’t let the birds fool you; they are feeding on dead or dying menhaden and not working above feeding stripers.
White perch fishing is still below average, and with summer’s end, the fish will soon head to deeper water. There are some fish being caught in the tidal rivers, but it is taking a lot of work to catch them. The Upper Bay shoals have provided some decent bottom fishing action for perch. Bottom rigs tipped with soft crab, minnows, or grass shrimp work best. We had a report from an angler fishing the pilings at the Bay Bridge who said he caught around a dozen white perch while dropping down grass shrimp on pilings in 10’ to 15’. Other reefs and hard bottom structure will be worth checking out for perch and stripers in the coming weeks. Spot are still roaming around the Upper Bay, but they will soon head south as cooler temperatures move in. Anglers looking to live line should get out soon to take advantage of these last few weeks when the spot are around.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 19 Update:
Striped bass are the main target for many Upper Bay anglers right now, and the cooling weather usually turns on the bite at the beginning of fall. Some readers report a good bite at the Bay Bridge for rockfish in the slot, with live-lining spot being the most productive method, but jiggers catching fish, too. However, we also heard from a reader who was there and skunked one day last weekend. The Upper Bay striped bass bite has been very hit or miss this month, and this week’s weather did not help the bite, with stiff NE winds stirring up the water. We had a report from an angler fishing inside the Patapsco who reported a good topwater bite for the first few hours of the morning. All fish were caught along dock edges in 25’ to 30’, and an aggressive retrieve got the most bites. Another boat fishing in the river caught 10 fish on topwater ranging from 18” to 26”.
There are still some spot around the Upper Bay tidal rivers to catch and use for live lining. Or you can keep them to eat, as a lot of jumbo spot have been hanging around. These fish will start to leave our area by the end of the month, as cooler water temperatures send them back south. One reader fishing at Fort Armistead reported a good spot bite last weekend, catching them on bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms. Croaker have been biting too, but most of them are under the 8” minimum size limit. It has been a tricky year for white perch, and they are still hard to pattern right now. The most consistent bite has been in open water areas such as Six and Seven Foot Knoll, Belvidere Shoal, and the reef site in the Magothy River. Fishing for them in the shallows has required anglers to cover a lot of water, but areas with a lot of shoreline docks have been holding some fish. Small spinners and jigs should get them to bite.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 12 Update:
The weather is cooling off, and many of us are looking forward to the fall fishing patterns that can provide great action throughout the Bay. Anglers Sport Center reports that rockfish in the Upper Bay are still biting well. Recent reports from anglers show fish being caught in the Patapsco River, Seven Foot Knoll, and the Bay Bridge pilings. Unfortunately, there have also been reports of scattered fish kills in parts of the Upper Bay, so if you see dead fish floating, it will be best to avoid those areas. Live lining is still very reliable right now as there are plenty of spot to catch for bait. Jigging with three-to-six-inch soft plastics also works very well if you want to stick with target stripers on light tackle with artificials. A big factor to consider when planning your fishing trip will be the tide. You will want to time a moving tide, as this is when stripers usually bite best.
While the perch fishing has still been below average this year, the bite is improving. Anglers fishing the Upper Bay tidal rivers are starting to find a more consistent bite in the shallows when casting to structure. One reader reported catching over a dozen during a short evening trip in the Magothy. Another reader fishing in the Chester reported a good perch bite along shoreline docks, though they were on the smaller side. Casting spinners and small jigs to shoreline structure is usually a great way to locate perch. While it has been effective for some, Anglers Sport Center let us know that their best reports have come from anglers fishing over open water structure such as shoals and reefs. Pieces of soft crab have been the best bait, but bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs. Reliable locations include Seven Foot Knoll, the Magothy River reef site, Belvedere Shoal, and the Bay Bridge. Bottom fishing for spot and croaker is also still good this week. The bulk of the keeper size croaker have been located around the Bay Bridge, Sandy Point, and Chester River. While bait fishing is very effective for them, you can also use artificial lures such as jigs and micro chatterbaits. When you pair these with small Gulp! baits, they work very well for croaker. Anglers should get in on this action soon, as cooling water temperatures will push spot and croaker south of our area in the coming months.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 5 Update:
The bulk of the summer heat has passed, and we have cooler temperatures to look forward to. This usually helps turn on the bite as fall has long been regarded as one of the best times to fish on the Bay. The striped bass bite in the Patapsco River has been tough at times, but anglers are reporting better success when timing the tide. The first half of the incoming and the first half of the outgoing have been noted as best. One angler said that after fishing for a few hours with only a few fish to show, once the incoming tide started, the bite turned on. They caught close to 20 fish up to 24 inches, with most falling within the slot. The striped bass bite around the Bay Bridge has also been tide dependent, with the fish holding near the bridge pilings and rock islands waiting to feed until the current is moving. Jigging the pilings has produced some fish for anglers, but live lining has been the most effective.
There are plenty of spot in the vicinity of Sandy Point that can be caught using bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms or Fishbites. The spot are typically in depths of five to 15 feet of water. There have been some jumbos around, but plenty of small ones that are the perfect size for stripers. We did not hear any great white perch reports this week. The Upper Bay tidal rivers such as the Magothy, Patapsco, and Chester have been holding fish in the smaller tidal creeks and in areas with shoreline structure such as docks and riprap. Perch spinners and small jigs are working in the shallows. Areas with chunk rock and oyster bottom have been producing perch and other bottom feeders as well. Recently, the perch bite has been best in the evening, especially when the last hour of light coincides with a strong moving tide. While fishing the shallows, striped bass will likely be around docks, marshy shorelines, creek mouths, and other areas with cover. It is worth casting a paddletail around these areas as cooler weather will trigger stripers to feed more.