Upper Bay Fishing Reports
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 4 Update:
The reopening of rockfish season has brought a strong topwater bite, particularly in the Patapsco during the early morning and evening. Live-lining spot around bridge pilings and jigging soft plastics in deeper water should remain productive, with the Bay Bridge, Swan Point, Pooles Island, and Love Point worth checking. White perch are also active around docks, bridges, and shallow structure, while spot and croaker are providing excellent bottom-fishing opportunities over oyster bottom.
Rockfish season is now open for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The Upper Bay zone was the place to be before the closure, and it seems like the bite picked up right where it left off. We heard several reports from anglers fishing in the Patapsco River that the topwater bite this week was good during early morning and evening hours. We didn't have any reports from the Bay Bridge, but after a month without fishing pressure, there should be some fish hanging around the bridge pilings. There are plenty of spot around to be used for live lining, so tossing a spot up to a piling during a moving tide should lead to some bites. Jigging artificial soft plastics up against the pilings in 15 to 40 feet of water is also a great way to catch them at the bridge. Early morning hours are usually best for light tackle jigging the pilings. Other historical areas of interest for striped bass fishing during the month of September include the Swan Point area, the lumps around Pooles Island, and Love Point.
White perch are also hanging around in the Patapsco, any shoreline with docks in the five-to-10-foot zone should be a good area to look for them. Docks that appear older or dilapidated tend to attract the perch more than newer docks. The growth on the older pilings tend to attract more bait like grass shrimp and minnows that the perch feed on. Bridges in the river are other good areas to perch fish. Dropping grass shrimp, bloodworms, or Fishbites along the pilings should produce some bites. Other areas in the Upper Bay to catch perch include the Magothy River, Bodkin Creek, Stoney Creek, and the Chester River. The creeks on the upper Magothy tend to hold perch, and there are hundreds of docks to fish and potentially find them. Really any tidal creek in the various tidal rivers could be holding perch right now. The key is to find shaded shorelines with rip rap, docks, or deeper marsh edges with a moving tide. Perch are most active during the first two hours of daylight and in the evenings but can still be caught during midday hours in areas with shade. Larger docks with depths of five to 12 feet of water at the ends of the platforms are great places to cast a perch spinner or small jig.
The reef balls in the Magothy continue to produce croaker, including keeper-sized fish, for anglers dropping bottom rigs baited with bloodworm or Fishbites bloodworm. A subscriber reported catching spot in the mix, too, with some large enough for the frying pan. The Upper Bay shoals such as Six Foot Knoll and Seven Foot Knoll are offering good bottom fishing opportunities right now with spot, croaker, and a few white perch willing to hit a variety of baits. If you look at nautical charts and can find areas with oyster reefs or bottom with oyster hash, these zones are where you will want to drop some bottom rigs. Not all the oyster bars will be holding fish, but if you can locate a few within a river or section of the Bay, making a few stops should eventually lead to some bites. This month will be the last opportunity to catch good numbers of spot and croaker, because once the water temperatures begin to drop, these fish will school up and head south for the fall.
