Upper Bay Fishing Reports

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.