Upper Bay Fishing Reports

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 5 Update:

There is still plenty of rockfish action in the Upper Bay for anglers to take advantage of before the season closes on December 10th. A couple of reader reports came in of action near Love Point, at times punctuated by bird play. Most of the fish were just under or in the slot, but a few larger fish were reported as well. Jigs have proven effective, but trollers seem to be consistently getting better numbers of fish, and Spoonbrellas continue to be a hot offering. In the Patapsco, resident striped bass are congregating in deeper water where they can be found throughout the winter. The main channels and deeper ledges are where most of the fish can be found right now. One angler reported a slow but steady bite while dropping metal jigs in the main channel earlier in the week. White perch can also be found in these same zones, where they can be caught on small metal jigs, blade baits, or by dropping down bloodworms on bottom rigs.

Pickerel fishing has been good in the Upper Bay tidal tributaries when the tide allows boats to get into the prime areas, though Contributor Eric Packard reported slow action mid-week during an afternoon with no tide at Stony Creek. The upper Magothy River creeks are a common hotspot, but the Baltimore area creek tribs, off the main stem of the Patapsco also hold good numbers of pickerel. They tend to hang around fallen wood, docks, and other shoreline structures. Flashy lures such as spinners, jerkbaits, and chatterbaits are very effective at getting bites. Unfortunately, we may start to see ice forming on the creeks, which will restrict where anglers can get out to fish. With overnight lows at or around freezing, it will be a good idea to check water conditions, if possible, before fishing. On the bright side, if the cold temperatures persist, we may get some ice fishing opportunities again this year.