Upper Bay Fishing Reports
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, August 7 Update:
White perch, spot, croaker, and snakehead are keeping Upper Bay anglers busy while striped bass season remains closed. Jumbo spot and keeper croaker are becoming more common around the Bay Bridge and Upper Bay shoals, while perch are biting around oyster bottom and shaded structure in the tidal creeks. Snakehead fishing is also in peak summer form, with topwater frogs producing around thick grass and marsh vegetation.
With rockfish out, it’s good to hear that the perch have been biting, and that’s exactly what we heard this week from subscribers. They’re hitting bloodworms and Fishbites bloodworm flavor fished on bottom rigs and Chesapeake Sabikis. Reports of success came in from oyster bottom near Belvidere Shoals, Snake Reef, Seven Foot Knoll, and White Rocks. Perch should also be biting in the tidal creeks of the Magothy River, Patapsco River, and Chester River. Fishing in low light conditions in the early mornings will give you the best chance at finding fish feeding in open water areas of creeks and coves. Once the sun gets up, they often retreat to shaded shorelines, docks, and riprap. Small spinners can be very effective when casting to fallen trees and other structures in the tidal creeks. If you are fishing around docks, small twisty tail grubs and marabou jigs rigged in tandem can work very well. If the perch are being finnicky, tipping lures with bait can help increase your number of bites. Tipping spinners with small bits of bloodworms and jigs with grass shrimp should help when the bite is tough.
It’s that time of year when jumbo spot are starting to show up around the Bay Bridge and other Upper Bay shoal areas. There are plenty of three-to-five-inch spot around, but jumbos in the eight to 10-inch range are becoming more common. There is also croaker in the mix, but these two species don’t tend to mingle very often. Usually, if you find a school of spot, there won’t be many croaker in the same area, and vice versa. Catching them is pretty easy once you locate them. A traditional bottom rig or Chesapeake sabiki rig paired with size four or six hooks works very well. Bloodworms are arguably the best bait, but they are expensive and currently sell for around 20 to 30 dollars per dozen, which can get worked through quickly when the bite is hot. Alternative baits that work well include lug worms, red worms, and bloodworm-flavored Fishbites. Bottom fishing is the perfect type of fishing for kids, new anglers, or those wanting to enjoy a steady bite.
Snakehead fishing is in peak summer form with fish relating to grass beds and other aquatic vegetation. They can be found in the upper reaches of the Patapsco River, Middle River, Gunpowder River, Bush River, Chester River, and pretty much any tidal creek in the Upper Bay. While they are spread out all over the watershed, there are definitely concentrations in areas with more vegetation and marsh areas. Topwater frog lures are still the best bait to throw in thick cover, while chatterbaits and swimbaits are great for casting on open water or along the edges of grass beds.
