reefs

September 23, 2023
Oyster bars are the spots to go for tasty seafood and in the case of striped bass, that means crabs, bay anchovy, Norfolk spot, and peanut bunker. Unfortunately, natural oyster bars today are but a…
September 5, 2023
Cape Hatteras is aptly known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, but Cape Henry at the Chesapeake Bay entrance has collected its share of wrecks - which have become fishing reefs - as well. A cluster…
August 11, 2023
The Chesapeake Bay entrance is best known for its fishing at the CBBT, but there's far more structure through this area than many anglers realize. Chart I of Chesapeake Bay entrance fishing spots…
November 29, 2022
A varied array of natural, accidental, and artificial reef building bottom features marked by blue circles on Chart 1 are available for sportfishing off the southern end of the Delaware – Cape…
November 10, 2022
During this leg of examining Delaware coastline structure and reef fishing, the focus is on a dozen offshore features shown by black circles on Chart 1 south of the Cape Henlopen – Five Fathom Bank.…
September 15, 2022
The Delaware seacoast is rather short, yet the saltwater wreck and reef fishing opportunities along it abound. Through the treacherous Delaware Bay ships carry local, regional, and international…
July 3, 2022
Previously we looked for rock formations in the Upper and Middle Bay and this month we pick up that theme off Cedar Point, where there are excellent online sonar resources that facilitate the scoping…
May 27, 2022
East Ocean View Reef, originally known as ODU College Reef, or ODU Reef, was sponsored by The Institute of Oceanography at Old Dominion University (ODU). The reef’s purpose was to support student…
April 23, 2022
Just how much can you learn with modern electronics, like a Furuno NavNet system with DFF3D capabilities? The scans tell the story. Off the middle of Assateague Island about 4.1 miles out, look for a…
March 25, 2022
“That reef’s not fishable” said the late Charter Captain Eddie O’Brien, who was dedicated to trolling for rockfish. “Why did they build it that way?” His complaint: the rubble was indiscriminately…
March 13, 2022
Established in 1970, the Tower Reef is one of Virginia’s early artificial reefs and was originally sponsored by the Tidewater Artificial Reef Association of Virginia (TARAV), before becoming part of…
February 15, 2022
Couch-potato scouting for fishing structure seemed like a worthwhile diversion during the pandemic shelter-in-place and scanning my computer screen for wrecks and obstructions started well; then the…
September 13, 2021
When the wind kicks up a nasty chop at favorite main-stem hotspots, knowledge of Bay area geography and tributaries like the Chester River can save a fishing day. Advance preparation enables…
June 18, 2021
In early 2020, Wolf Trap Lighthouse was listed for sale (again). Want to own a lighthouse? Located off Horn Harbor, Wolf Trap Lighthouse is named for Wolf Trap Shoal. The shoal was named for H.M.S.…
May 28, 2021
“Fishing in Maryland,” once an annual must-read for all who enjoyed Chesapeake Bay fishing, has been out of print for many years. Find an old copy, however, and you’ll see that one of its fishing…
March 2, 2021
When trying to find specific Chesapeake Bay fishing reef structure, it’s best to know where to look or else count on spending a lot of time playing hunt and find. I knew the gravesite of the ironclad…
February 14, 2021
Where the Middle Bay ends and the Lower Bay begins depends on one’s point of view. Although I worked in Maryland for a decade while supporting management of dredged material for the Port of Baltimore…
October 30, 2020
There’s nothing plain about three plane wrecks in the Chesapeake Bay, which have turned into fishing reefs. One went down in 1944, another crashed in 1945, and the third in 1989. Other plane crashes…