Upper Bay
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Rockfish are biting well in the Upper Bay. We’ve heard good reports from areas like the Patapsco River, Pooles Island, Love Point, the Bay Bridge, and the Magothy River. The majority of fish are being caught in open water on soft plastic paddletails, straight tails, and metal jigs. Any place with submerged structure like rocks or areas with steep contour are good places to find fish. Trolling umbrellas and tandems has been effective along channel edges. Live-lining eels, small perch, or spot has been working well at the Bay Bridge pilings. Some fish are still being caught shallow during the early morning around structure like rocks and docks by anglers using topwater plugs and light jigs, but the best chance at good numbers of fish will come in open water. Pickerel fishing in the tidal rivers and creeks has been excellent, with anglers finding success on live minnows, paddletails, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits. The Magothy, Severn, and Patapsco Rivers are excellent places to look for pickerel, especially around shoreline structure like grass, fallen trees, and docks. White perch are schooled up at the mouths of the rivers and in the main bay over shoals and hard bottom. Sabiki rigs tipped with bloodworms or grass shrimp as well as small metal jigs have all been getting bit.
Middle Bay
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The rockfish bite in the Middle Bay has been absolutely bananas. Bird shows and massive schools of fish have popped up in areas like the mouth of the Choptank, West, Severn, and Patuxent Rivers, as well as at Tilghman Reef, Bloody Point, and Thomas Point. Most anglers are casting and/or jigging paddletails, straight tails, and metal jigs at these fish. Trolling tandems or umbrellas along steep contour in these areas can be effective as well, but PLEASE be courteous to your fellow anglers when other boats are around, and DO NOT troll through schools of fish on the surface and ruin the action for everybody else! Some rockfish are still being caught in shallow water in the early morning on light jigs and topwater plugs, but the majority of fish are out in open water. White perch are being caught along channel edges in 30 feet to 60 feet of water on small metal jigs and sabiki rigs tipped with bloodworms or grass shrimp. Blue catfish are biting well in the Patuxent River on cut alewife, spot, and eels.
Lower Bay
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The mouths of the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers as well as Hooper’s Island and the Tangier Sound have been good places to catch rockfish. The shallow water bite in the early morning is productive when casting topwater plugs, diving plugs, or paddletails, but the majority of fish can be found schooled up in open water. Trolling umbrellas or tandems along channel edges has been effective, as well as jigging soft plastics and metals. Some speckled trout and puppy drum are still being caught in the Potomac and Tangier Sound around shallow water structure that relates to deeper water. A paddletail, twitchbait, or diving plug can be deadly offerings. White perch are schooled up over hard bottom in 20 feet to 60 feet of water and can be caught on metal jigs or sabiki rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworms.
Freshwater
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Trout fishing is excellent in areas where DNR stocked last month (you can check their website for exact locations). An inline spinner, micro jerkbait, Trout Magnet, or Powerbait rig are all great ways to catch them. Smallmouth bass remain active in the Monocacy, Upper Potomac, and Susquehanna River. Walleye are mixed in and are starting to feed as well. A deep diving crankbait or jerkbait, soft plastic paddletail, or lipless crankbait are great ways to imitate the shad that these species are feeding on and score bites. Yellow perch are starting to bite better now that water temperatures have dropped, and anglers are finding them in the Eastern Shore millponds. Live minnows, small spinners, and micro jigs are all great offerings. Pickerel are also fired up in the millponds, and can be caught around grass, fallen trees, and drop-offs. Use a live minnow, soft plastic paddletail, jerkbait, or glidebait for the best chance at catching them. Also in the millponds and in the rest of our regions ponds, lakes, and reservoirs will be largemouth bass and crappie. Largemouth bass are hunting in areas where structure transitions to deeper water. A jerkbait, chatterbait, or soft plastic paddletail are effective offerings. Crappie will be schooled up and suspended around submerged structure like wood and rocks. Dropping a live minnow, micro jig, or even bringing a spinner through the school are all good ways to target them. Blue catfish and flathead catfish are biting well in the Potomac River as well as many of the other tidal rivers and creeks in the region. Bottom rigs baited with alewife, eels, or even live sunfish or white perch are the best options.
Coastal
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Windy conditions continue to make fishing on the coast difficult, but some anglers are out there catching fish. At the RT 50 bridge, we’ve heard reports of rockfish and bluefish being caught as well as some squid. Heavy jigs are the way to get it done there. Tautog are biting well at the inlet jetties on peeler crab, sand fleas, green crab, and fiddler crab. In the surf, some rockfish and kingfish are being caught as well as lots of rays and dogfish. Very few boats were able to get offshore this past week, but the wreck and reef fishing remains on fire for those who are able to get out there. Sea bass, flounder, triggerfish, and bluefish have been the main catches. The canyons offer opportunity for swordfish and tilefish for those anglers who are able to safely make it out there.