Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report August 28, 2015
Striped Bass
The continued schooling action we have had throughout the month of August has been tremendous. Breakers have been primarily south, in Thomas Point and Gum Thickets. Various flats of Eastern Bay have been yielding plenty of schoolie sized stripers up to 22 inches in anywhere from 12 to 25 feet of water. Success has been primarily using 1.5 oz Sting Silvers on a dropper rig, with small Clousers up top on 30 lb fluorocarbon. Throughout the northern part of the bay, large schools of fish are still hanging around river mouths and channel ledges from 15 to 30 feet of water. Here success is found using o 5 and 7 inch Bass Assassins, with 1/8 to 1/2 oz jig heads, barring tide and current. The bridge is still phenomenal, although the only trouble is finding which piling is holding a good number of fish. The past week we have had good reports of the western side up in shallow anywhere from 10 to 20 feet of water as well as a great early morning bite off the Rock Piles. In top water, angler’s report they have been starting to pick up a few fish in shallow flats on a low tide in the late evening. Try using with Zara Spooks, Smack-It’s, and Bomber Badonkadonks. Trolling anglers are still doing well with Surgical hoses, Clark Spoons, Tony’s, Drones, and small Spro Bucktail Tandems with mylar shads in chartreuse and bunker colors. Primarily, the bite has been between Tolly and Hacketts Point, on the ledge from 15 to 35 feet of water. For live-lining, same story, only different. If you can find the “spot”(no pun intended) it has been phenomenal out front of Tolly and Thomas Point up north to Podickory and Love Point. With that being said, chumming and chunking is still a very effective method to catch later “summer pigs.” The same spots (Hacketts,Tolly’s, Podickory, Love, Swan Point, etc.) on 20 foot ledge on a good incoming tide have been productive, with angler’s yielding fish up to 30 inches.
Bluefish
It’s been a good year for the bluefish. It started with a good run down out of Ocean City and ended up with 2 to 4 pounders schooled up from the bridge and south. Look for birds on breakers and throw any metal you’ve got (Kastmasters, Hopkins, Sting Silvers, P-lines, Spro Bucktails, etc.). Rumors have it that good areas to hit have been Gum Thickets, the mouth of the West River, Poplar Island as they are chasing small anchovies and alewive around the bay.
Spanish Mackerel
It’s on guys! The bite has been consistent the past week around Eastern Bay to Poplar. Break out the Drones and the Clark Spoons and number 1 and 2 planers, troll about 6 to 8 knots on and off of ledges. Again, look for breakers as many mackerel are going to be mixed in chasing bait and go at it.
White Perch
Nothing new here…late summer black backs are everywhere. Find your favorite piece of structure and grab a 1/4 oz Perch Pounder in Jamie’s Halloween and Chartreuse with a gold blade and go nuts! Primarily the bite has been better on the start of an outgoing but regardless a shad dart tipped with some Berkley gulp jigged off the bottom at high tide is always a safe bet for some action. As far as out of the creeks, any hard bottom with some bloodworms and razor clams is sure to be a good bet to find some “hog perch.”
Spot
Don’t ask! No one knows where the small spot are hiding. Seems to be they are found at Dolly’s one day, the next 3 days, silence, to be followed by good report down in Eastern Bay. What we can report is there are some big pan sized spot hanging off of Tolly Point, and around Whitehall in anywhere from 12 to 18 feet of water (for how long, who knows).
Croaker
It seems as though we have never had a rush of croakers up the bay this year. But any hard bottom down towards Thomas Point has been holding a few nice sized croakers in about 10 to 16 feet of water, on the outgoing tide in the evening. Try baiting with peelers and soft crab. Not really a huge score, but definitely enough to keep a couple youngsters entertained for a bit.
Channel Catfish
Yes, they are still here north of the bridge, and doubtful to get rid of anytime soon. Break out some alewives and clam snouts or even a peeler, if you are feeling crazy. Head to a flat and go wild! Many nice channel cats have shown up again around the mouth of the Magothy and Chester River.
In the meantime and as usual…tight lines,
Capt. Avedon
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