Maryland Fishing Report
July 26th, 2019
Rockfish
Chumming/Chunking/Live Lining
As the summer rolls on, Live-lining spot and perch continues to be the most efficient and productive way to catch some decent keeper Rockfish. With that said, we have seen a TON of throwback fish being caught. Please remember that with warmer water, these fish are very stressed. Catching and releasing should be done with care, and ideally all done in the water. The Maryland DNR Fisheries division posts daily rockfish advisories on Facebook so stay tuned to that. Some of the better spots this week were typical spots like the area around Swan Point (north to Pooles Island), the triple buoys in the Love Point area, Podickory Point and just south of Hackets Point. Chumming with FRESH Alewife on an in-line 7/0-9/0 circle hook has been landing good rockfish and many catfish mixed in. Live-lining spot and perch around the Bay Bridge pilings has been pretty hot nearly all year!
Light Tackle Casting
Nice sized Rockfish are being caught on topwater very early in the morning and also late in the evening. Areas where you can target them on top are in 10′ or less along ledges in the Eastern Bay, around Thomas Point and also around shallow structure that has deep water close by. The rock piles under the Bay Bridge as well as the area around the Kent Narrows bridge are decent spots to target them on top before the sun comes up.
Jigging for these fish is also working well around vertical structure like the Bay and Key Bridge pilings. Look to find them in 15′-25′ of water near these pilings. Some other areas that have been producing have been the channel ledges in the mouth of the Eastern Bay and just north of Poplar Island.
Trolling
In the upper or middle bay area trolling is putting meat in the box. There are quite a few spots that have been producing nice catches. The flats in the upper bay, Love Point, the shipping channel from Love Point down to Bloody Point are all good areas to focus your efforts. If you can find clean/clear water early in the morning, look to use red hoses and spoons on size 1 planers. Look to use size 17 gold Pet Spoons. Some decent spots further south are going to be between the mouth of the Patuxent River to the mouth of the Potomac River.
Perch Fishing
Despite the hot water conditions, Perch have been biting like crazy. The tidal rivers in the middle bay area have been producing good numbers of Perch, especially in 8′ of water or less around submerged structure. Look to use a small spinnerbait like the Perch Pounder in Jamie’s Halloween or Electric Chicken colors. Other good spinners are the Mepps Super Roostertail or the Beetlespin with a Mr. Twister soft plastic trailer.
You can find Perch in deeper water as well. Look for hard shell bottom in 10′-20′ of water. Popular baits are going to be Soft Shell Crab, Bloodworms or Razor Clams rigged on top & bottom rigs with 1/2oz of weight. If you’re bottom fishing, don’t be shocked to hook into a decent Channel or Blue Catfish!
On August 18th we are holding our 4th Annual White Perch Open tournament! It’s a fantastic tournament for the entire family as there is a Children’s division and an Adult division. The fun filled event will be held at Podickory Point Yacht Club and begins at 1pm. To register and for more details, head on over to the White Perch Open page! Good luck and tight lines!
Snakehead Fishing
The snakehead bite has been good lately. The evening/low tide bite in Blackwater has been on fire over the last two weeks. Areas like the Potomac or Patuxent are producing good fish, especially on chatterbaits. Great baits to use are going to be the Z-man Jackhammer chatterbait in white/chartreuse, the Savage Gear Ninja Mouse in white, or the Lunkerhunt Combat Frog, also in white.
Largemouth Bass
Many of the area’s freshwater fishing ponds and lakes may be getting choked out with vegetation. Don’t let this stop you from fishing these spots! Topwater baits like hollowbody frogs or mice will work well in situations like this! Generally the water is of good quality and the bite has been decent. Look for an early morning bite in shallower water and as the day gets later, the fish will be either taking refuge under docks, trees or moved to deeper points. Look to use topwater in the early mornings and transition to a stickbait bite in deeper water as the day goes on.
Show us what you caught!
We’d love to see your catch! Send your photos with some simple info (your name, location, bait/technique) and any other info you’d like to share to kevin@anglersannapolis.com. By sending your images you are giving us permission to use them online.
If there are any children under 18 we need their parents permission before posting any images online!