Cover Image: Anglers employees Morgan and Lyndsie caught several nice rockfish in and near the Choptank River using 3-4 inch Z-Man Fishing Products Diezel Minnowz on 3/16 oz G-Eye Jigs jig heads using the NEW JLS Rain Minnow rod! The moderate fast action of this rod is perfect for fishing paddletails in shallow water for both rockfish and speckled trout!
Rockfish: The tributaries are now open for Rockfish, but the main bay is still going to be your best bet for catching nice sized fish. Hot spots this week have included Love Point, Podickory Point, Swan Point/Tolchester, the bridge pilings and the sewer pipe, and most fish are being caught jigging or live lining spot. If jigging, use 1/2-1 oz jig heads and a 5-7 inch plastic. Most fish are going to be suspended in 20-30 feet of water, so work your jig up through the water column while jigging. When jigging for suspended fish, it can help to slow the fall of your lure by adding a skirt. Trolling smaller profile tandems or surgical hoses along channel edges and the mouths of the rivers can be productive as well. Chumming with fresh alewife has actually produced some very nice rockfish north of the bridge, along with catfish. South of the bridge down toward Chesapeake Beach, nice fish are being caught as well, both jigging in open water from 20-30 feet and in shallow water using 3-5 inch paddletails on 3/16-1/4 oz jig heads.
Speckled Trout: Some exciting news from this week is the big speckled trout that are being caught on the eastern shore side of the lower bay and the Tangier Sound. Fish grass flats and points in very shallow water using 3-4 inch paddletails on 3/16 or 1/4 oz jig heads. Give the lure a steady retrieve with plenty of twitches.
Perch: White perch fishing is starting out on the slow side, but there are perch spread out in the main rivers. Use Chesapeake sabiki rigs tipped with fish bites in deeper water, or spinners like rooster tails or perch pounders in more shallow water, and cover some ground to find them if you can!
Black Drum: We are still yet to hear reports of black drum showing up in the bay, but it is traditionally the time that they do show up over reefs and submerged structure in the lower bay. Use peeler crabs or soft crab if you head out there to look for them!
Red Drum: Red Drum should also be starting to move into Maryland waters in larger numbers sometime soon, and nice bull reds are being caught in Virginia waters. Use paddletails to target them in shallow water, or try peeler crab!
Flounder: Flounder fishing is picking up in the back bays of Ocean City, Assateague and Wachapreague. Bottom bounce gulp or squid!
Crabbing: Crabbing got off to a slow start this season because of rain and cooler weather, but it’s finally starting to pick up, and trotlining, with either chicken necks or razor clams, is really starting to produce. Try the Severn River, South River or Eastern Bay!