Anglers employees AJ, Lyndsie, Jimmy and Alex got a great rockfish jigging bite south of the bay bridge while filming videos with Fishtalk Magazine yesterday! They were using a mix of straight tail and paddletail plastics on 3/4-1 oz jigs heads, and flutter spoons!
Rockfish: One of the most productive ways to fish right now is jigging in the main bay either by marking fish on your electronics or chasing birds. Most of the schools of fish and birds have moved south towards the mouth of Eastern Bay and Chesapeake Beach. When you see birds working, cast to them! Otherwise look for fish on your electronics, typically in 20-30 feet of water. Jigging with straight tail or paddletail plastics is working well, as are metal jigs and flutter spoons. Closer to local area, there is still a good jigging bite at the bay bridge and the sewer pipe. Use 5-7 inch plastics on 3/4 oz to 1 oz jig heads. The bite in the local rivers such as Magothy Severn and Patapsco is also still pretty good! Jerk baits, paddletails and Rat-L-Traps work well in the rivers and at the mouths of the rivers.
Pickerel: The Magothy River is definitely the hot spot on the western shore for Pickerel, but the Magothy and Patapsco are good too! Be sure to register for the CCA pickerel championship that started this month, and join our Anglers and Daiwa Calcutta to win even more great prizes! Check out the details here.
Perch: White perch still continue to be caught in the rivers and creeks using small spinners or 3″ paddletails, as well as in their typical fall deep water spots at the mouths of the rivers and in the main bay. Points like Hackett Point, Thomas Point and the Six Foot Knoll are good places to target. We are also starting to get reports of yellow perch being caught in the western shore rivers like the Magothy and Severn. Use live minnows or small paddletails!
Snakehead: Snakehead are biting in the upper parts and creeks of the Magothy River and the Severn River, as well as in their typical locations around Blackwater on the Eastern Shore. As the water continues to cool down, minnows will work really well! Chatterbaits and weedless paddletails are also great options.
Crabbing: Crabbing is still excellent!! The Magothy, Severn, Eastern Bay and Crab Alley have all been doing good. You do need to move your traps or trotlines deeper now that the water has cooled down a bit. Try 12-15 feet and use chicken necks or razor clams.