Cover Image: Max Masear caught this rockfish jigging a Z-man plastic on a G-Eye Jigs jig head! Anglers employee Joe found that crabbing is still excellent in the Magothy River, catching a full bushel using a trotline with chicken necks in 8-12 feet of water.
Rockfish: There is a great rockfish bite all over the bay from north of the bridge down through Chesapeake Beach to Point Lookout. Jigging is the most productive way to fish for them right now, although people are still having success with live lining and trolling as well. The bay bridge pilings and the sewer pipe have been great for both jigging and live lining, and you can jig or troll along the channel edges and the mouths of the rivers and Eastern Bay. Fishing inside of our local rivers such as the Severn, Magothy, Patapso and Chester has been really good too, especially the evening top water in shallow water. Jigging and trolling in the rivers is an option too. For this type of fishing, you will be fishing in fairly shallow water, from 10-20 feet, so you do not need a lot of weight, 1/2-1 oz jig heads are perfect! It’s generally a good idea to fish inside the rivers when the tide is coming into the river, and at the mouths of the rivers when the tide is pushing out of the river! Regardless of whether you fish for them in the rivers or in the main bay, looking for underwater humps is a good strategy this time of year. Belvedere Shoals is one good example of a place to target.
Pickerel: The pickerel bite is good in our local rivers like the Severn and the Magothy, and in the Eastern Shore mill ponds and Tuckahoe. Use a minnow under a bobber or a 3-4 inch paddletail on a light jig head and target shallow areas with structure like downed trees or docks. Be sure to register for the CCA pickerel championship that starts on Tuesday, and join our Anglers and Daiwa Calcutta to win even more great prizes! Check out the details here.
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.
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!
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 10-12 feet and use chicken necks or razor clams. It’s the time of year to catch big, full crabs!
Ocean Fishing: There is a good rockfish and bluefish bite from the surf in Ocean City and Tautog are starting to show up in the inlet in great numbers! The Rt. 50 bridge is a great place to fish for them. Use green crab, peeler crab or shrimp.