Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 25 update:
Will this be year four of total Upper Bay domination, when it comes to summer stripers? It’s starting to look that way. Anglers who got out this week enjoyed some striped bass action live-lining and trolling throughout the Upper Bay. Captain Bones pointed us towards some good bites happening right now at Swan Point, Podickory Point and the rocks around Love Point. Swan has been coming up constantly in both reader and multiple tackleshop reports as the top pick. Live-lining has been relatively productive, especially when anglers can locate a good school of spot to stock up with. We had a few reports from the area right off of Sandy Point and in the lower Magothy, for finding spot in hefty schools. Chummers have also been taking their fair share of fish and along the shipping channels, the trolling bite has been steady for anglers pulling Sassy Shads, umbrellas, and large bucktails. Fishbone’s suggested pulling spreads at between 25 and 30 feet. For chummers, catfish are still proving themselves an inconvenience.
Perch fishing is now in full-swing summer mode, with good fishing around piers, boathouses, and rip-rap in the rivers. Our Angler-in-Chief Lenny Rudow reports the perch bite was good in the Magothy, after a successful Father’s Day fishing trip hitting the perch from the docks and by kayak, using two-inch red and white tubes. (Thought he speculates that even more would have been caught on bloodworms and grass shrimp). The catch was primarily white perch, but there were also a few yellows mixed in. In the afternoon, casting your lures into shaded areas was critical.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 19 update:
While the Upper Bay has had a tougher bite than areas further south, it’s still getting attention from liveliners, chummers, and jiggers fleeting up in multiple areas. One reader reported a good livelining bite this week at Rock Hall, as well as a good chumming bite at Podickory Point. Fishbones and Clyde’s both mentioned that Podickory Point and Love Point are hotspots for a mix of chummers and liveliners right now, although they’re still pushing back against the catfish invasion that has stricken many of the Chesapeake’s waters. They did report that the chummers they talked to enjoyed a mixed catch of schoolies and some keepers, with a few solid days on the water. Jiggers seemed to have mixed results this week—we had a couple reader reports of lots of fish on the meter at the Bridge and Sewer Pipe, but few bites. Still, Fishbones let us know that some jiggers hitting the Bay Bridge Pilings early in the day had good results, and enjoyed steady(ish) schoolie catches. Trollers have been cruising the Upper Bay as well, primarily sticking to the channel edges and area around Swan Point. They’ve been pulling umbrellas with some success, although we heard of a lot of skunk days too.
White perch can be found in creeks and throughout the Tribs, and are coming up on bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs. They’ve been a great option for impromptu fishing trips in the morning and late afternoon, since you can find them at most local piers right now.
Crabbing Report: Again this week we didn't of any strong trot-line or pull-trap catches north of the Bridge, but we've now had multiple reports from pots on piers producing two or three jimmies in a day and we doubt many people tried during the week thanks to the wind. It should be worth a shot!
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 11 update:
Tailored Tackle let us know that plenty of boats left the docks this week to try out the traditional late-spring hotspots. Although most of the action is happening further south, we did have a few good reports this week of stripers coming in. They mentioned that trollers sticking to about 25 feet of water pulling bucktails, umbrellas, and Sassy Shad caught a few keeper fish, although they were out on the water for most of the day in order to do so. They reported that the best color in their spreads this week was overwhelmingly white, although chartreuse got a little action. Guys who weren’t trolling typically hit Podickory Point, Love Point, the Sewer Pipe north of the Bridge, and the Bay Bridge Pilings, to mixed avail. Although we heard that the bite has been slow in these areas, we did have readers report that chumming seems to be the move – though you will have to deal with the catfish. Still, there were fewer open-Bay cats reported this week than last, possibly because of rising salinity levels. Jigging in these areas has been reported as so-so.
With waters warming, white perch fishing continues to pick up and spot have now entered the building. In fact, other species have as well – we heard from Anglers Sport Center that one of their customers caught a number of small black sea bass at the Bay Bridge, and then a reader sent in another report of catching one near the eastern rockpile. For all of the above, bloodworms are the top bait. As for the perch, their numbers are increasing throughout local creeks and also on tributary oyster bottom (when and where the red tide isn’t a factor) and they’re showing up under docks and near shore. Most anglers catching them right now are sticking to bloodworms or grass shrimp on a bottom rig.
Crabbing report: We haven’t hear from anyone north of the bridge having great luck just yet, but we did talk to a resident on the Magothy who got his first couple in the traps off his pier. Plus, this week was a good one in the Middle Bay – so we expect it’s time to get crabbing.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 5 update:
Anglers who hit the water this week enjoyed a steady striped bass fishery from dusk to dawn throughout the Upper Bay. Although most of the stripers coming aboard right now haven’t been huge, they’re putting dinner on the table and providing plenty of action. Tailored Tackle heard from multiple anglers this week who were able to get into pockets of fish primarily consisting of undersized schoolies, making for an energetic bite. Tailored Tackle and some of our readers also reported that light-tackle jigging has been bringing some action. The Bay Bridge pilings and Love Point stood out as good spots, though crowds at the bridge can make fishing difficult. Jigging soft plastics off bottom was a common tactic of choice, with white and pearl the stand out colors. For chummers, this season has largely been dominated by catfish. While they’ve remained relentlessly pesky, anglers are reporting catches of striped bass as well while chumming around Podickory Point and the sewer pipe. A reader this week confirmed they were catching at Podickory Point on bunker. They reported some large cats up to 20-pounds and several keeper rockfish caught around them. We also had a reader report catching a lot of spot off of Sandy Point, and at the Bridge.
In the just-plain-weird category, Anglers is reporting that one of their customers got into a bunch of small black sea bass at the Bay Bridge while fishing bloodworms on bottom. Hmmm... With waters warming, white perch fishing is taking a turn for the better. Their numbers are beginning to increase throughout local creeks and they’re showing up under docks and near shore. Most anglers catching them right now are sticking to bloodworms or grass shrimp on a bottom rig. Unfortunately, however, the Magothy in particular has been hit by poor conditions thanks to the mahogany tide, and fish kills are being reported in several parts of the river.