Lower Bay

There are two spectacular fishing opportunities for bluefish this week in the lower Bay. The first is the abundance of large bluefish that are in the 8-10 pound range along the eastern side of the Bay from the HS Buoy south past the Target Ship along the main channel edges. Trolling Drone spoons and surgical tube lures behind planers is a very effective way to target them. If you are lucky you can encounter them as breaking fish; casting metal into the group will certainly put a bend in your fishing rod. These bluefish are real porkers, big and fat. There is a smaller group of snapper-size bluefish –  ranging around a half pound to ¾ pound – found in shallower waters around Point Lookout and the mouth of the Potomac River. 

The shallow water fishery for a mix of striped bass, slot-size puppy drum and speckled trout are keeping light tackle anglers busy and happy. The lower Potomac, St. Marys River, Patuxent, Hoopers Island, and the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are all great places to fish the shallower waters during the morning and evening hours. Casting a mix of topwater lures, spin jigs, and paddle tails all work well. In areas with channels and cuts with a good current, drifting soft crab baits is a good way to hook up with red drum and speckled trout. 

There are reports this week of large red drum chasing bait in the form of juvenile menhaden near the Target Ship and the Middle Grounds. The action can pop up at any time, and if the fish are not driven down by boat traffic the action can be exciting. Casting soft plastic jigs is the most popular tactic and if the drum is deep, jigging is employed. Unfortunately, if large toothy bluefish are mixed in, soft plastics are going to take a beating.

We have not heard much about flounder fishing in the lower Bay this week but normally this time of the year it is worth the effort fishing for them in Pocomoke and Tangier sounds. Any hard bottom shelf near deeper channels can be a good place to drift with pink or white Gulp baits. 

Fishing for spot in the lower Patuxent is as good as it can be; the spot are about as large as they can get before colder water urges them to head south. Kingfish, croaker, and white perch will often be in the mix. The mouth of the Nanticoke and Honga Rivers along with  the Point Lookout area and Tangier Sound are great places to fish for them. White perch can also be targeted in the many tidal creeks and rivers by casting small spinnerbaits, jig spins or soft plastic jigs near promising shoreline structure. Fishing grass shrimp or peeler crab on a simple bottom rig is another good tactic. 

Recreational crabbing is still good this week in all regions of the Bay. Most crabbers can finish off an outing with a full bushel or close to it. Many are culling out crabs less than 6 inches and going to the extra-large crabs. Reports this week tell of good crabbing in waters between 6 feet and 10 feet deep, but also report a lot of sooks and small crabs chewing up baits.

Freshwater Fishing

October is just around the corner and the traditional fall trout stocking program will begin in areas where water conditions will support the stocking of trout. Check the DNR website for more information on when stocking will take place near you. 

The boating activities on Deep Creek Lake are really beginning to slow down, and the waters once again are becoming quiet for fish and anglers. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are still holding to a general summer pattern of activity, although anglers are reporting that on cloudy days the top water bite can last well into the day. Poppers, soft jerk baits, and buzzbaits have been good choices for this type of fishing. Floating docks and moored boats continue to hold largemouth and smallmouth bass. Slow presentations of jigs, tubes, soft stick baits, and wacky rigged plastic worms will often trigger these lurking fish to strike.

Fishermen are now finding walleye and yellow perch at 10-15 foot depths over deep grass beds. Drifting with live shiners over these areas or using small jigs has been an effective way to catch them. Anglers are also starting to see crappie congregate around bridge pilings.

The upper Potomac River continues to experience very low flows this week. Wading is still a fun way to fish the river, and you can see boulder formations that will be hidden during higher flows, so make note of them for future fishing. Anglers are having good luck catching smallmouth bass by casting root beer-colored tubes, small crankbaits, and topwater lures during the morning and evening hours.

Fisheries biologists were busy last month surveying smallmouth bass in the upper Potomac River. Juvenile smallmouth bass seine surveys were completed on the upper Potomac. The overall seine index score was below the historic average, but juvenile smallmouth bass densities were higher in the upper sections of the river. Juvenile smallmouth bass were observed in a range of sizes, suggesting that multiple spawning events occurred during the spring. Fall boat electrofishing surveys will be conducted at many of these same stations to monitor adult bass numbers.

Fishing for largemouth bass is good this week in tidal and nontidal waters. Grass tends to be the key target this time of the year. The largemouth bass are hungry and active due to cooler water temperatures; grass is where the food is, so you can find the largemouth bass by, usually in waters usually less than feet deep. Topwater lures in the form of frogs, poppers, or buzzbaits are good to use over grass. In tidal waters, watch out for Chesapeake Channa focusing on those topwater lures. 

When encountering floating grass mats over water with some depth, dropping weighted wacky rigged plastic worms down through the grass is a great way to target any bass holding underneath. Working soft plastic craw jigs near the edges of thinning grass or sunken wood is another good tactic. Casting spinnerbaits and jerkbaits around the outside edges of grass patches or spatterdock fields can work well.

Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays

Pestering easterly winds did not make for very good fishing conditions for anglers in the surf, the bays, or offshore this past week. The surf is calming down and kingfish and spot are still in the mix. A run of red drum is anticipated, and anglers are fishing large cut baits hoping for some catch-and-release action. Migrating bluefish may very well begin to show up along the beaches. 

At the inlet and Route 50 bridge area, bluefish tend to be the most common target for anglers casting a mix of bucktails, soft plastic jigs, and Got-Cha lures. Drifting cut bait during the night tide has also been a very effective way to catch bluefish. Striped bass are in the mix and casting soft plastic jigs during the early morning or late evening hours gets the best results. Flounder are always in play at the inlet and as bay waters cool next month, anglers will see more flounder moving through the inlet as they head offshore for the winter months.

The back bay waters have been cloudy due to strong winds but are clearing up quickly. The back bay channels and especially those leading towards the inlet offer the best fishing opportunities. Traditional baits of squid and minnows work well, but the largest flounder are being caught on live spot, finger mullet, or Gulp baits in white or pink. 

There is a significant ground swell still present offshore, but a few boats have ventured offshore to fish the wreck and reef sites for black sea bass and large flounder with good results. Boats trolling the inshore waters should start to see bluefish and false albacore when trolling. At the canyons, a few boats came back to the docks recently with catches of dolphin and flags flying indicating white marlin releases.