Cobia are still being reported in the lower Bay. Chumming and drifting live eels or live spot back in the chum slick is a proven method to catch one of these great gamefish, which were known as “crab-eaters” and “black bonito” in the Bay many years ago. Some anglers have also reported success with live eels bounced on the bottom with a sinker rig. Trolling surgical tubes or hoses is also productive. Sight fishing with an elevated platform has become an increasingly popular fishing method in recent years. After spotting a cobia, casting a live eel, large soft plastic, or large bucktail is a good way to target them. Smith Point, the Middle Grounds, the Target Ship, and Virginia waters are good places to find cobia.

Tyrik Williams caught and released this big red drum near Point Lookout while fishing with cut bait for bluefish. Photo by Adrian Dandridge.

Some exciting news for red drum anglers: puppy drum are in the shallows up to Chesapeake Beach and the mouth of the Choptank River. Small paddletails work great for these fish. The big bull redfish are beginning to show up in southern Maryland waters. 

Spanish mackerel are beginning to show up in the lower Bay and we hope that they continue to move north. The best way to target Spanish mackerel is by trolling small Drone and Clark spoons behind inline weights and planers at a speed of 6-8 knots. Casting and retrieving small metal lures at high speeds around breaking Spanish mackerel is another effective technique. Bluefish are working their way up the Bay and have been found up to Breezy Point and the mouth of the Choptank River.

The Cedar Point rocks, bulkhead areas, the cuts through Hoopers Island, and the marsh edges of the lower Eastern Shore are all good places to fish for spotted sea trout. Another spot that has been good in recent years is casting around the foundation structure of Sharp’s Island lighthouse. Some speckled trout have been found as far north as Eastern Bay.

Patrick Fingles with a jumbo male blue crab from the Bay – Photo by Rich Watts

Bottom fishing in the lower Patuxent River, Solomons Island, Tangier Sound, and St. Mary’s River should be steady for the next few weeks. Some flounder are being caught in the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds along channel edges and adjacent hard shoals. Croaker have been rare with only a few small ones reported, mainly in Virginia waters.

Finally, a reminder that the main stem of the Potomac River will remain closed to striped bass fishing through August 20. The tidal rivers on the Maryland side of the river are closed until August 1.

Recreational crabbing has been tough for most crabbers this year, with some large ones being caught in the upper Bay up to 9 inches in size. Recreational crabbers can catch anywhere from a couple dozen good crabs up to a half bushel. Generally, catch in the lower Bay has been lagging behind the middle and upper Bay regions. Some good catches have been reported between Deale and the West/Rhode river area. In recent years, most savvy crabbers find using razor clams will produce better catches, while others rely on the old standby of chicken necks.

This week’s freshwater fishing report was provided by inland fisheries biologist and resident muskie expert Josh Hennesey.

Bennett Henesy enjoying an excellent summer evening on the freshwater Potomac with a nice smallmouth bass. Photo by Josh Henesy.

The upper Potomac River continues to run low and clear. Water temperatures have well exceeded 80 degrees, with some sections above 85 degrees. These increased temperatures have caused the recent nuisance algae (cyanobacteria) bloom to all but vanish throughout the river.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been the talk of the river lately as many anglers are experiencing excellent fishing outings! Fish measuring 8-12 inches have been most common, with decent numbers of larger fish intermixed. Anglers find success by targeting large boulders, ledges, vegetation, and woody debris in areas of moderate to considerable current. Fish tend to hold in slightly deeper pockets of water situated within the otherwise shallow river. Lure selection has varied from smaller light-rigged soft plastics to top water, especially during early mornings and late evenings. Biologists suspect that good growth rates from the 2019 and 2020 year classes are largely contributing to the current population. Researchers will collect age data later this year to confirm these assumptions.

Other river anglers have been taking advantage of an increasingly popular catfish fishery. Both channel and flathead catfish species are found in high abundances and have been providing recreational opportunities throughout the river. These species tend to seek out deeper water during daylight hours with abundant woody debris. At night, which is the most common time for angling, larger fish move into the shallows to feed. Channel catfish can be caught on a variety of bait types, while flatheads tend to be more selective and finicky.

Recent reports from the Atlantic coast indicated some slow improvement of water clarity in the surf. Anglers are kingfish, small croaker, and spot on pieces of bloodworm or Fishbites. Those fishing with cut spot strips are catching small bluefish and flounder.

At the inlet and back bays, there have been decent numbers of mainly sub-legal striped bass. Most are working white soft plastic jigs or bucktails dressed with a curly tail, and the “Roy Rig” lure near the South Jetty and near the Route 50 Bridge. Small and medium-sized bluefish are running in and out of the inlet and back bay areas, and at least one large one was caught at the Route 50 Bridge.

Kyle Mooney caught this impressive 37 inch bluefish on Jul 19, 2021 at the Route 50 Bridge.

In the back bay areas, the summer fishing focus continues to be on flounder. They are being found in the channel areas of Assawoman and Sinepuxent bays. Drifting with traditional baits of squid strips or minnows is popular, and working large soft plastic jigs in white or pink work well for the larger flounder.

The wreck and reef sites continue to provide excellent fishing for black sea bass. Limits are not uncommon and there is plenty of action for novice anglers and visiting tourists from all over the country. Flounder have also been caught around the artificial reef and wreck sites around the edges of the structure.

There have been a few reports of the elusive bluefin tuna on the inshore lumps, but most of the offshore action has been with yellowfin tuna. Most recent reports indicated success with trolling for yellowfin tuna at the Washington canyon. Anglers also reported that several hooked yellowfin tuna were bitten off by hammerhead sharks. Trolling the canyons is producing a mix of yellowfin tuna, dolphin, and the occasional white marlin. One 500 pound blue marlin was caught and released!

Lastly, the Department of Natural Resources reminds offshore anglers that a catch card must be completed and exchanged for a tag to land bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfishes, or sharks in Maryland. Details and forms for the Catch Card Census are available on the DNR website.