We are approaching the end of the 2018 striped bass season, which closes Dec. 15. The season ends a few days earlier than last year, as part of the conservation-minded regulations that included reducing the minimum length for Chesapeake Bay rockfish to 19 inches. Of course there are other species that will still be in season for Read the Rest…
Cold winds are blowing and minds are beginning to drift from fishing, but there will still be days where the outdoors call us away from the holiday rush. For those times, there are plenty of good fishing opportunities to be found from the streams and lakes of western Maryland to the offshore waters of the Read the Rest…
Frosty mornings are now common, the Canada geese are arriving and the fall foliage is in various stages of color change throughout the state. Old man winter is beckoning off in the distance and soon will be knocking on our door. Colder weather will be here soon, so be sure to enjoy the outdoors during Read the Rest…
Happy Halloween! A Nor’easter last Saturday kept many anglers off the bay. However, some boaters were able to find a lee area on the Eastern Shore, or they fished Friday or Sunday. These die-hard anglers were rewarded with good striped bass fishing, with most folks now jigging or trolling with artificial lures. On the freshwater Read the Rest…
We are now deep into a fall fishing pattern, with classic cold fronts and gusty northerly winds. This past weekend, anglers who were able to get out before or after the winds found good striped bass fishing over a wide area of the Chesapeake Bay, from Love Point down to the Calvert Cliffs gas docks Read the Rest…
This week offers some exciting fishing opportunities for Maryland anglers – the weather is just about right, the changing color of the leaves paints a beautiful backdrop to outdoor activities and there are plenty of eager fish to catch. For the next few weeks, state hatcheries are stocking most trout management waters throughout Maryland. The Read the Rest…
We have been in a warmer, dry “Indian summer” weather pattern. Many anglers have been getting out on the bay to enjoy action with top water striped bass, late season bluefish and the last of the Spanish mackerel.
Welcome to “Rocktober!” Heavy rains continued through much of last week, but we finally had some beautiful sunny weather over the weekend. Many anglers got out on the bay to enjoy action with striped bass, bluefish and southern visitors such as speckled trout and red drum.
Living close to the water gives one an interesting perspective on impending storms. At ports all-around the bay and coastal areas, boat owners have been lining up at boat ramps and moving their vessels to safer areas. Low-lying areas can expect flooding and it sounds like we may in for some more rain, which is Read the Rest…
Labor Day weekend approaches and many of us are wondering, “How did we get here so soon?” The kids will be going back to school and we will slowly start to see cooler temperatures in September. If you’re trying to fit in some family fishing time, remember who your audience is – kids just want Read the Rest…
One of the fun and exciting things about fishing is you just never know what surprises await when you cast your fishing line into the water. Some have been surprised with a record-breaking catch, a novelty catch or just a fun encounter with a fish to help round out a peaceful day. Enjoying the outdoors Read the Rest…
It is often said that summertime is for kids, and truer words could not be spoken this month. August will be gone in a flash so don’t delay getting any youngsters you know out or near the water to enjoy some fun fishing. Two fish that are always ready to accommodate our young anglers are Read the Rest…
We all face daily challenges that tug at how we spend the dear time that is given to us. All anglers and outdoor enthusiasts know how hard it is to follow their favorite pursuits. Summer is fleeting, make time.
We’ve all learned in our lives that nothing ever stays the same, and this certainly holds true for the Chesapeake Bay. She started out as a river valley and became flooded after the last ice age to become the largest estuary in the United States. The view from a drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Read the Rest…
If you spend enough time hanging around seasoned commercial or sport fishermen, you’ll often hear that it’s impossible to figure out why finfish and blue crabs are in certain places at certain times. These thoughts came to mind this week as I spoke to some of the most respected captains on the Chesapeake about how Read the Rest…
The Fourth of July is upon us, and although it falls on a Wednesday — missing that three-day weekend luster – it’s still a little extra time off to enjoy family and friends. Here in Maryland a lot of activities will focus on a nearby body of water, from Deep Creek Lake to the Atlantic Read the Rest…
We’ve all heard it – 10 percent of anglers catch 90 percent of the fish. Good fishermen are often able to anticipate or adjust to changes in conditions or fish behavior. This trait lies deep in that hunter-gatherer instinct of those who can read the signs that Mother Nature provides them. This kind of savvy Read the Rest…
Fishing offers many things to many people, and they all have their own reasons why it’s so special. For some it’s an adventurous location or pursuit of a certain fish, usually preceded by a lot of study and anticipation before the big trip. For others it may be the unwinding process from a stressful day. Read the Rest…
Many of us who have spent a lifetime fishing remember the first fish we ever caught. For some, that memory might include a tough and pugnacious little rascal called the bluegill sunfish. It has a habit of attacking most any bait with total abandon and have the fighting strength of a bull – making it Read the Rest…
Note: If you’re looking for the June 13 report, please click here. The northern snakehead has gotten a lot of press attention and has been called “Frankenfish.” It inspired a movie called “Snakehead Terror” about 8-foot long fish terrorizing a lakeside community, which helped create a common belief that snakeheads can walk on land. In Read the Rest…
Many of us found ourselves fishing in the rain last week. I was with a friend on the lower Choptank River last week enjoying some striped bass topwater action — the fishing was fun and the overcast weather showed us one of nature’s many moods to be enjoyed. Often less-than-perfect weather gives us a unique Read the Rest…
Most anglers know we had been going through a bit of a dry spell for several weeks, but, oh boy, did that come to an end. The heavy rains and stormy conditions moving through the state the past few days are expected to last through the weekend. But the sun will shine again and it Read the Rest…
Those who fish know that the waters they love have many moods, and perhaps one of our favorites is when they are quiet and calm. This past weekend with overcast skies and little wind was one of those times that the waters we fish seem to talk to us – from the bubbling mountain streams, Read the Rest…
Patience is supposed to be the hallmark of an angler, but many had theirs strained this past opening weekend for trophy striped bass season. Most understand it has been a chilly spring, and low water temperatures have delayed striped bass spawning in the tidal rivers. In the past couple of days we have seen water Read the Rest…
This coming Saturday, April 21, is a big day for those who dream of catching a trophy striped bass. More than a few anglers will spend the night before checking alarm clocks just to find themselves waking up a half-hour before the alarm is set to go off anyhow. Weather is predicted to be a Read the Rest…
Cold nights and chilly days have prevailed far too long in the past couple of weeks, but change is on the way, with air temperatures of 80 degrees promised for the weekend. We are a little more than a week away from the opening day of the trophy striped bass season and it would be Read the Rest…
It continues to be a chilly spring and there seems to be no immediate end to it. We’re a week into April and water temperatures are considerably lower than usual — in the mid-40s in the tidal rivers and bay. By comparison, last April 5, the bay was just about 50 degrees and the tidal Read the Rest…
The striped bass fishing community always anticipates the possible appearance of large fall migrant striped bass in our portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The fall migration was late this year, but the first confirmed report came in over the weekend — so there is hope for anglers wishing to catch a trophy-sized striped bass before Read the Rest…
Extremely strong winds last weekend made for a tough time fishing on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and kept most boats at the dock. Along with that, a lot of boats were taken from the water and put to sleep for the winter months, now parked and covered in boatyards and backyards. That Read the Rest…
The fall months offer some exciting fishing opportunities for anglers across Maryland, from the trout management waters of Garrett County to the shores of Ocean City. Daylight is getting sparser and this weekend the clocks fall back an hour, making it a little harder to get some fishing time after work and school. We’re all Read the Rest…
The much anticipated annual striped bass young of the year survey results have been released and they are positive. The number of two-year-old striped bass that are being encountered in all three regions of the bay also bode well for the future of striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. At present the two- and Read the Rest…
Recent warm weather has caused Chesapeake Bay and tidal river water temperatures to be rather stagnant this week. Water temperatures in all three regions of the bay are holding around 73 degrees to 75 degrees and the tidal rivers are running about 3-5 degrees cooler. It is going to take a prolonged cool front to Read the Rest…
The heat and humidity hanging over Maryland continues to hold a grip on us, but it won’t be long before fall is here to stay. The striped bass fishing in the upper bay remains rather stable this week due to warm weather keeping water temperatures in the mid-70s. However, at some point in early October Read the Rest…
Many would agree we are entering one of the most beautiful times of the year in Maryland. Mornings are cool and daytime temperatures are inviting for outdoor activities. Where I live crops are being harvested, wildlife is on the move, bait in the tidal rivers is beginning to feel the urge to move out into Read the Rest…
After being away for two weeks, I’m struck by the changes that are occurring as we drift out of the grasp of summer. We all need to thank Erik Zlokovitz for doing such a great job covering the fishing report and keeping you informed of our fishing opportunities in Maryland while I was away.
This is Erik Zlokovitz filling in once again for Keith Lockwood on the weekly fishing report. The big weather story this week is Hurricane Irma, which is making landfall in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean islands. The storm made landfall as a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, making it the most Read the Rest…