Maryland Fishing Report: May 16

May 16, 2018

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 will be time to share the outdoors with family and friends. Fishing offers family time – catching up or reminiscing about growing up together – like no other activity. There are some free fishing days coming up June 2, 9 and July 4. If you can think of someone you might like to introduce to fishing, this is a great opportunity for someone to try the sport without buying a license. Wednesday kicks off an exciting start to the next phase of striped bass fishing in Chesapeake Bay waters, as the minimum size for rockfish drops to 19 inches. There is a lot of new information about striped bass fishing in Chesapeake Bay, so we’re here to help you familiarize yourself with them: New emergency regulations for hooks, bait and striped bass are in place from May 16 through Oct. 12. Along with the new minimum size of 19 inches, fishermen must use non-offset circle hooks when chumming or live-lining for striped bass to reduce hooking mortality of released fish. The department is proposing to extend these regulations through the entire 2018 and 2019 summer and fall seasons, and is currently accepting comments from the public. We have developed informational links online to help you know what types of circle hooks are legal and also answer some frequently asked questions about using circle hooks. We also urge you to take a look at our online map to understand the regions you can fish and when. Once you upload the map you can enter the date you are interested to fish, and the map will change to show you what areas are open. The transition to circle hooks for those who are not familiar with them might be difficult – from the reaction of “setting the hook” when a fish bites, to letting them run off until the line tightens and the hook engages. If you have guests on your boat that don’t understand the concept of allowing a fish to hook themselves, please take the time to guide them. As a fishing community we are all in this together, and we share a striped bass fishery that we all have worked so hard to bring back to a healthy and viable fishery. Weekly Fishing Conditions Forecast Summary: May 16-22 With the recent warm weather came a normally occurring algal bloom known a “mahogany tide” along the western shore from about Sandy Point south down near Chesapeake Beach, and also in the Severn and South rivers. Although this regular natural phenomena causes poor water clarity due to brownish-red water, and can cause lower-than-normal oxygen conditions at depths below 20 feet, it is not a threat to human health. The cool, wet, cloudy weather may temporarily break up the bloom. Main bay water temperatures are close to 70 degrees as reported from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys at Annapolis, Gooses Reef and Point Lookout; expect the cool, cloudy, and wet weather to maintain those temperatures. Expect below-average water clarity and above-average flows moving down the Potomac River and along many streams entering the bay as a result of heavy rains. There will be above average tidal currents through Sunday as a result of the new moon May 15. For the full weekly fishing conditions summary and more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the bay, be sure to check out Click Before You Cast. Also check out the new Bay Bottom Habitat Mapper that shows bottom type, fishing reefs, popular fishing areas, recent oyster planting sites and submerged aquatic vegetation. The depth/navigation charts backdrop allows you to see their relationship with nearby channel edges, points, humps, flats or other key contour features.

Upper Chesapeake Bay As of Wednesday, the northern boundary line in the upper bay has moved to a line drawn from the southern tip of Hart-Miller Island across to the terminus of Route 21 in Tolchester. This opens up a little more fishing territory, in particular the lower end of the Tolchester Channel. The steep channel edges off Love Point, Podickory Point and the Triple Buoys have been popular for trolling and with good reason. Post-spawn striped bass are slowly moving down the bay from the Susquehanna-Elk river complex and are using these steeper channel edges on their trip south. Water conditions are a bit stained so chartreuse has been the most popular color for parachutes and bucktails dressed with large sassy shads. Some anglers say a dark head on the lure is an advantage in stained water. The Dumping Grounds or Rock Piles – as they are called on nautical charts – just north of the Bay Bridge are another location definitely worth checking out. Striped bass under 35 inches are now fair game and the standard for keeping two fish remains that one striped bass can be over 28 inches and one must between 19 and 28 inches. Many anglers will now be placing medium-sized offerings in their trolling spreads for the smaller striped bass. The Susquehanna Flats area now allows anglers to keep one striped bass between 19 inches and 26 inches per day; the same boundaries that define the Susquehanna Flats catch-and-release fishery apply here. Those who love their light tackle fishing can now enjoy targeting striped bass by jigging over suspended fish. Channel edges and structure such as the Bay Bridge piers and rock piles offer a fun alternative to trolling. The early morning and evening hours will also provide some shallow water action for those who love to cast topwater lures and swimbaits. Chumming and chunking will be an additional option now, and the classic locations along steep channel edges will be popular places to give it a try – just remember that non-offset circle hooks are required. The Susquehanna River has been running a bit high lately as water is being released from recent storm events; the water is reported to be somewhat stained. There are a lot of white perch to be caught in the lower river and there is still some hickory shad action in the river, but the Deer Creek catch-and-release fishery has been a big disappointment so far this year. White perch are also moving into the lower areas of the region’s other tidal rivers and providing fun fishing.

Middle Bay Trolling for large striped bass along popular channel edges has definitely improved over the past week. The post-spawn striped bass have been trickling out of the spawning rivers so there has not been a period where one might refer to as a blitz. Anglers have been putting in their time and although some would refer the fishing as a pick, there are a few things one can do to up the odds. A good tactic is getting out early before the boat traffic drives fish down, along with getting lures away from your own engine noise and using planer boards or trailing flat lines far behind the boat. Large parachutes in chartreuse often work best in stained water and white in clear water; both should be dressed with large sassy shads. Umbrella rigs can be a good option for attracting the attention of a passing fish as are tandem rigged lures. The swift currents along the steep edges of the shipping channel are the superhighway for these large striped bass. Finally the trolling mantra has always been if things are slow, one should be checking lines and trying different lures or strategies. Surface water temperatures in the middle bay are about 67 degrees now which is a very comfortable temperature for all sizes of striped bass. The channel edges near the Brick House Bar to Bloody Point, south past Buoy 83, the False Channel and the Choptank River around R10 and R12 as well as the CP Buoy south are all excellent places to intercept large fish. Now that keeping striped bass smaller than 35 inches is an option, many will be pulling smaller trolling lures in their spreads for striped bass smaller than 28 inches. Those who love their light tackle fishing can jig over suspended fish along channel edges or structure. The shallow water fishery along prominent points and sunken breakwaters are beginning to come into full swing now for those who love throwing topwater lures. It is time to break out that 7 or 8-weight fly rod and enjoy casting skipping bugs on a floating line in the shallows. White perch have finished their migration down the tidal rivers from the spawning reaches and are now taking residence in typical summer environments in the lower sections of the tidal rivers. They are providing fun fishing from docks and piers as well as various shoreline and open water structure. Fishing with a bottom rig baited with grass shrimp or bloodworms near structure is a great way to catch them. Casting small jigs, spinnerbaits and spinners with ultralight tackle near shallow structure is also a productive and fun way to catch them.