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Maryland DNR Fishing Reports- by Keith Lockwood
Courtesy of MD DNR Fisheries Service www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries
Fishing Reports for July 28th, 2010 - Overview
Fishermen in the upper bay region are finding good fishing for white perch on most of the hard-bottomed shoals and reefs scattered throughout the region. Most fishermen are using bottom rigs baited with bloodworms or grass shrimp at locations such as Belvedere, Man O War and Tea Kettle Shoals. Fishermen are also reporting catching a few croakers and spot at these same locations. Channel edges and structure in the tidal rivers has also been a great place to fish bottom rigs or small spinner blade jigs for white perch.
Water temperatures in the upper bay region are now in the mid to upper 80’s and as we approach August, deeper waters are showing depressed dissolved oxygen conditions at times. Fishermen attempting to live line spot in waters deeper than 30’ along channel edges have reported low oxygen levels in some of those deeper waters. Live lining spot and chumming has been a popular way to fish at the sewer pipe and the Bay Bridge piers for striped bass in the last couple of weeks. Boats have been anchoring up current of the pipe and piers and either drifting live spot or baits back to the deep structure. Jigging with soft plastic jigs has also been a productive way to catch striped bass up to 35” at times. The early morning and late evening hours during strong tides has been the best formula for this type of fishing.
The middle bay region offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities this week and most are occurring in the early morning and late evening hours due to the summer heat, bright sun and elevated water temperatures. Fishing for striped bass at the crack of dawn and late evening has been focused around trolling, live lining spot and jigging or casting to breaking fish. Most of the trolling is taking place along channel edges and outside of breaking fish; which tend to be a mix of striped bass and bluefish. Live lining spot on channel edges in front of the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant and other channel edges such as the mouth of Eastern Bay, False Channel and Buoy 83 have been good places to fish. Casting and jigging to breaking fish and shallow structure can offer good fishing and Poplar Island has been a good place to look for action for the last week or so. Be sure to check out Joe Evans July 27th Angler’s Log entry about striped bass fishing at Poplar Island.
The best croaker fishing is occurring after dark along channel edges and shoals close to the deeper channels this week. Water temperatures are above the mid 80-degree mark and most croaker are holding deep during the day and not feeding. Shrimp, peeler crab, clams and squid have been popular baits to use. Spot and white perch are also part of the bottom fishing mix when fishing in the lower sections of the regions tidal rivers. There is some good shallow water action to be found for striped bass in the early morning and late evening hours along the bay shores and lower sections of the tidal rivers. White perch can also be found in these areas by casting small spinners and spinner blade jigs such as beetle spins and Stump Jumpers.
Fishing in the lower bay region for striped bass and bluefish has focused around the region of the lower Potomac, Cove Point and the area bordered by Buoy 72, the Target Ship and the Middle Grounds. Trolling, chumming, live lining spot and casting or jigging to breaking fish have been the principal ways of fishing for them. Some of the largest bluefish seen in the lower bay region are coming from the Middle grounds area. Trolling spoons and bucktails with inline weights or planers has been popular along channel edges and wherever concentrations of fish can be found. There are plenty of spot to be found in the tidal rivers so live lining along the western edge of the shipping channel in about 35’ of water has been a good option. Out in front of the Gas Docks and prominent points such as Cedar Point and Point No Point have been good places to look for striped bass.
Croaker fishing has been the best in the evenings; especially for the largest croakers; fishermen are reporting that often the action does not get into gear until an hour after dark. Locations such as the shoals behind Buoys 72 and 72A and the Middle Grounds have been excellent places to fish on the western side of the region. In Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds a mix of croaker and spot are being caught during the day in some of the deeper waters but most fishermen agree the best fishing has been in the evening hours along channel edges and adjacent shoals. A mix of croaker, spot and white perch are being caught in the Honga River. Flounder fishing is steadily improving along channel edges and flats; especially on the eastern side of the bay. Shallow water fishing along bay shores has been good in the early morning and late evening hours for a mix of striped bass, bluefish and small puppy drum.
Recreational crabbers in the upper bay region are enjoying good crabbing in just about all of the tidal rivers within the region. Middle bay and lower bay region crabbers are experiencing good to excellent crabbing also. Small crabs continue to chew up baits and this week’s full moon should cause an increase in the number of recently shed crabs.
Freshwater fishermen in the western region of the state are finding good trout fishing in the region’s cool shaded trout waters. Deep Creek Lake fishermen are finding smallmouth and largemouth bass under the shade of floating docks and boats. Largemouth bass and chain pickerel are also being found in some of the back cove areas under thick grass. The upper Potomac water temperatures are in the high 80’s now so catch and release fishermen need to use caution when catching smallmouth bass and walleyes. Muskies are especially susceptible to warm water stress and every effort should be made to avoid targeting them until water temperatures cool down in early fall.
Fishermen are looking to thick grass and any structure that provides shade in the freshwater and tidal waters of the state this week when targeting largemouth bass. The early morning and evening hours offer the best fishing opportunities. Grass edges, creek channels and sunken wood are good places to try a variety of soft plastics in a wide variety of rigged fashions; such as whacky, shaky, or drop shot rigged.
This can be a great time of the year to find a shaded bank to try fishing for bluegills with a bobber and baits such as crickets or worms. Fly casting rubber-legged poppers for bluegills and small largemouth bass is a summer time tradition for many on a quiet evening near lily pads. Fishing for channel catfish can offer some quiet fishing time also without exerting a lot of physical effort in many of the states tidal rivers and selected inland impoundments.
Coastal fishermen in the Ocean City area continue to focus on traditional summer time flounder fishing in the back bay and inlet areas. Many are now using large baits to cut down on catching undersized flounder and Gulp baits in the form of shrimp or mullet have been very popular. Fishermen at the inlet area are catching flounder and triggerfish by day and bluefish and a few striped bass at night. Surf fishermen are finding the best fishing for a summer mix of croakers, spot, kingfish and small bluefish in the early morning or evening hours. Large sharks in the form of sand tigers, sandbar and spinners are entertaining catch and release fishermen at night. Sea bass fishing on the wreck sites has been fair to good on most days and croakers are starting to provide good fishing closer to the beaches. Offshore fishermen are catching a mix of yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, dolphin and marlin from the 60-fathom line out to the canyons.
I never lost a little fish- Yes, I am free to say. It always was the biggest fish I caught, that got away. Eugene Field 1850-1895.
Our Bay: Scientists research bacteria afflicting rockfish
By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer- Capital Gazette Communications
OXFORD - It was more than a dozen years ago when Chesapeake Bay rockfish started turning up skinny and pockmarked with nasty skin lesions, and scientists are still figuring out what's going on.
Scientists soon determined the culprit was mycobacteriosis, a bacterial disease.
But understanding how the bacteria works - how it spreads, how it sickens the fish, how it affects the overall fish population - is a mystery that's still being unraveled.
"When people started getting these, that's what triggered everyone's attention," said Mark Matsche, a Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologist, pointing to a photo of a sick fish at the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory on the Eastern Shore.
Scientists in Maryland and Virginia quickly got to work researching mycobacteriosis.
Since then, public attention to myco and rockfish has waxed and waned, often spurred by media reports.
The most recent flare-up was in 2006, fueled in part by an article in The Washington Post about the disease.
In the wake of the article, other media (including The Capital) jumped on the story. Wholesale prices for rockfish dropped and scores of charter fishing trips were canceled.
In an attempt to quell the situation, then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. ate rockfish and mashed potatoes in the Governor's Mansion kitchen, which was packed full of reporters and cameramen.
Over time, public and media attention eventually shifted elsewhere. Crabs and oysters took the spotlight.
But scientists are as focused as ever on myco.
Fish, human health problems
The myco problem in rockfish is unique in its persistence from year to year, Matsche said. Often fish diseases come and go, lasting for a season or maybe a year, he said.
"This is sort of a big mystery," he said.
When fish get infected, the most outwardly visible sign is ugly, red lesions on the skin.
But the main mode of attack for the bacteria is to target the spleen.
As the bacteria damages the spleen, the fish responds by covering up spleen ulcers with new tissue that forms into nodules like little gray BBs.
As a result, a fish's spleen can bloat up from a typical 3 inches to an unhealthy 10 inches.
The severity of the infection can vary greatly, and the majority of infections are mild or moderate, Matsche said.
"Just like any disease, you get a range," he said.
Mycobacteriosis has caused human problems, too. Some anglers have contracted the bacteria from infected rockfish, resulting in serious hand and arm infections.
Called "fish handler's disease," myco infections can get so bad that they require hospitalizations, surgeries and serious medications.
There were 25 reported cases of human myco infections in Anne Arundel County in 2008, according to Elin Jones, a county Health Department spokeswoman.
That's up from 13 cases in 2007, five cases in 2006 and 11 cases in 2005.
Data from 2009 isn't yet available.
Recreational and commercial fishermen and charter boat captains and crew are advised to be careful when handling rockfish. Wearing gloves is a good idea, as is washing or using hand sanitizer after handling live rockfish.
Cooked rockfish is not believed to be harmful to humans.
Research questions
It's not clear why myco - commonly found in the water - continues to make bay rockfish sick.
One popular theory, especially among anglers, is that rockfish are overwhelmed by persistent pollution and a lack of food to eat, including the small, oily menhaden fish.
It's not known yet how myco is transmitted. Maybe it floats in the water, maybe it moves from fish to fish. Scientists don't know the answer yet.
The infection rates rise as a fish grows older, although for an unknown reason, infection rates drop off for females age six and older.
Myco infections grew more common in rockfish from 1998 to 2004, when it began leveling off, Matsche said.
Currently, 40 to 70 percent of rockfish have myco infections, he said.
Myco is fatal to fish, as researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reported in the scientific journal Ecological Applications in 2008.
The VIMS team determined an infected fish is only 70 percent as likely to live another year as a noninfected fish.
To reach their findings, scientists in Virginia and Maryland have been getting intimately acquainted with a whole bunch of dead fish.
Matsche's team examines fish at a rate of 600 per year, sampling different ages, sizes and locations.
They give each fish a thorough post-mortem examination called a "necropsy." (Necropsy is the term for an autopsy done on animal.)
To start, the physical examination during the necropsy can give clues, such as the skin sores or enlarged spleen. But that's not foolproof - up to 30 percent of fish that physically appear healthy are, in fact, infected.
Scientists also take cultures and grow any bacteria in a lab and see what type is there - there are actually 13 different mycobacteriosis species.
They also can use a technique called "PCR," a way to amplify DNA, to look for myco in tissue samples.
Scientists also get information through a fish-tagging program.
They go out and catch fish, examine them and affix special tags before releasing them back into the water. When an angler later catches the fish, they call a phone number on the tag and report information about the fish.
Researchers hope that eventually, all those fish will reveal more clues to solve the myco mystery.
"We're getting the fish back and we're getting good information," Matsche said.
2010 Maryland Fishing Challenge
DNR Fisheries Service will continue to release up to 600 specially tagged striped bass into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Each month, one of the released fish will be secretly selected as the official Diamond Jim, worth $20,000 during the month of July. If no one catches that Diamond Jim, DNR will release another batch of tagged fish in August, including a new Diamond Jim worth $25,000. The other tagged fish are imposters worth $500 or more.
The kick-off for the event and first release of 177 striped bass took place on May 24 and the last batch of fish will be tagged and released on July 29.
More than 60 species of fish are eligible for the contest including large and smallmouth bass, trout, walleye, musky and panfish in the freshwaters of Maryland; rockfish (striped bass), bluefish, drum, sea trout and perch in the Chesapeake Bay; and tuna, marlin, flounder, kingfish and sea bass caught in Maryland waters off the Atlantic Coast.
The contest is open to everyone fishing legally in Maryland, which amounts to more than 350,000 anglers, making this the largest fishing tournament in the country. Participating anglers can submit their catch and complete a citation award entry form at any of the 84 official citation award centers (tackle shops) to receive a certificate and invitation to the finale. Catch and Release anglers may also participate by submitting a Catch & Release Report using this online form www.dnr.state.md.us/fishingchallenge/pdfs/catch_and_release_form.pdf and by attending the Grand Celebration.
Anyone who catches an award-qualifying fish and enters the challenge becomes eligible to participate in the grand prize drawing for a boat and trailer package from Bass Pro Tracker Shops. Other prizes include thousands of dollars in fishing gear, merchandise from Under Armour, fishing trips from Bill’s Outdoor Center and a seven-day dream excursion to the island of Tobago courtesy of the World Fishing Network. New sponsors for the 2010 challenge include Under Armour and the World Fishing Network.
“We are very grateful to our sponsors and our recreational fishery stakeholders,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “Without their continued support, this contest would not be possible.”
Anglers under age 16 who take part in any of the 50 fishing rodeos across the state and win their event are invited to the finale and guaranteed a “fishing trip of a lifetime,” sponsored by supporting Fishing Challenge organizations.
“Catch a fish” is one of the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, issued by Governor Martin O’Malley in April 2009. The bill is part of the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, an initiative to ensure all Maryland young people have the opportunity to connect with their natural world and grow to become informed and responsible stewards.
The contest ends at midnight on Labor Day with a grand awards celebration at Sandy Point State Park to follow in conjunction with the 43rd Annual Maryland Seafood Festival on September 11, 2010.
The Maryland Fishing Challenge Featuring Diamond Jim is a free, year-round tournament sponsored by DNR’s Fisheries Service, 27 recreational fishing organizations and generous donors across the State. The purpose of the event is to promote Maryland’s excellent fishing opportunities and the importance of children in the outdoors as an essential key to future environmental stewardship.
The Maryland Fishing Challenge features three components:
1.Kid’s Fishing Rodeos—at each of the more than 50 community-based Fishing Rodeos, sponsored by DNR-Fisheries, communities, and fishing organizations, an angler under the age of 16 is chosen to advance to the Grand Celebration in September with a chance to take home a prize donated by one of the Maryland Fishing Challenge sponsors.Click here to find a Rodeo in your area. Additionally, each chosen youth angler is guaranteed a “fishing trip of a life time” sponsored by the supporting Maryland Fishing Challenge organizations.
2.Award Citation Achievers—anyone fishing legally in Maryland has the opportunity to catch and record an award-winning fish by landing any of more than 80 eligible species above a certain minimum size designated by species. If you catch a fish that meets or exceeds the official citation award size, simply submit your catch and a complete citation award entry form to any of the 84 official citation centers (tackle shops) to receive your official certificate and your invitation to the Grand Celebration. The forms are available at the citation centers.Prize winners will be randomly selected from the attendees at the celebration, which will be held during the 43rd Annual Maryland Seafood Festival on September 11, 2010 at Sandy Point State Park. Catch and Release anglers may also participate by submitting a Catch & Release entry form using this online form and by attending the Grand Celebration.
3.The Return of Diamond Jim—Beginning in June, DNR Fisheries biologists and teams of young anglers take to the Chesapeake Bay to catch, tag and release hundreds of striped bass. Every tag has a unique number designating the striper as a potential Diamond Jim. Each month until September, one fish will be predetermined to be the official Diamond Jim worth as much as $25,000 to the angler who catches him. The other tagged “imposter” fish are worth $500 each. This year, as many as 600 fish will be tagged and released representing more than $300,000 in potential cash winnings.
For the full breakdown on potential Diamond Jim cash prize amounts check out the
official rules.
The 2010 contest ends at midnight on Labor Day September 6. The 2011 Maryland Fishing Challenge begins at 12:01 a.m. September 7, 2010.
For more information about the citation award program and the Maryland Fishing Challenge, contact Keith Lockwood at klockwood@dnr.state.md.us and (410) 226-0078, Ext 107.
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