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Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
By Keith Lockwood of The Maryland DNR
This information is provided as a public service of the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.state.md.us
Dec. 16th, 2009
FROM THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGES TO DRUM POINT
Fishermen finished out the last days of the 2009 Striped bass season trolling the shipping channel for what would perhaps be their last striped bass of the 2009 season. Although the season for large fall migrants began to slow down after Thanksgiving it would hard to find a disappointed fishermen; a lot of amazingly large fish were caught.
Fishermen in the middle bay region enjoy a variety of good fishing opportunities this past year and it all began with an outstanding Spring Trophy Season. The fishing for school sized striped bass provided plenty of action for anglers who either trolled for them, live lined spot, chummed, jigged or cast lures in the early morning or evening hours in the shallow waters of the bay. It did not take long for the bluefish to move into the middle bay region and they just became more numerous and larger as the season progressed. They chewed up fishermen’s live spot baits meant for striped bass and most anything else that resembled food. Fishermen often got a big surprise this past season when trolling spoons in their trolling spreads in the form of large red drum that put a lot of smiles on fishermen even though they had to be released.
Croakers and spot moved into the region on cue and provided good fishing throughout the summer months. Large numbers of good sized flounder were a welcomed surprise for middle bay fishermen who reported some of the best flounder fishing they’d ever experienced in the bay. The late summer run of Spanish mackerel was much anticipated and when the fish arrived, fishermen enjoyed a very good season. The Spanish mackerel began mixing it up with the large numbers of bluefish in the region and made life miserable for the local schools of bay anchovies. Recreational crabbing had its ups and downs but generally everyone was able to catch a bushel of nice crabs per outing.
As the region began to transition into the typical fall fishery; fishermen focused on jigging for striped bass in many of the regions tidal rivers and open waters of the bay. The mouth of Eastern Bay, the Severn River and the Choptank River offered some very exciting fishing opportunities for fishermen. Jigging for white perch at the Bay Bridge and deep shoal areas in the lower sections of the regions tidal rivers also provided good fishing in October. The news spread fast when the first large fall migrant striped bass began to show up along the edges of the shipping in October and November proved to be a stellar month for catching these beautiful fish if one could get out between the repeated northeasters that pounded the state.
MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY MAP
CLICK MAP FOR A LARGER VIEW
Map courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.state.md.us
Other Maryland Fishing Reports
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