Keith Lockwood's Maryland Fishing Report

     Oxford, Md. -- The dog days of summer are certainly here and fish and fisherman alike are adjusting their fishing times to the cooler parts of the day. Some relief is in store for this week and into the weekend so fishing should be a bit more enjoyable. Just remember to drink plenty of water, more than you think necessary and use sun block or cover up from that mid summer searing sun.

     Fishermen continue to be pleased with the striped bass action they are encountering in the upper bay this week. All are well aware of recent heat and water temperatures are now 85-degrees or higher. Early morning fishing tends to offer the best opportunities for light tackle jigging, trolling live lining and chumming. Traditional locations such as the Love Point area, Podickory Point, the Sewer pipe and Bay Bridge Piers are all holding fish at times. Light tackle fishermen report finding breaking fish at times; especially in the early morning and often without the company of birds. As is often the case the fish on top are under 18" but often larger striped bass can be found underneath. Trolling Drone spoons has been a favorite lately along with bucktails and surgical tube lures. Chumming has been bringing a lot of small fish into the slicks but fishermen report the largest fish on the bottom. Live lining spot has perhaps been one of the surest methods of tangling with a striped bass once fish are located holding close to structure such as bridge piers or steep channel edges.

     Middle bay region fishermen continue to enjoy very good fishing for striped bass below the Bay Bridge south. Much of the action tends to be centered near the Gum Thickets, the Hill, Tolley's and Thomas Points. Early morning and evening tend to be the most productive times reported for a wide variety of fishing methods. Light tackle fishermen are finding fish on top at times or suspended over structure. Trolling with a variety of lures such as Drone spoons, bucktails and surgical tube lures has been a good choice. Bluefish are moving into the region so many fishermen have placed their expensive swim shads in safe storage. Chumming has been productive and live lining spot is probably the number one way to catch your striped bass if one has the time and savvy to collect live spot for bait. More than a few fishermen are also finding bluefish chopping up baits and that fresh cut spot can catch striped bass also.

     Fishermen looking for striped bass in the lower bay are now able to concentrate on live lining spot outside of the Gas Docks with very good success. Spot have moved into the Patuxent River and the tidal rivers and creeks in the lower bay region making bait much easier to obtain. Fishermen are also light tackle fishing and trolling for their striped bass and increasing numbers of bluefish at the Middle Grounds and channel edges. Fishing for speckled trout on the eastern side of the lower bay from lower Hooper's Island to Pocomoke Sound continues to offer exciting fishing opportunities for light tackle fishermen. Croaker numbers have increased this past week in the region and especially in the lower Potomac River. Flounder are also becoming more common in the lower bay region.

     Fishing for white perch continues to provide good fishing opportunities for fishermen throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay and the tidal rivers and creeks that flow into it. They are being caught in deeper waters with bait and bottom rigs, around the piers of docks, sunken wood along shorelines and rocks. Grass shrimp, minnows and bloodworms are all excellent baits and small lures such as Rat-L-Traps, spinners and Beetle Spins are all good lure choices.

Crabbing

     Recreational crabbers report fair to poor catches in the upper bay and good catches south of the Bay Bridge in the bay's tidal rivers and creeks. Undersized crabs and females are making up a large portion of the crabs being encountered on trotlines and in collapsible traps but most crabbers report being able to catch a half bushel to a full bushel per outing.

Freshwater

     Freshwater fishermen continue to see most of their fisheries set in a typical summer mode of behavior and that translates into early morning and late evening fishing action in shallower waters and fishing deep or under shade during the day. Largemouth bass in particular are roaming the shallower grass beds during low light conditions and are hunkered down in deeper cool waters during the day or under heavy grass or the shade of a dock or sunken wood.

     Fishermen at Deep Creek Lake are catching a mix of smallmouth bass in the 12" to 15" size range, large yellow perch and crappie by drifting live minnows over rocky points, humps and deep grass edges. At the deep dam faces many are drifting minnows and nightcrawlers deep for trout. Upper Potomac River fishermen report typical summer low flow conditions and are catching a mix of smallmouth bass and channel catfish.

     Much of the summer time fishing action focuses on largemouth bass and with cooler temperatures this week the action should pick up. Topwater lures such as frogs, poppers, chatterbaits and shallow running crankbaits over grass or along edges are always good choices. Grubs, spinnerbaits and soft plastics are good choices to try near sunken wood or shade.

At the Ocean

     Ocean City area fishermen are enjoying good fishing conditions this week; surf water temperatures are now up to 78-degrees and they are catching a summer mix of small species in the surf such as kingfish, small bluefish, croakers, spot and flounder. In the late evenings some fishermen are also practicing catch and release with large inshore sharks such as sand tigers. In and around the inlet flounder and sheepshead are being caught and small bluefish and a few striped bass at night.

     Flounder fishing has been good due to good water clarity and fishermen are working the deeper channels for some impressive sized flounder. Many are using larger baits now such as live spot and catching a better grade of flounder. Croakers, small sea bass and spot round out the bottom fishing mix.

     The boats heading out to the wreck sites report good catches of sea bass and increasing numbers of flounder for patrons on the party boats. The throwback ratio tends to be high on the sea bass but fishermen who stick to it often come up with double digit catches of legal sea bass or limits. Offshore fishermen report bluefin tuna and a few yellowfin tuna along the 30-fathom line and traditional fishing areas such as the Hot Dog, Hambone and Chicken Bone. Farther offshore fishermen are finding a mix of white marlin, blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, dolphin and bigeye tuna in the canyon areas.

Longtime Director of the MSSA Passes Away

     Annapolis, Md. -- Rich Novotny, one of MSSA's founding members, first president of the Essex-Middle River Chapter, author of Catchin' Chesapeake Rockfish, and longtime Executive Director of the MSSA, passed away on July 1 at the age of 67.

     Novotny will be remembered for the contributions to recreational fishing in Maryland. His lifetime commitment to fisheries made him a natural choice to lead the MSSA for so long. He will be missed.

Keith Lockwood's Maryland Fishing Report

     Oxford, Md. -- A lot of folks could be seen on the highways this past weekend headed for day trips or perhaps week long vacations with family in tow most with one purpose in mind; to get near water and its cooling effects on the body and soul. Whether it is a favorite lake, the bay or the ocean, water offers fun and relaxation and fishing can be a big part of that equation. I took my own advice this past weekend when three youngsters came to visit from Manhattan to come and play on the eastern shore. After a lot of swimming and chasing frogs and turtles; we set aside some time to go to our local tackle store and let the kids pick out their own character related fishing outfits and head to the bay for some white perch fishing. Fortunately despite the searing sun the white perch and small striped bass were hungry for grass shrimp and our young fishermen caught their first fish ever and I might add the 2nd and the 12th and so on.

     Fishermen in the upper bay region have been finding plenty to do in the tidal rivers such as the Susquehanna River, fishing for white perch and channel catfish with a few striped bass tossed in now and then. Farther down the bay in the region from Rock Hall south fishermen are finding schools of striped bass along channel edges. These fish range from typical 3-year old fish that are less than 18" to 4 and 5 year old fish that can go a nice 22" or more. Most fishermen have been trolling but chumming has been successful and those lucky enough to find some small spot have been live lining along the channel edges and the bay bridge piers with good success. These fish are chasing juvenile menhaden and bay anchovies and often can be spotted on the surface in the mornings and evenings chasing bait; fishermen are reporting that often there are no diving birds to mark the activity.

     The fishing for striped bass below the bay bridge down to the Breezy Point area continues to provide a lot of good fishing for striped bass along the edges of the shipping channel in the vicinity of Hackett's Bar, Thomas Point, the Hill, the False Channel area and out in front of Breezy Point. Fishermen have been seeing surface action in the mornings and evenings as striped bass chase bait up to the surface. Casting soft plastic jigs, bucktails and metal has been providing fun light tackle fishing. A good depth finder has also be a real asset this week in regard to finding fish suspended and holding along the channel edges; soft plastic jigs and metal have been effective choices to reach the fish. Trolling continues to be a very popular method to work the channel edges for striped bass this week; swim shads and bucktails in tandem or behind umbrella rigs as well as spoons and surgical tube lures have been good choices.
     Fishermen in the southern region of the bay are reporting good trolling opportunities for striped bass in the lower Potomac River with small to medium sized bucktails along the channel edges. Chumming is also been productive at the mouth of the Potomac River for a mix of striped bass and bluefish. At Cove Point along the 35' channel edge out in front of the Gas Docks fishermen are live lining spot on a regular basis now and catching striped bass. There are plenty of small spot in the Patuxent so it makes it easy for the Solomons fleet to obtain bait.
     Bluefish are mixing it up with striped bass in the lower bay region and can often be seen chasing bait to the surface. The bluefish are also showing up in chum slicks, nipping a live lined spot now and then and attacking lures trolled behind boats. Many of the fishermen trolling have put their swim shads in storage and are using Drone spoons, bucktails and surgical tubing lures. The Mud Leads and the lower bay in general have been good places to catch medium-sized bluefish.
     Croaker fishing in the lower bay and middle bay regions has been most productive at sunset and into the evening hours when a good tide is running. Shoal areas near deep channel areas have been good places to fish such as Buoy 72 in the lower bay and Sharp's Island Flats in the middle bay region. White perch fishing in the channel areas and tidal rivers in the middle and lower bay regions remains good with bloodworms being the most popular bait when fishing with bottom rigs.
     Shallow water fishing for white perch and striped bass remains good in the early morning hours with much of the fishing shutting down once the sun rises. Due to hot weather, the evening fishing kicks in gear once the sun sets. Topwater lures and jerkbaits are good choices for striped bass and spinners and Beetle Spin type soft plastics are good choices for white perch.

Crabbing

     Recreational crabbers report slim pickings this week in the upper bay tidal rivers and creeks and fair crabbing in the middle bay region's tidal rivers and creeks. Crabbing success picks up in the lower bay and Tangier Sounds area this week.

Freshwater

     Many of Maryland's freshwater fisheries are now in what most fishermen would call a summer pattern of behavior. That translates into early morning and late evening fishing for the best success. Whether one is fishing for trout in the western region streams, Deep Creek Lake, the upper Potomac or a small farm pond in southern Maryland fishing early morning and late evening is the key. Potomac River expert John Mullican sent in a short report from the upper Potomac that reflects this typical summer pattern. The Potomac is low, clear and temperatures are running in the mid-80s. Fishing has been pretty good during the morning and evening hours, but gets pretty slow during the day, a typical summer pattern.
     Fishing for largemouth bass has been good for fishermen who can get up early and work the shallows with topwater lures over grass such as frogs and poppers. As the sun gets higher in the sky targeting shade such as docks, fallen tree tops and under thick grass will often produce strikes from largemouth bass hunkered down in the shade. Creek mouths that flow into lakes and tidal rivers often run a bit cooler are also good places to target for bass holding there.

At the Ocean

     Ocean City fishermen are finding the best fishing for a mix of small summer species in the surf in the early morning and evening hours now that surf water temperatures are around 76-degrees. Kingfish, croaker, small bluefish and flounder can be found in the surf as well as catch and release fishing for inshore sharks this week. In and around the inlet and Route 50 Bridge are fishermen are catching flounder, croaker and sheepshead during the day and striped bass at night. Flounder fishing in the back bay areas is good when water clarity is favorable.
     Outside of the inlet the party boats are finding good fishing for sea bass on the wreck sites with a high throwback ratio. Farther offshore fishermen are finding good fishing for yellowfin tuna and a mix of bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, dolphin, white and blue marlin and wahoo. Deep drop fishermen are finding tilefish along the canyon edges.