Fishing in Full Swing on the Chesapeake and the Atlantic Coast

    Maryland Fishing Report by Keith Lockwood
 Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Coast, Md. -- Anglers are beginning to see water temperatures approach the 80-degree mark throughout the Chesapeake and with those elevated temperatures striped bass are beginning to hold in deeper waters and only venture into the shallows during early morning and late evening hours. The tidal rivers are now open to fishing for striped bass.
     Anglers are reporting a few school-sized striped bass are being caught below the dam and channels near the mouth of the Susquehanna. Channel catfish seem to be everywhere in the Susquehanna over to the Elk River and the white perch fishing has tapered off.
     Chumming for striped bass at Love Point, the Triple Buoys and Swann Point continues to be a steady pick with the best results coming early in the morning with a good running tide. Baits allowed to settle to the bottom under the chum slick often produce some of the nicer fish being caught.
     Trolling close to the bottom along channel edges has been accounting for some striped bass. White perch are being found on many of the knolls and shoals of the upper bay; bottom rigs baited with bloodworms are the preferred method of fishing.
     Some of the best trolling action for stripers has been along the western side of the shipping channel near Parker’s Creek and the Radar Towers in about 30 feet of water. The north edge of the Hill at the mouth of Eastern Bay and the False Channel are also producing fish at times. Umbrella rigs, spreader bars and tandem rigs with Storms, swim shads, Tsunamis or spoons close to the bottom have been working the best.
     Jigging with bucktails and soft plastics has also been productive over structure such as channel edges, bridge piers or stone piles. In the shallows, surface poppers are perhaps the most fun lure to fish but swimming plugs such as Rapalas and the Gulp white mullet swim shad will catch a lot of fish. Fly fishermen will find skipping bugs offering the most excitement but chartreuse Clousers and Deceiver flies are hard to beat for consistent strikes.
     Black drum are still being caught at Stone Rock and although the action has not been exactly hot and heavy it only takes one fish to light up your day. Stout tackle, ½ a soft crab on a big circle hook with 3 or 4-ounces of lead and a good depth finder usually work well. Lesser known shoals such as the James Island Flats are worth taking a look at also if you’re in the area. The smaller cousin of the black drum; the croaker are being found along the 20- to 35-foot edges of channels mostly in the evenings and in deeper waters during the day. The mouth of Eastern Bay and the lower Choptank River has been offering some of the better fishing this week.
     Bluefish are starting to show up in the lower bay region; mostly near the Middle Grounds at the moment. They will move throughout the region in short order and will be chewing up soft plastics. Jigging for striped bass over structure such as channel edges is a good option right now and fishermen are reporting bait slicks and breaking fish from time to time. Chumming is a good option now at traditional locations such as Buoy 72 and the Rock Piles north of Point Lookout and with more and more spot becoming available, live lining near Cove Point and other traditional locations will become more common place.
     Croaker fishing has been very good at the mouth of the Patuxent River, Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, Buoy 72 and the mouth of the Potomac. The croakers tend to hold deep during the day and move up into shallower waters towards evening. A few flounder are being caught along channel edges in Tangier Sound and Cornfield Harbor, sea trout, larger spot and even black drum can also be part of the mix at times.

Sport Fishing Licenses Available at New Locations on the Coast

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently set up nine new fishing license locations to serve anglers who fish Maryland’s Coastal Bays and ocean waters.
     “Five tackle shops in Ocean City, two in Berlin, one in Selbyville and one on Fenwick Island have stepped forward to serve their customers with fishing licenses,” said DNR Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell.
     Until this year, Maryland did not require tidal fishing licenses for recreational fishing around Ocean City and the coastal bays. A new Federal Saltwater Angler Registry requirement instituted in 2010 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requires that all recreational anglers fishing in tidal waters in the United States be included or specifically accounted for in a national saltwater angler phone book. The purpose of the registry is to enable NOAA to survey anglers and improve harvest estimates.
     In order to comply with the federal requirement, the 2011 Maryland General Assembly changed recreational licensing requirements to include coastal anglers. Anglers who possess a Maryland tidal fishing license are automatically registered in the National Saltwater Angler Registry. Anglers younger than 16 years old and anglers fishing on a licensed charter boat or a licensed commercial fishing pier do not need to be registered or licensed.
     “This will make Maryland’s excellent coastal fishing even more accessible while helping fisheries managers obtain the data needed to ensure sustainable fishing opportunities,” said DNR Fisheries Deputy Director Gina Hunt.
     These new Maryland fishing license agents join the Walmart in Berlin and the DNR Service Center in Salisbury as sources for fishing licenses on the coast:
Oyster Bay Bait & Tackle, Ocean City - 116th St
Skip’s Bait & Tackle, Ocean City - 210 Talbot St by the Rt 50 Bridge
Oceanic Pier, Ocean City - 710 S Philadelphia Ave at the Inlet by the Boardwalk
AllTackle, Ocean City - 12826 Ocean Gateway on the other side of the Rt 50 Bridge
John Henry’s Bait & Tackle, 12507 Sunset Ave #15 Ocean City
Captain Mac’s Bait & Tackle, Selbyville, Del.
Frontiertown, Berlin
Sharky’s Market, Berlin
Fenwick Island Tackle, Fenwick Island, Del.

Burnley Lands Record Snowy Grouper Near Norfolk Canyon

    

     Virginia Beach, Va. -- Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach has established a new state record for snowy grouper with a 70-pound, 7-ounce fish caught May 22. The record fish was weighed and certified on an Ohaus digital scale at the office of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, located in Newport News. The digital scale registered 70.48 pounds but the weight was converted and listed as 70 pounds and 7-ounces as the state record. The record-setting grouper bested the existing state record, set by Jere Humphrey of Norfolk, Virginia, on August 17, 2008, by nearly 2-1/2 pounds.

     Burnley is filing an application with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) for acceptance of his catch as the IGFA All-Tackle Record for snowy grouper. Humphrey’s 68-pound snowy grouper currently holds the IGFA All-Tackle Record.

     Burnley caught his grouper “deep-dropping” near the Norfolk Canyon in 98 fathoms of water while fishing aboard the private boat Healthy Grin, skippered by Ken Neill, III, of Seaford. The fish had a length of 48 inches and a girth of 37 inches. The record fish was caught on a Shimano Trevala rod, mated with a Daiwa Saltist LD40 reel and spooled with 70-pound test Daiwa Saltiga Boat braided line. The record-setting grouper hit a custom made two hook bottom rig baited with squid and cut fish. 

     Snowy grouper was added to the list of species eligible for state record recognition by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament Committee at their fall meeting in 2006 and carried an initial qualifying weight of 38 pounds. Burnley registered Virginia’s first qualifying snowy grouper, at 49 pounds, 9 ounces, on April 29, 2007. Burnley’s record was eclipsed within days, on June 10, 2007, by Bob Manus of Ark, Virginia, with a 65-pound, 8-ounce grouper. Manus’ record status held until Chris Boyce of Hampton caught a 66-pounder later that year December 2007. Boyce’s record grouper lasted for 8 months before Humphrey landed his 68-pounder. The last three fish were later certified as IGFA All-Tackle Records for snowy grouper. The four prior record snowy grouper were caught in the general vicinity of the Norfolk Canyon “deep-dropping” in over 50 fathoms of water and using either whole or cut fish for bait. Additionally, five of the six state record grouper were caught aboard the Healthy Grin skippered by Ken Neill.

     For more information, contact Lewis S. Gillingham, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, 2600 Washington Ave., Newport News, VA 23607, (757) 491-5160, vswft@mrc.virginia.gov.

Keith Lockwood's Maryland DNR Fishing Report

     Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean -- As we all reflect on last weekend’s activities, most found time to remember solemnly what Memorial Day and the holiday weekend means to each of us. Beyond the true meaning of the holiday there was the “coming out” for the kick off of the summer season, picnics, beach traffic, family events focused around barbequing and of course fishing. For many it was enjoying being at one’s favorite fishing spot whether on the shore or out in a boat. For many diehards it was the realization that you’re not alone out there anymore and will be sharing the open waters of lakes and the bays with recreational boaters of all types and skills; so much for peace and quiet.

     On Tuesday, the first series of Diamond Jim striped bass were released into the Chesapeake Bay bearing chartreuse colored tags that can be worth a lot of money. There will be two additional scheduled releases occurring over the next two months with approximately 200 fish tagged each month. Each month one of the tagged fish is the actual Diamond Jim and this months Diamond Jim is worth $10.000. The other tagged fish are called imposters and are worth at least $500. If the Diamond Jim of a particular month escaped capture, the following month’s Diamond Jim will double in value up to $25,000 and the previous month’s Diamond Jim will become an imposter.

     There is a big change in the rules this year and everyone should take note of this. New this year if the real Diamond Jim is not caught before September 6, the $25,000 will be distributed between the anglers in attendance at the Grand Prize Celebration that caught imposter fish. So some angler or anglers are leaving the event with a whole lot of cash. Also worth noting is that the odds of collecting some big prizes are looking real good for those anglers that have entered award fish in the Fishing Challenge. Be sure to check out the Fishing Challenge website for how to enter award fish and don’t miss out. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/challenge/ 

     Water temperature in the Chesapeake are now hovering above 70-degrees and the focus now for fishermen looking to catch striped bass is trolling, light tackle jigging, chumming and for those lucky enough to have a supply of live spot, live lining. Trolling for striped bass has centered on a mix of medium sized lures ranging from surge tube lures, spoons, bucktails, and swim shads to umbrella rigs. Any one of them can be the hot lure for any particular day so it pays to experiment with a variety of presentations. The steep channel edges of the shipping channel and approach channels are always a good place to troll as are bottom structure such as ballast stone piles and reef sites. One universal point continues to dominate fishing reports this week and that is that there are plenty of marks on depth finders but fishing action has been a slow pick at best. May worms seem to be the reason as this annual swarming event of food abundance for fish makes for fish that have eaten their fill and show little interest in a fisherman’s offerings. One consolation fishermen should consider when getting frustrated this week is that the May worm swarming will be over soon and those fillets will be a bit fuller on the fish that will be caught. 

     Quite a few fishermen have been chumming for their striped bass this week and most have been having acceptable results when a good strong tide is running. Most fishermen are reporting that the action has been steady with some nice fish over 28” being caught in the mix. In the upper bay, the Love Point area has been getting the most attention but striped bass can be found at times at Swan Point, Triple Buoys and Podickory Point. Middle bay region fishermen have been chumming at the Hill, Thomas Point and Buoy 83 with good results at times. In the lower bay, the channel edges at the mouth of the Potomac River, the Rock piles north of Point Lookout and the Buoy 72 area have been favorites lately. In all regions baits left to lie on the bottom have been catching some of the larger fish. 

     Light tackle fishermen have been spotting some breaking fish from time to time working on small menhaden and jigging over structure has been productive. The striped bass are moving freely throughout the bay now and can be found along bay shore shallows. Surface lures such as poppers are a fun way to target these fish and the marshes of the lower eastern shore are holding a good number of fish at the moment. 

     The annual black drum run at the area around Stone Rock kicked off over Memorial Day weekend and fish are being caught. This action should continue through this week and perhaps last another week. Croaker fishing continues to be excellent in many areas of the middle and lower bay with traditional locations such as the channel edges of the lower Choptank and Nanticoke Rivers, Eastern Bay, Buoy 72, Tangier Sound and Hooper’s Island Light being just a few good places to check out. Peeler crab is perhaps the number one favorite bait but shrimp, bloodworms, squid and clam are also good baits to use. White perch are now holding on many of the oyster bars in the upper bay such as the knolls and reefs off of Baltimore but most any good oyster bar in the middle and lower bay will most likely be holding a mix of white perch croaker and improving numbers of spot. Bloodworms tend to be the bait of choice for white perch fishing.

$10,000 Diamond Jim Now On The Loose

     Annapolis, MD -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today kicked off the exciting summer component of the 2011 Maryland Fishing Challenge, releasing up to 200 specially tagged striped bass imposters, including one genuine Diamond Jim -- currently worth $10,000 -- into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Now in its seventh consecutive year, the Challenge showcases Maryland as a premier sport fishing destination for residents and visitors alike, with accessible, affordable, diverse and high quality opportunities for anglers of all ages.

     “The Maryland Fishing challenge is a great opportunity for Maryland anglers and their families to get out on the water and enjoy our natural resources,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “The Challenge is open to everyone, from the experienced angler to families fishing with their children for the first time.”

     Each month during the summer (June, July and August), DNR releases 200 imposters worth at least $500 each and one genuine Diamond Jim. He’s worth $10,000 in June, $20,000 in July and $25,000 in August. And for the first time every, this year’s contest features a guaranteed $25,000 payout: If one of the three authentic Diamond Jims is not caught by Labor Day, the cash prize will be split equally among the anglers who catch imposters this summer.

     Diamond Jim was originally created during a short-lived fishing contest during the 1950s, when a single specially tagged striped bass was worth $25,000 to the lucky angler who caught him. DNR revived this fun family event in 2005, to promote recreational fishing, highlight Maryland’s State fish, recognize angler efforts and inspire natural resources stewardship.

     The Maryland Fishing Challenge Citation Award program runs all year long, starting the day after Labor Day and ending the following Labor Day. Every angler who catches an award-qualifying fish or a tagged striped bass and enters the challenge becomes eligible to participate in the grand prize random drawing, to be held during the 43rd annual Seafood Festival on September 10, 2011 at Sandy Point State Park.

     This year’s citation prizes include a boat and trailer package from Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats, thousands of dollars in fishing gear and trips from Bill’s Outdoor Center, a tropical vacation from World Fishing Network and merchandise from Under Armour.

     “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.”

     More than 60 species of fish are eligible for the grand prizes, 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. Two new species have been added to the list -- the blueline tilefish and the blue crab. To see the complete citation award species list go to dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/challenge/index.asp?p=species.

     To be eligible for the contest, all fish must caught recreationally by rod and reel. Complete rules are available online at dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/challenge.

     “Catch a fish” is included in 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.

Two License Free Fishing Days in June in Maryland

     Annapolis, MD -- Normally a license is required to fish in Maryland, but there are a few exceptions to this requirement. The first is there are specific areas that are designated License Free Fishing Areas throughout the tidal portions of the Chesapeake Bay. You are required to observe all other fishing laws and regulations. A free MD/PRFC angler registration is also required for anglers fishing without a license in designated license free fishing areas, you may register online through dnr.maryland.gov/service/fishing_license.asp. You can see a list of license free locations on the following page: License Free Fishing Areas.

     The second option is that Maryland hosts Free Fishing Days. During a free fishing day, a person may catch and possess finfish in the tidal and nontidal waters of the state for recreational purposes without an angler's license, Chesapeake Bay sportfishing license, or any fishing stamp normally required by the state, but shall otherwise observe all fishing laws and regulations. Maryland's free fishing days are the first two Saturdays in June and July 4.

     Lastly, youth under 16 years of age are allowed to fish without a license all year round.

Keith Lockwood's Maryland DNR Fishing Report

     Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean, MD -- There is a lot going on in the Maryland fishing world this week as freshwater, bay and ocean fisheries begin to transition to a summer pattern. Trout fishing is becoming more of a fly fishermen’s game now as all types of aquatic insect hatches are occurring in trout streams and rivers in the western and central regions. Freshwater species such as largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are either finished spawning or nearly so. Freshwater fish in general are holding in shallower areas and offering some wonderful fishing opportunities. Bay fishermen are focusing now on school-sized striped bass and new summer migrants. Coastal fishermen are experiencing the height of the annual northward migration of large striped bass along the beaches and an infusion of summer species. All in all there is a lot going on whether it is in a local pond down the street or offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

     Anyone who has been near any of the tidal rivers that flow into the Chesapeake can’t help but notice the heavy flows of runoff that have been occurring this spring. Salinities in the bay are at record lows and the turbid water conditions and floating debris all make for an interesting situation. The salinity at locations such as the middle of the bay has been holding below 4 p.p.t. and below 7 p.p.t. at Point Lookout. These values are well below what would be normal this time of the year. Species such as bluefish, flounder and croakers usually prefer higher salinities than these. Blue crabs will also move out of the tidal creeks and rivers where salinities are low. Low salinities will depress oyster disease but spat set could be affected negatively. Blue catfish and snakeheads may go for a foray out of the Potomac and up the bay. One shinning hope is that all of this spring runoff may create plenty of food for this years striped bass larvae; we can all keep our fingers crossed and hope for a good 2011 year class.

     Fishermen have begun to put away the planer boards, large parachutes and bucktails for medium sized lures and deeper depths. Storms lures trailed behind umbrella rigs or rigged in tandem have been working well for fishermen this week. Medium sized spoons, Tomic plugs and diving Rapalas in red and white can also be good choices. The striped bass tend to hold to structure as most everyone knows so steep edges where the current rips by, ballast stone piles and of course the Bay Bridge piers are go to places to troll this time of the year. These locations are also great places to jig with soft plastics such as BKD’s and there have even been reports of breaking fish. Chumming is another option that fishermen are using right now and some have been lucky enough to catch some small spot to use for live lining.
     The May worms have begun their annual metamorphosis spawning event and can now be seen swarming near dock lights at night. This annual “all you can eat banquet” can make it tough for fishermen when striped bass are so stuffed they feel that can’t eat just one more morsel and pass up fishermen’s offerings. Cow-nosed rays are moving into our portion of the bay and can cause some consternation among fishermen who may think they have just tied into a huge striped bass.

     Perhaps no harder than getting front row tickets to your favorite rock stars concert is coordinating the arrival of the annual black drum run at Stone Rock and a soft crab bait on the end of your fishing line. This annual event is always kept hush hush in the fishing community because it entails following a school of fish on a depth finder and literally dropping a soft crab bait in front of their nose. Jockeying for position in a maneuvering fleet can try any captain’s nerves and it should start sometime this week if it hasn’t already. Soft crab baits can be bound to a circle hook with a couple of rubber bands and stout tackle is a must; this is a knock down brute force battle. 

     Fishing for croakers continues to improve as more fish move into our portion of the bay. Good croaker fishing can be found as far north as the mouth of Eastern Bay. Some of the regions tidal rivers are running stained and carrying a lot of freshwater; some traditional tidal rivers locations have not shown the degree of good croaker fishing fishermen are used to. Channel edges in the bay have been hard to beat lately; especially in the evening hours when the croakers move from the deeper channels to shallower areas to feed at night. White perch fishing in the bay is steadily picking up also as perch set up residence on oyster bars, humps and shoals. 

     Recreational crabbers are reporting sparse catches in the upper bay tidal rivers and creeks and better catches in the southeastern portion of the bay; low salinities may be part of the problem. There are a lot of small crabs chewing up baits and most catches that make it to the basket are 5” to 51/2” crabs and many of those are crabs that spent the winter in the mud so they are sweet and heavy. 

     Freshwater fishermen are enjoying some good fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass and a mix of other species such as crappie, bluegill and chain pickerel at Deep Creek Lake. The largemouth bass there are spawning in the shallower coves this week. Trout fishing has been great for fly fishermen due to the numerous aquatic insect hatches occurring. The upper Potomac River is still running high and cloudy but should improve if large scale rain events hold off. Fisheries biologist John Mullican reports the many of the boat ramps are or can be covered with a film of mud from previous flood waters; so fishermen should be very careful when using any boat ramp. He mentioned the two ramps located between Sharpsburg and Williamsport; Snyder’s Landing and Taylor’s Landing are actually closed and barricaded due to unsafe mudding conditions. 

     Fishing in the reservoirs, lakes, ponds and tidal waters of the state continues to be very good this week where good water clarity conditions prevail. Tidal rivers on the western shore have been running high and can make fishing difficult at times but largemouth bass fishermen on the tidal Potomac report that the high water actually gives them better access to grassy shallows where they can cast buzzbaits over the grass. In lakes and ponds usually water clarity is not too much of an issue and fishing for a variety of species such as crappie, bluegills and largemouth bass has been good to excellent. The largemouth bass are in a post-spawn mode now in all but the coldest lakes in the western region so they are aggressively feeding.

     Water temperatures in the surf along Ocean City are running about 64-degrees this week and fishermen are experiencing the height of the spring striped bass run. Some impressive catches are being reported in the surf and at the inlet. Fresh menhaden baits are the ticket to this show in the surf and make sure you have plenty of it since there are a lot of pesky skates, rays and dogfish. There are also small bluefish and an occasional black drum being caught in the surf.

     At the inlet there has been some excellent fishing for striped bass at night. Swim shads have been the favorite lure for casting; although the bluefish have been chewing them up. The best lure for getting your licks in on the bluefish has been Got-Cha lures. Tautog are being caught along the rocks and bulkheads and the South Jetty if the place to be for big tog if you can get there.

     Flounder and small bluefish are in the back bay areas and although there are a lot of undersized flounder some big ones are being caught. Using larger baits can be a pathway to catching the larger flounder. 

     Sea bass season is now open and fishermen have been lifting some nice sized sea bass over the rails. Double digit catches are fairly common and some fishermen have been catching limits. Tautog are also still being caught at the wreck sites along with cod fish. Farther offshore a few mako sharks and bluefin tuna are being found in the canyon areas.