Fishing for Spanish mackerel is still a viable option this week but the numbers of fish being caught are diminishing. Trolling is an excellent way to catch them and a great way to cover water along channel edges in the Bay and in Tangier Sound. Small Drone spoons pulled behind planers is the most popular method being employed. When schools of breaking fish can be spotted, they are usually a mix of bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Casting small but heavy jigs into the action and speed-reeling the lure back to the boat is a proven tactic.
Derek Crone caught this nice cobia fishing a live eel in his chum slick. Photo courtesy of Derek Crone
Trolling for a mix of large red drum and cobia is another viable fishing method right now. Large spoons are used to entice the red drum for some heavy duty catch-and-release action. Green and red rubber hose lures pulled behind inline weights is the choice for catching cobia. The areas around the Target Ship, Point Lookout, and Smith Point are good places to troll.
Red drum are also being caught by locating schools by slicks, fishing deep under breaking bluefish and Spanish mackerel, or by spotting them on a depth finder. Large soft plastic jigs work well, or dropping a soft crab bait to the drum can’t be beat.
Chumming is the primary method being used this week to fish for cobia, and dropping a live eel down to the bottom in the chum slick has been working well for many. Smith Point, Point Lookout, and the area around the Target Ship are good places to set up.
Anglers casting paddletails near shoreline structure in 10 feet to 15 feet of water in the lower Potomac and Patuxent rivers are catching a mix of striped bass,
Photo by Jim Livingston
slot-size red drum, and speckled trout. Tangier Sound is also an excellent place to target speckled trout and slot-size red drum.
Fishing for a mix of spot and white perch is very good in the lower section of the Patuxent River, the Cornfield Harbor area, and Tangier Sound. The spot are about as large as they’re going to get in Maryland waters, and although the white perch will stick around, the spot will soon head south, so it is advisable to enjoy their abundance while it lasts.
Recreational crabbing continues to provide enough success for those using trotlines, collapsible crab traps, or simply running hand lines off a dock. It continues to be a fickle fishery with some areas producing excellent catches of large crabs, some of which weigh a pound or more. Other areas may give up a half-bushel of decent crabs at best. The largest crabs tend to be coming from waters 10 feet to 15 feet deep, smaller but legal crabs are being caught in shallower waters.
Fishing and boat traffic conditions are improving at Deep Creek Lake as the vacation season begins to slow down. Largemouth bass can be found in the cove areas during the morning and evening hours and under shade during the day. Smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch can be found along the edges of deep grass, while trout are deep along the dam face.
The upper Potomac River is recovering from last week’s storm event and the heavy rains that caused high water flows. Fishing conditions for this week should be good for smallmouth bass in the deeper holes, submerged ledges, and current breaks.
Zack Ross holds up one of six northern snakeheads he caught last weekend at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County. Photo courtesy of Zack Ross
Many trout anglers are looking forward to fall fishing conditions as water temperatures begin to cool this month. One of the trout fishing jewels in Western Maryland is the North Branch of the Potomac River. Perhaps the most exciting and adventurous way to fish it is during a float trip. For this activity you can either team up with a buddy to have a vehicle at the drop off and end points of the float, or hire a guide. Either way it is a wonderful experience. You can find a map that provides information on the Department of Natural Resources website, by searching Western Maryland water trails.
On the website you can also find an article called “Go West, Young Angler,” to learn about float fishing the North Branch, along with finding river guides.
DNR staff recently completed annual sampling on the Lower Savage River. The upper station, located in the artificial fly-only management area of the river, supported an estimated overall population of 1,170 trout per mile, with 89 percent of fish collected being brown trout. The lower Aaron’s Run station, located in the artificial flies and lures management area, was lower than average with an overall population estimate of 669 trout per mile, with 90 percent of fish collected being brown trout. Fish were in excellent condition with higher average weights than previous samples. Great fish condition could be attributed to the large periodical cicada hatch that occurred during the late spring and early summer months, providing a robust diet. Young-of-the-year collected during the survey suggest limited reproductive success.
Largemouth bass will begin to shake off their summer mode of feeding behavior with cooler water temperatures. As of now, they are still holding to a summer pattern. Working the shallower grassy areas in the early morning or late evening hours with topwater baits will remain the best bet for now. Buzzbaits and frogs are great baits to work over grass, and northern snakeheads will be in the mix when fishing tidal waters. As largemouth bass retreat to shade under deep grass mats, dropping wacky rigged stick worms through to the fish holding underneath is a good tactic. Largemouth bass will also seek shade under overhanging brush, fallen treetops, and deep sunken wood. Small crankbaits, craws, and grubs often work well in these areas.
Northern snakeheads are on the prowl and fishing for them is very good right now. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing success in the many creeks that feed into the tidal Potomac River and the rivers and creeks of the lower Eastern Shore. Most are casting buzzbaits and frogs into grassy areas or fishing large minnows under a popping cork or bobber in more open waters.
Photo by Monty Hawkins
Surf anglers are reporting excellent fishing for spot in the morning hours along the beaches of Assateague Island. There is also a mix of kingfish and croaker at times, and pompano for those rigged for them and fishing with sand fleas. There are also small bluefish in the surf that can be caught on cut spot.
At the inlet, striped bass are being caught in the evenings near the jetties on soft plastic jigs and bucktails. During the day bluefish are providing plenty of action on bucktails. Flounder are in the inlet and Route 50 Bridge area.
Flounder fishing in the back bay areas is good with plenty of fish being caught. The largest flounder are hitting live spot and finger mullet drifted along the bottom. Traditional baits of squid and minnows are catching their fair share of flounder.
Outside the inlet, large flounder are being caught on some of the inshore shoals, and the inshore wreck and reef sites are especially good for limits of large flounder. The wreck and reef sites a little farther offshore are providing good catches of black sea bass, triggerfish, and flounder.
Those venturing farther offshore to blue water are finding good numbers of chicken dolphin near lobster buoys and floating grass. Out at the canyons, boats are bringing a mix of yellowfin tuna, dolphin, large wahoo, and blueline tilefish. White marlin releases are common and a blue marlin is being caught and released now and then.
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Maryland Fishing Report – September 8 - maryland.gov
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