Fishing continues to remain strong this week, though not as many fishermen ventured out as a result of the intense heat. Again the good bite rode the backs of rockfish, though we've also seen an increase in the numbers of bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Also coming over the rails this week was a sweet 50-inch red drum (released), the last of the cobia as well as a 35-pound crevasse.
Back in our home waters, live lining spot for stripers has ranged from good to great, especially from Thomas Point to the Bay Bridges. Breaking blues, rockfish and occasional Spanish mackerel can be found from just south of Poplar past Gum Thickets, at the mouth of the Severn and around West River to the Chesapeake Beach area. In the upper bay, the hot action found off Podickory Point has cooled, with a load of stripers having moved east across the bay from Love Point to Swan Point. Croakers and spot are now on hard, live bottom areas in slightly better numbers, but nowhere near what anyone would call thick. White perch are biting good off Hackett's and Tolly points as well as the Chester River, Eastern Bay and in the Choptank.
Specifically in the upper bay, Bud at Fishbones said chunking fresh alewives on the Mud Flats has been pretty consistent, as has live lining spot at the Bay Bridge pilings. He adds trolling hoses (such as Rock Hall reds) on Belvedere Shoals can produce keeper rockfish and snapper bluefish. And lastly, Bud says, you can expect a few keeper croakers at Snake Reef, using bloodworms or squid. Crabbing has slowed considerably in the Magothy River.
I caught up with Jim at Marty's Bait & Tackle, who shared that Megan Crabtree of Severna Park caught and released a beautiful 50-inch bull red drum near Hoopers Island aboard the Sassy Lady, captained by Mike Willey. The big red hit a trolled No. 2 Drone. Otherwise, keeper rock are being caught inside the South River, and trolling small bucktails seem to be catching the best. Jim says you have to weed through the dinks, but a couple of fish for dinner is possible. The white perch and spot fishing remains pretty good in the usual places, and he adds "crabbing is still good, early. Once the heat cranks up, it's over."
Captain Jeff Popp on the charter boat Vista Lady tells me "My GPS (tracking mode) has lines going from marina to the LP buoy. I'm still trolling with a few chumming trips mixed in." He adds the sweet spot rockfish size seems to be 27 to 32 inches, and interestingly, he says they're catching rockfish on the flood, ebb and even slack tides.
Down in the Chesapeake Beach area, "We had plenty of breaking fish over the weekend. Rockfish and bluefish dominated the action. There were Spanish mackerel in the schools of breakers but were difficult to catch on the jig," says Captain LJ of G-Eye Jigs, adding Laurel Leitner caught a real nice rockfish this week.
Capt. Kevin Josenhans, of Josenhans Fly Fishing, echoes what a few other folks have told me about fishing the lower bay: Speckled trout in waters around Crisfield, and breaking rockfish around Sharps Island.
Captain Tyler Noon of Tidewater Charters continues to take his clients cobia fishing in the lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's coastal waters, and he says it "remains great! Sight fishing with 7-inch Hogy soft plastics in pink and chartreuse have been the most productive baits. Live eels have also talked a few picky fish into biting. Look for fish to start grouping together in the later part of August and hanging on structure. Chunking for bull redfish should also start to pick up."
On the seaside, a 407-pound blue marlin won the Huk Big Fish Classic that was held over the weekend. Nearly 80 boats fished out of Ocean City, but it was angler Tom Distefano, Captain Mark Hoos and crew on Marli that took home the top spot and money—$105,270! Foolish Pleasure came in second place in "Heaviest Fish" division with their 193-pound Mako ($24,470,) and in third place was the Fish Whistle, weighing in a 190-pound bigeye tuna that earned them $71,169. Tops in the Release Division was the Katherine Anne; that team registered 12 white marlin releases to earn them $68,580. More results at bigfishclassic.com.
Photos and outdoors calendar listings to cdollar@cdollaroutdoors.com.
Outdoors calendar
Thru Sept. 17: Chesapeake Summer Slam. Five species, throughout the Bay. Sign up at technicalfisherman.com.
Aug. 8: Pasadena Sportfishing Group's monthly meeting. 7:30 p.m. at Earleigh Heights Fire Hall, Severna Park. Lenny Rudow will speak about small boat eletronics. Details at pasadenasportfishinggroup.com.
Aug. 8-12: 2016 White Marlin Open, world's richest billfish tournament. Ocean City, MD. Register at whitemarlinopen.com.
Aug. 13: MSSA's KI Fishing Club's Annual Youth Fishing Derby, Romancoke Pier, Rt. 8 south. 9 a.m.-11a.m. Awards and lunch at Kent Island American Legion #278 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 20: CCA MD & Angler's Sports Center "White Perch Championship." 5:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. Weigh-ins at Anglers. $25 for single anglers, $50 for boat, kids under 14 fish for free. Register at ccamd.org.
Sept. 1-Oct. 8: Mourning Dove Season. Daily bag limit is 15. Possession limit is 45 birds. Shooting hours are 12 noon to sunset.
Sept. 17-18: MSSA's 6th annual Mid Atlantic Flounder Tournament. Register at mssa.net.
Sept. 24-25: CCA MD's 4th annual "Red Trout Catch & Release" tournament. Awards ceremony at American Legion, Crisfield MD. Register at ccamd.org.
Oct. 15-22: 1st Split of Regular Duck Season. Max. 6 ducks, no more than 4 mallards (only 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 scaup, 2 redheads. No black ducks.
Oct. 22: CCA Baltimore chapter's "Little Havana Rocktober Cup." Little Havana restaurant, 1325 Key Hwy., Baltimore. Register at ccamd.org.
Nov. 5: "Fish For A Cure" Rockfish Tournament. Details at fishforacure.org.
Nov. 12-25: 2nd Split of Duck Season. Black duck season open.
Nov. 18-20: MSSA's 24th annual "Chesapeake Bay Fall Classic." Anglers can fish two of three days, "Lay Day" rule in effect. Register at mssa.net.
Nov. 19-25: 1st Split of Migratory (Atlantic Population) Canada Goose Season. Daily bag limit is two (2) geese and the possession limit six (6).
Dec. 13-Jan. 28: Final Split of Duck Season.
Dec. 16-Feb. 4: Final Split of Migratory (Atlantic Population) Canada Goose Season. Daily bag limit is two (2) geese and the possession limit six (6).