For the better part of the morning, the tide just kept rolling in at The Wharf in Centreville, MD. Water flooded from the Corsica River and into the parking lot, a result of the anticipated king tides I suspect. Earlier this week I've found the tide to be a bit whacky due to this natural phenomena while fishing with Scott Moring of Bay Ridge, MD, fame, and his buddy Rich LaFergola at the Bay Bridge pilings.
They used live spot as I worked a five-inch glow white Bust 'Em Baits soft plastic on a 3/4-ounce jighead. We had to get right next to the pilings; Scott drew first blood with a good dinner striper of nearly 23 inches and about 20 minutes later he landed another in basically the same slot. I fooled a skinny 18.5-inch rock and then tricked his larger buddy of 22 inches. But that was it. Our catching window was little more than an hour. After that the tide was ripping too fast to get the bait and lures into the strike zone.
In Maryland, striper fishing remains hot from Sandy Point to the False Channel. Lumps off the West River garnered a mentioned, and-no surprise here-I heard the hordes descended upon The Hill over the weekend. You can't go wrong dunking bait (grass shrimp, bloodworms) on any hard bottom area, dock piling or rubble pile for white perch and spot. Snake Reef to Holland Point to the Patuxent River. Top-bottom rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworms are automatic, but various makes of spin or tube jigs or soft plastic curly tails on 1/8- to 3/16-ounce jigs heads have taken their fair share.
Bud, from Fishbones in Pasadena, MD, says you ought to try trolling, live-lining or chumming off Podickery, Sandy Point, Love Point and Swan Point. There are white perch, spot, and some croaker on Belvedere Shoals and Snake Reef. Mike and Charlie from Anglers in Annapolis point fishermen to Hacketts bar, Tolleys, and Thomas Point for keeper rock, bottom fish, the occasional snapper bluefish.
If you want bluefish, troll or chuck in more southern waters for a more reliable bite. Mike Strandquist of Breezy Point Marina told me you can land bluefish trolling using spoons and hoses off Sharps Island Light. Mike said Gary Geschwindt on the "Oarman" reports having caught and released a 34" red drum trolling just south of Breezy Point in 30' of water. Gary guessed the drum went about 35 lbs. Another notable catch was that of Michael Cooper's citation speckled trout that went 27.5". He was live lining at The Hill with Capt. Mike Stewart on the "Cindy S".
Flounder? What flounder? In the Chesapeake, the Virginia season has been disappointing and to my knowledge the Maryland season has been virtually non-existent since most anglers fishing in Tangier Sound and lower bay, where there are keeper flounders, would rather target speckled trout and puppy drum. Capt. Harry Nield, a PropTalk contributor, said they're having a ball catching some flounder, croakers, spot and kingfish as well as the occasional bluefish. Light tackle guide Capt. Walt checked in to tell me his clients are catching a very good mix of puppy drum, speckled trout and schoolie stripers. He's been fishing the marsh islands around the MD-VA line. I heard a second-hand report that Little Choptank and Honga have specks and reds, so I may have to do some field work to verify that.
Over on the OC Coast, John Unkart said the chunking bite is good for tuna on the Hot Dog. Late last night I heard from Capt. Monty Hawkins, who runs the party boat Morning Star. His customers had a banner day on an artificial reef. Jodi Deforno of Avonmore, PA , Tina Kinder and Diane Walsh of OC MD, all caught a really nice creel of sea bass and summer flounder. Capt. Jeff reports some good flounder can be caught on near shore wrecks. John Charchut from Baltimore fished with Jeff and caught two nice flounder. On the bay side, Capt. Jeff has been on the lookout for breaking blues, rockfish and Spanish mackerel that his clients can catch on the fly rod.
Friday, July 26, 2013 - 13:34
For the better part of the morning, the tide just kept rolling in at The Wharf in Centreville, MD. Water flooded from the Corsica River and into the parking lot, a result of the anticipated king tides I suspect. Earlier this week I've found the tide to be a bit whacky due to this natural phenomena while fishing with Scott Moring of Bay Ridge, MD, fame, and his buddy Rich LaFergola at the Bay Bridge pilings.
They used live spot as I worked a five-inch glow white Bust 'Em Baits soft plastic on a 3/4-ounce jighead. We had to get right next to the pilings; Scott drew first blood with a good dinner striper of nearly 23 inches and about 20 minutes later he landed another in basically the same slot. I fooled a skinny 18.5-inch rock and then tricked his larger buddy of 22 inches. But that was it. Our catching window was little more than an hour. After that the tide was ripping too fast to get the bait and lures into the strike zone.
In Maryland, striper fishing remains hot from Sandy Point to the False Channel. Lumps off the West River garnered a mentioned, and-no surprise here-I heard the hordes descended upon The Hill over the weekend. You can't go wrong dunking bait (grass shrimp, bloodworms) on any hard bottom area, dock piling or rubble pile for white perch and spot. Snake Reef to Holland Point to the Patuxent River. Top-bottom rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworms are automatic, but various makes of spin or tube jigs or soft plastic curly tails on 1/8- to 3/16-ounce jigs heads have taken their fair share.
Bud, from Fishbones in Pasadena, MD, says you ought to try trolling, live-lining or chumming off Podickery, Sandy Point, Love Point and Swan Point. There are white perch, spot, and some croaker on Belvedere Shoals and Snake Reef. Mike and Charlie from Anglers in Annapolis point fishermen to Hacketts bar, Tolleys, and Thomas Point for keeper rock, bottom fish, the occasional snapper bluefish.
If you want bluefish, troll or chuck in more southern waters for a more reliable bite. Mike Strandquist of Breezy Point Marina told me you can land bluefish trolling using spoons and hoses off Sharps Island Light. Mike said Gary Geschwindt on the "Oarman" reports having caught and released a 34" red drum trolling just south of Breezy Point in 30' of water. Gary guessed the drum went about 35 lbs. Another notable catch was that of Michael Cooper's citation speckled trout that went 27.5". He was live lining at The Hill with Capt. Mike Stewart on the "Cindy S".
Flounder? What flounder? In the Chesapeake, the Virginia season has been disappointing and to my knowledge the Maryland season has been virtually non-existent since most anglers fishing in Tangier Sound and lower bay, where there are keeper flounders, would rather target speckled trout and puppy drum. Capt. Harry Nield, a PropTalk contributor, said they're having a ball catching some flounder, croakers, spot and kingfish as well as the occasional bluefish. Light tackle guide Capt. Walt checked in to tell me his clients are catching a very good mix of puppy drum, speckled trout and schoolie stripers. He's been fishing the marsh islands around the MD-VA line. I heard a second-hand report that Little Choptank and Honga have specks and reds, so I may have to do some field work to verify that.
Over on the OC Coast, John Unkart said the chunking bite is good for tuna on the Hot Dog. Late last night I heard from Capt. Monty Hawkins, who runs the party boat Morning Star. His customers had a banner day on an artificial reef. Jodi Deforno of Avonmore, PA , Tina Kinder and Diane Walsh of OC MD, all caught a really nice creel of sea bass and summer flounder. Capt. Jeff reports some good flounder can be caught on near shore wrecks. John Charchut from Baltimore fished with Jeff and caught two nice flounder. On the bay side, Capt. Jeff has been on the lookout for breaking blues, rockfish and Spanish mackerel that his clients can catch on the fly rod.