Keith Fraser holds up a large red drum for a picture before slipping it back into the water. Photo courtesy of Keith Fraser

Perhaps some of the most exciting news for lower Bay anglers this week is the influx of Spanish mackerel being caught in a variety of methods throughout the region. Trolling small Drone and Clark spoons behind inline weights and planers is popular along channel edges or near breaking fish. Trolling speeds for Spanish mackerel need to be 7 to 8 knots. The steep channel edges of the lower Potomac River from St. Georges Island south to Point Lookout has been a great place to troll, as has the shipping channel edges on both sides of the Bay. In these times of great abundance, anglers need to take stock of what is a reasonable amount of Spanish mackerel to take home. The minimum size is 14 inches with a daily creel limit of 15 fish per person. They have to be eaten fresh, as they do not freeze well. They are great on the grill or broiler when filleted and skinned and they also make good ceviche. 

A mix of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and at times small striped bass are chasing schools of bay anchovies in the lower Bay. They will often drive the bait to the surface where seagulls join in, so it pays to keep your eyes on the horizon for clouds of diving birds. Surface slicks can indicate that something is going on deep to release all of that fish oil. 

Slowly moving in on the upwind side of the action and then drifting closer is a proven tactic. More aggressive approaches can easily drive the fish down into the depths. Casting Got Cha plugs, jigs, and metal jigs into the fray, letting them sink a bit and then speed-reeling back to the boat is the best way to target the Spanish mackerel. Slower retrieves will allow bluefish to catch up. It pays to keep an eye on depth finders for the large marks of red drum holding deep underneath the action, and having a stout rod rigged with a large soft plastic jig to catch them. 

Fishing for cobia continues to be good in the lower Bay. Chumming has been one of the more popular ways to fish for cobia lately. It is relaxing to anchor up and wait for the cobia to come to you, if you allow live eels or cut menhaden baits to drift back in the chum slick. Be advised though, cownose rays are attracted to the chum slicks and have been a problem. 

Trolling large rubber hose lures in red or green behind inline weights is another option and a great way to cover a lot of water in search of cobia. The areas around the Target Ship, the Mud Leads, Buoy 72A, and Smith Point have been good places to troll or chum for cobia. It can also pay to place one or two large spoons in a trolling spread to summon up some catch-and-release action for the large red drum in the area.

Anglers are finding that spot is more than just bait for striped bass — they are getting large enough to occupy a place at the dinner table. The mouth of the Patuxent River tends to be a very good place to fish for spot on the hard-bottomed shoals. White perch are also part of the action, when fishing bottom rigs baited with pieces of bloodworm. The supply of bloodworms can be tight at times — an old trick to extend your bait supply is by cutting up nightcrawlers and allowing the pieces to soak up the bloodworm juice. 

Photo by Jim Livingston

A few nice flounder are being caught along the shoal edges of channels in the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds by those who target them. Speckled trout are being caught in the shallow areas in the morning and evening hours by those casting swimbaits. 

Recreational crabbers are finding catches are about the same as they have been, with a half-bushel of large crabs per outing in most areas. Many are venturing further up the tidal rivers due to increased salinity values there, and catching good numbers of crabs. Razor clams and chicken necks continue to be the two preferred baits and some are reporting better catches in collapsible crab traps over trotlines. In the middle Bay, crabbers are reporting smaller crabs being seen and overall the crabs being kept are large.

Many of the western and central trout management waters are experiencing good flows this week due to recent rain. Waters such as the upper Potomac are rising due to runoff, and expected to be high by the end of the week. In trout streams, fishing nymphs may be a good idea if water flows are up. Otherwise terrestrials such as ants, beetles, and hoppers would be a good idea. In the upper Potomac River holes, submerged ledges and current breaks are good places to fish soft plastic search baits, small crankbaits, and tubes.

Don Goff sent us this picture of small northern snakeheads he scooped up. Photo by Don Goff

Late summer often puts largemouth bass in a fickle feeding mood, and they also tend to be scattered. Largemouth bass can be found in dense, healthy green vegetation which is oxygen-rich, and targeting these areas with frogs is a good way to search for the fish. Vegetation near current breaks where two types of vegetation merge, long run-out points, or the back of creeks are all good places to target. Dropping wacky rigged stick worms down through thick vegetation and working slowly can also elicit a pickup from a lounging largemouth.

Deep structure is another good place to look for largemouth bass that are holding in cooler and shaded waters. Deep break lines, sunken wood, points, humps, and ledges often hold largemouth bass this time of the year. It also pays to look for thermoclines on one’s depth finder. Casting deep-diving crankbaits beyond the target and retrieving with short pauses can bring good results. Swimbaits can be a good choice for working deep grass edges by retrieving them slowly along the bottom. 

When fishing for largemouth bass in tidal waters, you’ll often find northern snakeheads will be part of the mix. They are rapidly spreading throughout the Chesapeake watershed and unfortunately are now found in many non-tidal waters. 

If you’re wondering why snakeheads are a concern, consider this: In 2006 to 2007 an inventory study of 35 species of fish was done around the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, before northern snakeheads moved into those waters. The same sampling methods were again performed in 2012 after northern snakeheads arrived. Declines in those 35 species ranged from 30% to 97%, of all of the 35 species observed, 26 either had lower numbers of relative abundance or were not found. Crappie, white perch, and bluegill sunfish showed significant declines as the northern snakehead population boomed.

It is official, the short-lived Maryland swordfish state record was broken with a 318.5=pound fish caught by Jake Bertonazzi while deep dropping a squid bait at Poormans Canyon on August 6, about two weeks after the initial record was set. 

Surf anglers are catching a mix of kingfish and spot on pieces of bloodworm on bottom rigs. Every once in a while a pompano is being caught by those soaking sand fleas. 

Brianna Taylor poses for a quick picture with her dad before releasing this trophy red drum she caught at Assateague Island. Photo by Gary Savage

At the inlet there is some fun catch-and-release fishing for striped bass at the South Jetty and Route 50 Bridge area, with the occasional striped bass measuring over 28 inches. Flounder are being caught in the inlet on traditional baits and Gulp soft plastics. A few sheepshead have been reported at the South Jetty and are being caught on sand fleas. 

The back bays have previously been stirred up a bit, causing water clarity issues for flounder fishing. Water clarity is improving, creating better fishing for flounder. The channels leading to the inlet are always a popular area to fish but of course boat traffic can be a problem at times. The area out in front of the Ocean City Airport offers less boat traffic.

Outside the inlet and at the nearshore shoal areas, Spanish mackerel are being caught by trolling small Drone and Clark spoons behind planers and inline weights. Trolling speeds in the neighborhood of 7 knots are good for Spanish mackerel. 

Out at the wreck and reef sites, fishing for black sea bass continues to be good with limit catches not uncommon. At times small dolphin have been showing up around the boats and being caught by casting and retrieving small squid strips. Large flounder are also being caught around the wreck and reef sites by those who target them.

The yellowfin tuna chunk bite at the 30-fathom lumps seems to have slowed down, but may renew soon. The boats venturing out to the canyons are catching yellowfin tuna at the Baltimore and Poormans canyons along with white marlin by trolling rigged ballyhoo.