MARYLAND SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS: Chesapeake Bay, Inshore Offshore Atlantic Coast Maryland Fishing Reports: Updated December 11 2010

MARYLAND SALTWATER FISHING REPORTS: Chesapeake Bay, Inshore Offshore Atlantic Coast Maryland Fishing Reports: Updated December 11 2010

Once again, the weather is getting in the way of fishing. Between the wind, the frigid temperatures, and the snow, many anglers are opting to stay home. But before Mother Nature showed her fury this week, the fishing was great. Water temperatures dropped nearly ten degrees this week, which is making some anglers nervous. But striped bass are active in cold water, so once boats can get out the fish will be waiting.

The last reports overflowed with plenty of rockfish in the 40-pound range coming mostly from the Eastern Shore side of the Bay. Some of these stripers are measuring to over 50-inches and weighing close to 50-pounds! Chris’ Bait and Tackle reports they weighed six fish over 40-pounds in one day earlier this week, and release citations over 44-inches were common. Many of the big fish are coming from dangling live eels along the light lines and pilings at the High Rise section of the Bay Bridge Tunnel at night, although some folks are also finding good luck during the day. The best bites are occurring on a moving tide, no matter which direction. Although not as productive as in past seasons yet, a few really nice fish are also coming from drifting eels along channel edges off Plantation Light, Kiptopeke State Park, and Fisherman’s Island. School sized rockfish are also available to anglers casting along the pilings and artificial islands of the all the lower Bay bridges. The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports that trolling in open water is becoming more productive, with boats scoring with big rock fish to over 40-pounds near the mouth of the Bay, off Cape Henry, and off the Virginia Beach Ocean Front, mostly under flocks of working birds. Before the winds hit, surf casters were catching stripers to 30-inches from the shoreline near the Lesner Bridge, where 2-ounce jig heads adorned with bubblegum colored “Zoom Super Fluke grubs” and white bucktails work well.

Speckled trout action slowed in the Inlets this week, but folks putting in their time are finding a few fish, with most on the small size. A few larger fish averaging from four to seven pounds are coming from the Elizabeth River, with trolled live bait and shads the most effective method recently. A few puppy drum are also still coming from within Rudee Inlet, but the action slowed considerably this week.

Flounder are available on both inshore and offshore wrecks right now, with some flatfish pushing to over 6-pounds reported recently from the Triangle wreck area. The reefs and wrecks near the Chesapeake Light Tower are also productive, with nice keeper fish coming from this vicinity on strip baits earlier this week.

The Bay tautog action is an unknown right now, but once boats can get back out the bite should return. Anglers testing offshore structures are enticing limits of keeper fish on both clams and green crabs. A decent class of black seabass, ranging mostly in the 3 and 4-pound range are also available on these same offshore wrecks, as well as deeper water structures. Big chopper bluefish are still prowling many of these wrecks, and will gladly take most any fresh bait, including your hooked seabass on the way up to the boat. You may even see some bluefin tuna rolling in the same areas, which will sporadically take a trolled ballyhoo. Be sure to check the bluefin regulations before you go. Deep droppers are still finding good numbers of decent blueline tilefish and nice seabass in depths of 300 feet of water or more near the Norfolk Canyon.
Ken Neill reports in from the Tidal Virginia Beach:
The sea bass bite is excellent with fish congregating on wrecks from the Triangle Reef on out. The 2010 season will end at the end of the month. The sea bass population looks healthy so there was hope that the closed sea bass seasons would just be a one-year aberration ant that we would return to normal for 2011. Well…probably not. Similar to flounder, the better the population gets the more draconian the regulations become. A short, simplified history: last year, the survey data (which nobody trusts) said the recreational catch was way too high. The Mid-Atlantic Council and ASMFC decided to use some discretion and kept a liberal season in spite of the survey. NOAA Fisheries came in and shut the fishery down. The Recreation Fishing Alliance and others sued them (as far as I know, the suit is still active). More recent population analysis allowed the season to be re-opened and we had the season we did this year. The ASMFC and Mid-Atlantic Council are meeting next week to determine our 2011 sea bass regulations. Despite the closed seasons of 2010, the survey says that once again, recreational anglers (mainly northern states) caught way more sea bass than we are supposed to. If the survey is believed, we will be facing much more stringent sea bass regulations in 2011: less fishing days, larger size minimums, and lower bag limits. Some possible regulations call for bag limits as small as 2 fish per angler. Think of what that would do to the sea bass charter fishery. This is with an apparently healthy fish stock. It looks like the best we can hope for are regulations like 2010 with our winter fishery shut down, opening up in the spring sometime and a fall closure. Or, it could be much worse. The best advise is the bass are biting right now and you have until the end of December to stock up on sea bass filets so get out there and get them. On a better note, flounder regulations will probably be a little less stringent in 2011.

In addition to sea bass, offshore bottom fishermen are finding blueline tilefish cooperative along the 50-fathom curve. So far, the spiny dogfish have not invaded this fishery yet. They will. Right now, some smooth dogs and bluefish (along with sea bass) will be your by-catch. Bluefin tuna, in the 50-100 pound class with some larger fish are roaming the waters off of our coast. Catches have been made around the Fish Hook, Hot Dog, and SE Lumps. The current regulations only allow for one bluefin per boat, in the 27 to less than 59 inch curved fork-length range. Make sure that you do not keep one too large. Charter boats can keep 2 fish, one over and one under 47 inches (still 27 and less than 59 inches are the end points). Expect to catch a bunch of large bluefish while trying to catch your tuna. They are roaming the same areas. Some giant bluefin tuna are being caught at Cape Lookout, NC. Boats running out of Oregon Inlet have been catching limits of yellowfin tuna along with some wahoo. Out of Hatteras, the wintertime jigging fishery for larger blackfin tuna is off to a good start. If you have not done that yet, it is a lot of fun. Back inshore, striped bass are the main focus. Jumbo-sized rockfish are falling to live eels being fished at the high rise area of the CBBT and in the open waters on the Eastern Shore side of the bay. Schools of fish feeding under working birds are becoming more common as the recent cold weather is encouraging the mass of stripers to our north to move onto their wintering areas (which is here). The best striped bass fishing of the year starts now. There are multiple striped bass tournaments scheduled each weekend to take advantage of this so take your pick. Large speckled trout are being caught in the Elizabeth River. Many fish weighing-in at over 5 pounds are being caught with some pushing double digits. Be a little judicious with how many of these gator trout you keep. This truly is a world-class fishery that we want to have for a long time. Tautog are active at the CBBT and the Cape Henry Wreck. Flounder can still be caught around the structures at the Tower Reef and around other wrecks in a similar depth.

The record white marlin bite we had this year is being featured in numerous magazines. The lead article in the current issue of the International Angler is one I wrote. It is titled: White Hot Mid-Atlantic. It explores the tremendous marlin fishing we have had the past several years. There is a lot of great information to be found in the publications of the International Game Fish Association. www.igfa.org

The PSWSFA/Bishop Fishing Supply Rockfish Tournament is on. The tournament will run the entire month of December. You can enter at any time but be sure to do so before you go out and catch that winning fish! Contact JT Hale to enter.

SALT WATER SPORTSMAN NATIONAL SEMINAR SERIES COMES TO VIRGINA BEACH! The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series will bring its DelMarVa edition to Virginia Beach on Saturday, January 22. The Virginia Beach Convention Center will host the 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. presentation inside Ballroom One. George Poveromo – Host of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing on VERSUS, and Editor-At-Large for Salt Water Sportsman, will headline the program, along with Ric Burnley – Noted light tackle, lower Chesapeake Bay fishing specialist, writer and Regional Editor for Salt Water Sportsman. The tour is presented by Sperry Top-Sider. Joining Poveromo and Burnley in Virginia Beach will be: Captain Jorj Head – Innovative cobia fishing pro, and an authority on catching trophy flounder; Captain John Oughton – Mid-Atlantic tuna and white marlin expert, aboard his Ocean City, Maryland-based charter boat -That’s Right; Captain Chris Newsome – Distinguished light tackle guide who specializes in catching speckled trout, flounder, red drum, bluefish and striped bass within Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Newsome also holds a degree in Biology; Captain Blake Hayden - Renowned authority on catching trophy speckled trout, in addition to tarpon, cobia, bull red drum, marlin and tuna. Hayden also specializes in deep dropping for tilefish; Captain Chandler Hogg – Premier inshore fishing authority who also excels at catching tautog, Spanish mackerel, red drum, cobia, spadefish and sheepshead; Dr. Ken Neill III - Noted authority on catching game fish in and around Virginia’s coastal waters. Neill is also a pioneer of deep-dropping for tilefish, and an accomplished offshore angler; and Harry Vernon III - Nationally-recognized authority on offshore live-baiting, bottom-fishing, trolling, and drifting for swordfish! Courses for the January 22 presentation will focus on Live-baiting for trophy striped bass; Northeast tactics that take monster Virginia Beach striped bass; Cutting-edge striper trolling; Refined flounder tactics; How to consistently locate and catch trophy flounder; Score big Chesapeake Bay flounder; Sheepshead the easy way; Sight fishing for cobia; How to excite and catch stubborn cobia; Chunking for trophy cobia; Light tackle inshore fishing for puppy drum and speckled trout; How to consistently catch drum; light tackle fishing for red and black drum; Scoring around inlets, jetties and beaches; Secrets of fishing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel; Successful bottom- and wreck- fishing (tautog, spadefish, spot and sea bass); How to catch a trophy king mackerel; Spanish mackerel on light tackle; Deep-dropping for tile fish; How to chum like the pros (inshore and offshore); Kite fishing for trophy striped bass, king mackerel, tuna, shark and billfish; How to mix and troll natural baits and lures; Hot white marlin teaser strategies; Top white marlin baits and spreads; Top methods for catching more and larger yellowfin and bluefin tuna; Jigging for tuna; sub-surface offshore trolling for wahoo and tuna; Can’t miss dolphin tactics! “The National Seminar Series has become the nation’s longest-running and most popular educational course on recreational marine angling tactics and techniques,” says George Poveromo. “This is year number 24 for the tour and the backbone to its success has always been the vast amount of cutting edge and pertinent how-to information on catching more and bigger game fish within the waters of the respective Seminar Series stop. This information is explained in great detail by some of the very best saltwater anglers, and each session is backed by elaborate visuals that include video bytes, technical- and action-oriented images and on-stage demonstrations. One can’t help but to walk away from the seminar with numerous new tricks and techniques, regardless of their experience level”. A ticket to the Seminar Series costs just $ 55.00, and includes a comprehensive textbook, a one-year subscription or extension to Salt Water Sportsman Magazine, One Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Analysis (offshore tuna, dolphin and marlin and major kingfish tournaments only), a 16-ounce bottle of OrPine Wash & Wax, One spool of Sufix fishing line, and a $ 20.00 discount card to Capt. Harry’s Fishing supply (based on a purchase of $ 150.00 or more). The names of all attendees of the Virginia Beach seminar will be entered into the Grand Prize drawing to win an incredible bonefishing excursion to the Bimini Sands Resort and Marina. The drawing will be held at the conclusion of the seminar that day, and one lucky person will win the trip for two! In addition, the names of all attendees from the 2011 Seminar Series Tour will be entered into the drawing for the Super Grand Prize - a brand new Mako 18LTS Light Tackle Skiff! The drawing for the boat will take place one week after the completion of the final seminar on the tour, and one lucky winner will take home the boat! To order tickets by phone with a major credit card, call 1-800-448-7360. To order On-Line and for more information–visit: www.nationalseminarseries.com

Dec. 5, it was windy, cold and snowing. We decided that it was a good night to go fishing. The wind and tide were going in the same direction and the water was flying out at the high rise area of the CBBT. It was slow in the snow for us. Charles Southall caught one nice fish. We pulled the hook on one and broke another off when it got into the pilings. We missed a couple of other bites but we never got into them good. About 2 AM, Charles and Gabe Sava decided that they had enough fun. We did not ask Wes Blow his opinion or we would still be out there.

Jerry Thrash from Queens Creek Outfitters from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay reports:

We finally saw in influx of fish in the 30 inch range on last Wed and Thurs.* Most were caught vicinity 1R and 2R.* Winds pretty much wiped out Friday's Chesterfield Fire Dept tournament fishing and almost all other fishing efforts.* The weekend was a total blowout and it continues into this week.* The Deltaville CCA Tournament went with the wind also.* With the winter storm underway in the northeast we may see a continued arrival of fish this week so, if the weather gods allow, we may be able to look for fish this weekend.

Virginia Freshwater Fishing Reports

OCCOQUAN RIVER - Yellow perch are showing up in the river in force, with only a few large ones at present. More fat females are showing up every day. Bass may be caught on the bottom on small plastic worms and grubs, fished very slowly along the rock wall and around the wood structure. Flipping boat docks with tiny grubs and live minnows will produce livewells full of a wide variety of fish. Patience is the key, along with very slowly fished, small baits. Bass and yellow perch will be found on the bottom and on humps in the middle of the river, while the crappie will be adjacent to cover or suspended in open water over humps, etc.

OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR - Largemouth bass have moved into deeper water in this lake. Near the dam, the bass are holding in 15-20 feet of water, off main lake points and secondary points near creek channels. Jig 'n pig, plastic grubs and live bait are the most successful baits. Uplake, the more successful anglers are taking bass from blowdowns in 12-18 feet of water, on plastic grubs, jig 'n pig, slow-rolled spinnerbaits and live bait. Crappie anglers are fishing live minnows and tiny jigs in flooded brush, standing timber and over creek channels. Good numbers of crappie are being caught, but sizes vary widely. Once a school of large crappie is found, stick with it as the school roams around. Most of the fish in the school will be about the same size.

FARM PONDS AND SMALL LAKES - These small waters, when not iced in, are still giving up bass, crappie and bluegill to the patient angler. Live baits are best, with minnows being the top choice. Small plastic worms, grubs and jig 'n pig will produce well for farm pond bass, while tiny jigs and nightcrawlers will take the crappie and bluegill. Don't neglect the flyrod for presenting small streamers and terrestrials to the middle of a farm pond.

BURKE LAKE - Very little fishing pressure this week. No reports available.

POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER - Some smallmouth bass are being taken by patient anglers, fishing small bottom-bouncing baits and live minnows or crayfish. The smallmouth are being found in the deeper holes and on points throughout the river. For larger fish, try jumbo minnows or small jig 'n pig in the areas around Edwards Ferry or the Seneca Flats. Holes in these two areas have been producing good smallmouth bass, but nothing in the citation class. Largemouth bass are taking small, slowly fished artificial and live baits along the banks and around cover in the creeks off the main river. The mouths of Goose Creek and Broad Run are producing well. Occasional walleye are being taken in the early morning and late evening in the deeper water off the Maryland shore, just below Edwards Ferry. Drift a small white grub just off the bottom, along this dropoff. Allow the grub to drift with the current. Do not add any motion to it. When a definite pull is felt, set the hook lightly and bring the fish in. The mouth of the Dickerson Power Plant warmwater discharge canal is holding good numbers of large channel catfish as well as some smallmouth bass. Nightcrawlers and live minnows will take both species, while plastic grubs bounced along the bottom will also take the smallies.

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER - Tidal sections of the river are giving up some good catfish on bottom-fished cut bait and nightcrawlers, and bass on bottom-fished minnows, jig 'n pig or plastic grubs. Most of the bass are concentrated in schools on the outside bend dropoffs, adjacent to blowdowns or other structure, while the catfish are located in the deeper holes of the river. Crappie schools are positioned near submerged brushpiles and will take small minnows or jigs. Yellow perch are beginning to appear in the river in force, but most of the fish are still small. Above the city, smallmouth bass are taking minnows, crayfish and bottom-fished artificials. These baits should be fished in the deeper holes and below current-breaking structure.

SHENANDOAH RIVER - Those few anglers out on the river this past week were reporting some smallmouth bass from the deeper holes below riffles. Most of the anglers were using live minnows, madtoms, crayfish and plastic grubs. Reports of occasional sunfish and catfish taking madtoms and nightcrawlers.

LAKE ANNA - Fishing is excellent at this nearby impoundment. Schools of shad are roaming the lake and all the gamefish are feeding heavily upon them. Finding the shad will almost guarantee fish. Start at the Route 208 bridge and head either way for 100-300 yards. This area should yield at least one large school of shad. Fish under the shad for the gamefish. Medium to jumbo minnows and Sassy Shads are working best for stripers and larger bass. Smaller fish are taking smaller minnows, small plastic grubs and small Hopkins jigging spoons. Lots of jumbo white perch, yellow perch, and crappie are to be had in the creeks on jigging spoons, grubs and minnows. Large catfish are still being taken on nightcrawlers, cut bait, and chicken livers throughout the lake. Trophy bass fishermen should concentrate on main lake points from mid-lake to the dam. These points should be fished with jumbo minnows, large plastic worms or jig 'n pig baits in deeper water.

JAMES RIVER - Smallmouth bass are being caught on live minnows in the city and above. Below the city, the tidal section is producing good numbers of crappie, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Best success is on live minnows, drifted along the steep dropping banks. Patience is necessary, but good stringers are common. Blue catfish are THE fish for anglers. The Dutch Gap area is the scene, and cut shad baits, fished on the bottom of the outside bends of the river channel is the method. Large gar are also being taken.

LAKE CHESDIN - Anglers fishing this lake are reporting few bass, but lots of crappie and a bunch of stripers.

CHICKAHOMINY RIVER - Small bass, catfish, crappie and yellow perch are the fare here. Best action is centered on the upriver creek mouths, with live minnows on a moving tide, being the best method. Trollers are still catching stripers throughout the river. Crappie anglers around Walkers Dam are filling coolers on live minnows and tiny jigs.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE - Anglers are catching lots of bass, crappie and pickerel around the submerged brushpiles on points. Live minnows are producing well, although crappie jigs are taking numbers of fish after they are located. Large bass, pickerel and bowfin are being caught deep-jigging.

BACK BAY - Anglers fishing the creeks are catching some bass, stripers and white perch. Crappie anglers are rewarded with large catches of good sized fish. Yellow perch are moving in, but the majority are small.

SUFFOLK LAKES - Stripers to 15 pounds are being taken in Western Branch Reservoir. Largemouth bass to eight pounds are also being caught on jumbo minnows. A couple of large gar were also caught last week. Remainder of the catches included some large yellow perch and a few crappie. Lake Prince reports some large crappie, although numbers are not there. Nice crappie are also reported at Lake Cohoon, along with some pickerel and small bass. Lakes Smith and Whitehurst report small bass, a few crappie and some pickerel.

LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR - Bass anglers are taking bass to six pounds on live minnows and jig 'n pig. A few nice pickerel and striped bass are also being caught. Crappie anglers, fishing from the pier, are scoring as well.

LAKE GASTON - Excellent crappie fishing. Most of the catches are being taken from schools suspended over creek channels around mid lake. Small minnows and tiny jigs are the key. Some success by striper fishermen using live bait and large bucktails in the main river channel and below the dam. Some good white perch are reported from the main lake and from Pea Hill Creek.

BUGGS ISLAND LAKE - Stripers are hitting trolled crankbaits and bucktails in the vicinity of Bluestone Creek and Clarksville, while the mouths of Rudds and Grassy Creeks are producing stripers on live shad, Storm swim baits and four inch Sassy Shads. Crappie are thick around bridge pilings and brushpiles. No reports of bass catches this week.

BRIERY CREEK AND SANDY RIVER RESERVOIRS - Anglers are catching bass in the 4-6 pound range on jumbo minnows at Briery Creek. In addition, lots of crappie are being caught on small minnows, along with 3-4 pound bass.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE - Striper action is in full swing. Lots of good fish are being caught on topwater baits and live shad throughout the lake. Try the back ends of coves with standing timber on the bottom. When schools of shad are found, the stripers will be under them. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are also being caught on live shad and jig 'n pig baits, fished on the rocky points throughout the lake. Some white bass, in the two pound class, were caught this past week. Crappie anglers are catching lots of fish on small minnows.

PHILPOTT LAKE - Live crayfish are taking a few smallmouth bass in the 3-4 pound class, along with a few walleye and some big crappie. Lots of trout are being caught in the Smith River, on Berkley Power Baits and nightcrawlers.

CLAYTOR LAKE - Fishing for smallmouth bass and stripers is fair to good. Most of the bass are being taken on live minnows and jig 'n pig, in Dublin Hollow. Crappie fishing is excellent throughout the lake.

LAKE MOOMAW - Bass activity and resulting catches are improving. Jigging Silver Buddies or Hopkins spoons, and fishing with jig 'n pig and live minnows are the better methods. Crappie and yellow perch activity is also on the increase, mainly on live minnows. A few trout in the 3-4 pound class have been caught, deep trolling.

TROUT STREAMS - Water levels are ideal but conditions are mixed. Sticking to the larger streams will result in trout catches. Be careful as banks are fairly slick due to the earlier rains.

Have a good week fishing,
Brandon White, Chief Angler, Tidalfish.com

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