The mouth of Eastern Bay and the Choptank River are two of the most popular locations for this type of fishing, but it can occur almost anywhere in the region. Light-tackle jigging with soft plastics and metal jigs is perhaps one of the most fun ways to fish for striped bass and certainly very exciting when breaking fish and diving gulls are part of the action. Most often an ebbing tide tends to ring the dinner bell for suspended striped bass as the baitfish are swept along by strong currents.

The major channel edges outside of the region’s tidal rivers are staging areas for striped bass waiting for schools of juvenile menhaden to be swept along by strong currents. A good depth finder is invaluable this time of the year for marking fish suspended in deep waters along the channel edges. The outside edge of Thomas Point, the area off Chesapeake Beach, and Breezy Point are also worth trying. Striped bass can be found holding along the channel edges from the Gum Thickets and Bloody Point Light south past Buoy 83 and to the False Channel and the CP Buoy. Maryland’s striped bass season in the Chesapeake Bay continues through December 10 - anglers may may keep one striped bass per person, per day, with a minimum length of 19 inches and a maximum length of 31 inches. Bottom rigs baited with grass shrimp, pieces of bloodworm or artificially scented baits tend to work best. Hard-bottom areas in the form of reefs, knolls, and oyster bottom are good places to find them. Most will eventually move to the deepest channel waters at the mouths of the tidal rivers or out in the Bay. White perch in the tidal rivers and streams are moving deeper for slightly warmer waters. The edges of the shipping channel and channels leading from the major tidal rivers are good places to troll. Stout trolling rods and reels, braided line, and a strong cranking arm are required to haul everything including the fish aboard. Heavy inline weights of a pound or more are needed to get umbrella rigs down to the depths where the striped bass are holding. Trolling is an excellent option to fish the deeper channel edges for striped bass, but it can be difficult. A good depth finder is a valuable tool to locate suspended fish. The Key Bridge, the Love Point rocks, and the mouths of the Chester and Magothy rivers are good places to check. Jigging with soft plastics and metal jigs is a popular way to fish for them. The channel edges at the mouths of the major tidal rivers are a good place to look for striped bass suspended off the bottom. Striped bass have spread out throughout the upper Bay, and it can be tough at times to locate them. Anglers in the river are also targeting walleye and smallmouth bass, which are now more active due to the cooler water temperatures.

Soft plastic jigs, paddletails, and lipless crankbaits are popular lures to use for casting. As a bonus, they taste good when prepared properly.Īnglers are catching a few striped bass at the Conowingo Dam pool and the lower Susquehanna, but many are under the 19-inch minimum. More anglers are discovering that not only do blue catfish provide a lot of fishing fun, but they are performing an important conservation responsibility by removing them from the Bay. Menhaden is the most popular bait, but gizzard shad and other fish species can work well. The blue catfish are very active and there certainly are plenty of them to entertain anyone fishing with cut bait. Ī lot of anglers are focusing on fishing for blue catfish in the lower Susquehanna River. Īs always, the best fishing areas could be further refined by intersecting them with underwater points, hard bottom, drop-offs, and large schools of baitfish.įor more detailed and up-to-date fishing conditions in your area of the Bay, be sure to check out Eyes on the Bay’s Click Before You Cast. To see the latest water clarity conditions, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. Expect average water clarity for most of Maryland’s Bay, rivers, and streams. There will be above average tidal currents through Friday as a result of the recent new moon on November 13. Salinity is average and there are suitable oxygen conditions down to the bottom in all areas of Maryland’s portion of the Bay.Įxpect average flows in Maryland rivers and streams all week. With Bay rivers running in the low 50s and high 40s, baitfish are moving out of the rivers to the warmer Bay waters. Surface water temperatures have dropped to the low 50s in the upper Chesapeake Bay, to the high 50s close to the Virginia state line. The upcoming week should provide cool temperatures all week with windy conditions on Saturday. Forecast Summary: November 15 – November 21:

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