This lucky angler got a surprise catch while jigging in the lower bay recently, a legal-size black sea bass. Photo by Travis Long

The lower Bay is offering some of the best striped bass fishing opportunities this week. Anglers are enjoying good fishing by jigging and trolling along the main channels of the bay and the mouth of the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. A fair portion of the striped bass are measuring over the 24-inch maximum size but are providing fun catch and release action. Anglers need not worry about catch and release mortalities as they did during the hot summer months, since water temperatures are now in the low 60’s. Colder water is a very important factor in catch and release survivability of striped bass, higher salinities and fighting time are the second most important factors. Anglers often see a fair proportion of striped bass during the fall months in the 26-28 inch size range. 

Waters 25-30 feet deep tend to be where most striped bass are being located this week. Soft plastic jigs in the ¾ to 1-ounce size range tend to work well. In windy conditions that increase drift, a little heavier jig may be needed, white and chartreuse are the most popular colors. Umbrella rigs using hookless sassy shads on the umbrella arms and bucktails dressed with sassy shads as trailers are popular and heavy inline weights, braided line and heavy trolling rods are needed to effectively get down to where the striped bass are suspended. 

There is still some shallow water fishing for striped bass this week along the bay shorelines and the lower Potomac, Patuxent rivers and the Tangier Sound region. Casting paddletails during the morning and evening hours tends to be the best time to go fishing in these areas. In the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds anglers are reporting that there are even a few puppy drum to be found. 

White perch are steadily moving out of the shallower tidal creeks and tidal river waters to deeper waters in the tidal rivers. They will continue to move deeper and to the lower sections of the tidal rivers as November progresses. Jigging with metal jigs with a small plastic teaser tied in above is the best way to target the larger white perch. Fishing with grass shrimp or pieces of bloodworm on a bottom rig will work well in these deeper areas but tend to attract the small white perch. 

The tidal Potomac River from the Wilson Bridge south to the Route 301 bridge is full of blue catfish and they are waiting for you to show up to fish for them. It doesn’t take much to entice them to take a bait. They are moving farther up the river this month; it is a seasonal movement and the higher salinities we’re experiencing in the lower sections of the river tend to give them an extra push. The same can be said for the Patuxent and Nanticoke rivers. A sliding sinker rig with a circle hook is the most popular rig and baiting it with cut bait from gizzard shad, menhaden or eel are good oily baits to attract their attention.

The 2024 recreational crabbing season is coming to an end as cooler water temperatures force blue crabs to head for deeper waters and slow down their feeding activities. Crabbers report the best success with collapsible crab traps set in 15 feet of water or more. Those crabbing with trotlines report a lot of crabs are dropping off before they can be netted. 

Frank Holden caught this chain pickerel in tidal waters recently. Photo courtesy of Frank Holden

Most of the rivers and streams of western and central Maryland are running very low this week. The lack of rain has affected the water levels and flows to a great degree. Trout anglers fishing for holdover trout in the put and take waters or the special trout management waters will need to employ stealthy approaches, light lines and long casts to fool the trout residing there. 

The same can be said about the upper Potomac where water levels are very low, making it hazardous for anglers fishing from small boats. Despite these low water conditions there is good fishing for a mix of smallmouth bass and walleye. The low water does open an avenue for anglers to put on a pair of waders and carefully cut the distance to reach prime spots where smallmouth bass and walleye are holding. Submerged ledges, current breaks, and large boulder pools are all good places to target. Root beer-colored tubes, small crankbaits and soft craw jigs are all good choices for lues. Anglers will notice grass beds breaking up and floating leaves. 

The annual fall turnover event at Deep Creek Lake should have happened by now or will occur shortly. When the fall turnover occurs, and cold surface water sinks to mix with bottom water, smallmouth bass and walleye tend to be found in shallower waters. Smallmouth bass will prefer rocky points and will be attracted to any remaining floating docks. Casting small crankbaits and soft craw jigs is a good way to target them. Walleye will be found along steep rocky shorelines towards the evening hours and can be caught on small crankbaits and jerkbaits. Northern pike can be found at the mouths of coves and will be attracted to large spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and spinners

Largemouth bass are active in the nontidal reservoirs and ponds across Maryland as well as the tidal waters in the upper sections of the bay’s tidal rivers. They can be often found in waters between 5 feet and 10 feet, waiting for baitfish and crayfish migrating from the shallow grass beds that are declining to deeper cover. Spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, soft craw jigs, and jerkbaits are all good choices to fish these transition areas. 

Colder water temperatures and declining grass beds during the late fall set the stage for chain pickerel fishing. They can often be found holding near submerged wood along the shorelines of the upper sections of tidal rivers or nontidal reservoirs and ponds. Spinners, swimshads, and spoons are good choices for lures.

Crappie are holding tight to submerged structure this time of the year. Fishing with marabou jigs or small minnows under a slip bobber is a good way to target them. Bridge piers, marina docks, and fallen tree tops are good places to look for them.

Photo by Taylor Bakke

There are a lot of striped bass north of us this week along New Jersey Beaches, hopefully they will begin to filter along our Maryland beaches soon. Fishing for striped bass and tautog has been good at the Ocean City Inlet this week. Most of the striped bass are measuring a little short of 28 inches but there are some keepers being caught by jigging with soft plastic jigs. The tautog are being caught on sand fleas. Flounder are moving through the inlet as they leave the back bay waters and head to their offshore spawning grounds. Therefore, the inlet and the channels leading towards the inlet are a very good place to fish for the flounder. 

Anglers are finding good flounder fishing outside of the inlet on some of the inshore shoals and the wreck and reef sites. The wreck and reef sites farther offshore are producing good catches of black sea bass and flounder can be part of the mix when anglers target them. Some impressive bluefin tuna are being caught with the 30 Fathom Line and at times just a few miles outside of the Ocean City Inlet.