| The Chesapeake Bay, with more than two | | | | upstream in Pennsylvania and New York can |
| thousand miles of shoreline, is the largest | | | | turn the flats into a muddy debris-filled |
| estuary in the world. Despite its size, it is | | | | mess; but when the water clears the fishing |
| basically a shallow body of water. There are | | | | can be great, as you can tell by some of |
| deep spots (some greater than 90 feet deep) | | | | thephotos here at our site's album, of the |
| but there are lots of spots where | | | | fish caught in the bay. Once stripers |
| shallow-water anglers can enjoy world-class | | | | complete their spawning in the upper Bay, |
| angling.The upper Bay includes the waters | | | | most follow deep channels to migrate |
| from the Susquehanna Flats to the Bay Bridge. | | | | northward up the coast, and are targeted by |
| Middle Bay runs from the Bay Bridge south to | | | | anglers trolling deep with multi-line |
| the Honga River on the east and Solomons at | | | | umbrella rigs on heavy tackle. A little |
| the mouth of the Patuxent on the west. | | | | farther south, the Crisfield area offers the |
| Finally, the lower Bay includes Crisfield on | | | | same fishing, and some of the shallow flats |
| the east and Point Lookout at the mouth of | | | | around Janes Island and Fox Island offer a |
| the Potomac on the west including Tangier | | | | chance to take croakers on artificials in |
| Sound, to the mouth of the Bay.With the | | | | shallow water.Considered a bottom fish, these |
| recent cooler temperatures, you would think | | | | tough fighters feed in the shallows much like |
| that Fall was here. It isn't. There will be | | | | the larger redfish. By early June, seatrout |
| plenty od hot days left on the Bay, but Fall | | | | will be available at many areas from the |
| is just around the corner, and can be a very | | | | Crisfield area to the mouth of the Bay, and, |
| productive time on the Chesapeake Bay | | | | beginning around Memorial Day, spotted |
| rivers.Cooling waters trigger increased | | | | seatrout become the most popular species for |
| feeding activity, so many anglers focus on | | | | many Virginia fishermen. These fish are |
| breaking schools of stripers because it's | | | | widespread, but the cuts and channels of |
| visual, and quite productive. In early | | | | Lynnhaven Bay, right below the Chesapeake Bay |
| September, surface breaking schools of | | | | Bridge Tunnel, can be a good bet. Tautog are |
| striped bass are common in the early morning | | | | also available if waters stay cool. One |
| and from midafternoon to dusk. We catch a lot | | | | popular spot is by the sunken World War II |
| of 15 inch fish at this time, but larger fish | | | | concrete Liberty Ships that forms the |
| are possible. Small glass minnows, or bay | | | | breakwater near Kiptopeake Campground near |
| anchovies are the predominant bait at this | | | | Cape Charles on Virginia's eastern shore. Any |
| time, so small lures or flies work well, but | | | | of the spots that produce during the fall |
| recently we have had luck with some | | | | will hold fish in summer as well, but if |
| Swimbaits, and big Salt water Rat-L-Traps.Try | | | | there is one summer pattern to remember it is |
| crank baits such as a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow | | | | to fish during the cooler morning and evening |
| or a similar "slim minnow" floater diver. | | | | hours. For whatever reason, by summer the |
| Small spoons like Hopkins Shorties are always | | | | "sub-aquatic vegetation returns to the |
| good. Soft plastics of all kinds are | | | | popular Susquehanna Flats.Gone for almost 30 |
| excellent choices, but a Bass Assassin with a | | | | years, largely due to efforts by the state to |
| 1/4-ounce head is a favorite of many anglers | | | | control the grasses somewhat, the last two |
| that fish the bay. When blues mix with the | | | | years has seen an enormous resurgence. By |
| stripers, tie on a 4-inch wire tippet. For | | | | July, you can practically walk on the stuff, |
| the fly rodder, small white poppers are | | | | and it's difficult to work a boat into the |
| always good, and a 2/0 Clouser Minnow or | | | | area. Because of the grass, the water is |
| Deceiver with plenty of flash gets good | | | | clear and full of baitfish, stripers and |
| action.Some of the best fall spots to try | | | | largemouth bass. Fishing the open pockets is |
| along the western shore in the upper Bay | | | | the key to success here. In recent years, |
| include Abbey Point at the mouth of Bush | | | | croaker numbers have relly gone up, and they |
| River. We have always found that an outgoing | | | | are widespread from early June through August |
| tide is best here. Pooles Island, off the | | | | around bottom structure.The Chesapeake Bay |
| mouth of the Gunpowder River, has lots of | | | | Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) is really a 17-mile-long |
| underwater structure and is pretty shallow | | | | fish structure. The longest bridge-tunnel in |
| well out from shore, so be careful here. The | | | | the world, it's undoubtedly the most |
| area where the Seneca, Dundee and Gunpowder | | | | productive manmade structure in the Bay. |
| rivers come together is productive most of | | | | Rocky riprap forms islands that support the |
| the year. On the eastern shore, try Worton | | | | bridge and the bridge pilings hold fish |
| Point at the mouth of Worton Creek.There's a | | | | almost year-round. In all but the coldest |
| lot of structure here, including old duck | | | | weather, striped bass are caught here on |
| blinds and piers. Fairlee Creek is a hotspot | | | | large plugs right against the rocky |
| on the upper eastern shore. Baitfish pour out | | | | shorelines of the manmade island supports. |
| of the mouth on an outgoing tide.Bloody Point | | | | From spring through fall, a cast right |
| and the mouth of the Chester River has a big | | | | against the rocks will almost always result |
| tidal rip and is another community hole type | | | | in a striper. From November into late |
| spot that produces. Anglers fishing the | | | | December (and sometimes later) bigger |
| middle Bay should try Bay Bridge. The waters | | | | stripers move into the deep holes to |
| around the bridge pilings to the north and | | | | winter-over. You can catch giant fish then, |
| toward the eastern side are almost always | | | | if you can deal with cold, windy weather. |
| productive. The western shore has spots with | | | | Where the bridge is closest to the water, |
| tidal rips, and all can hold breaking | | | | striped bass line up at the shadow line |
| stripers. Try Hackets Point, just below the | | | | waiting for baitfish to be swept into range. |
| Bay Bridge, near the mouth of Whitehall | | | | If you anchor up in the shadows and fish |
| Creek, and try Tolly Point at the mouth of | | | | uptide, you will actually be able to see the |
| the Severn River. In southernmost mid Bay, | | | | fish take your bait.A Bay in PerilCommercial |
| the Solomons area at the mouth of the | | | | overfishing has hurt many of the Chesapeake's |
| Patuxent River is a top spot on the western | | | | marine species. Soft-shell clams are gone, |
| shore.Just south of Solomons is a series of | | | | oysters are down to about one percent of |
| targets used by the Navy, and a favorite spot | | | | historical populations, and blue crabs are |
| for andglers in the fall. Along the eastern | | | | disappearing.Pollution compounds the problem. |
| shore, Kent Narrows is a narrow cut that | | | | More than 150 sewage treatment plants empty |
| joins the Chester River with Eastern Bay. The | | | | directly into the Bay. The Susquehanna River |
| shoreline nearest the Bay in the Narrows | | | | has a large number of non-compliant sewage |
| proper is usually the best spot, but it's | | | | plants along its 600-plus-mile course through |
| hard to fish. The water against the shoreline | | | | New York and Pennsylvania, eventually |
| is a lot deeper than the water between it and | | | | reaching the Bay.The poultry industry, on the |
| the channel, and running aground is a | | | | Delmarva Peninsula, is America's largest |
| possibility.Eastern Bay has schools of | | | | chicken farm, and thus, adds enormous |
| breaking stripers and sometimes bluefish in | | | | pollution from chicken waste products into |
| early fall. Just drive along and look for | | | | Chesapeake waters. Also, the poultry industry |
| gulls, but if you can't find surface-feeding | | | | depends on menhaden to produce food pellets |
| fish, don't worry. You can cast around the | | | | for chickens,and menhaden are the sole |
| points, humps and tide rips for both stripers | | | | remaining filter feeder of note in the |
| and seatrout. Poplar Island, at the mouth of | | | | Chesapeake. In the early 1900s it is |
| Eastern Bay, has lots of structure with good | | | | estimated that the total volume of the |
| fish habitat, but spoil dredging to restore | | | | Chesapeake's water was completely filtered in |
| the island to its original size may have had | | | | eight hours by filter feeders-principally |
| an adverse effect.For many years, Tilghman | | | | oysters and menhaden. Today, the same level |
| Island and the mouth of the Choptank have | | | | of filtration takes more than one year.Since |
| been fall hotspots. Again, breaking fish | | | | the oysters are all but gone, the only filter |
| offer the best possibilities, and the points | | | | feeders left are menhaden, but relatively few |
| at both the north and south ends of the | | | | of each year's hatch make it past Reedville, |
| Choptank are usually the best areas. Farther | | | | Virginia, because one company, operating a |
| south, the northeast end of Tayplors Island | | | | number of large menhaden trawlers, working |
| is loaded with timber and underwater stumps. | | | | together with spotter planes, takes almost 65 |
| Next up is the Honga River. The mouth of the | | | | percent of the entire Atlantic coast's |
| Honga is a favorite striper spot year-round, | | | | menhaden stocks. This does two things. First, |
| but particularly in fall at both the mouth | | | | menhaden are strictly filter feeders. They |
| and farther upstream. The shoreline has lots | | | | swim around in dense schools consuming vast |
| of structure here. The lower Bay's western | | | | amounts of plankton along with all sorts of |
| shore, from the Potomac to the mouth of the | | | | detritus. You can't live without a liver, |
| Bay, offers great fishing from mid to late | | | | which pretty much tells you what will happen |
| fall. It's a hotspot for stripers and blues, | | | | to the Chesapeake should the menhaden |
| and in early fall, Spanish mackerel should be | | | | slaughter continue. Menhaden are also the |
| plentiful. As the season goes on, and these | | | | main food fish for striped bass. With the |
| fish move out, fishing for breaking stripers | | | | reduction of available menhaden, stripers |
| and blues, and deep-jigging for seatrout gets | | | | have turned to other food sources, notably |
| better.Along the eastern shore from Crisfield | | | | silversides and bay anchovies which lack the |
| to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, not only | | | | oil and protein of the menhaden. As a result, |
| are breaking stripers plentiful, but October | | | | we are now seeing more skinny stripers that |
| and early November offer some good structure | | | | are slowly starving.Gamefish Status for |
| fishing. Most of the islands have underwater | | | | StripersMany Atlantic coast anglers feel that |
| stump fields that hold striped bass. Great | | | | nothing short of gamefish status will ensure |
| Fox Island, south of Crisfield, has stump | | | | a recreational striper fishery. Stripers |
| fields along most of the western side and | | | | Forever, a non-profit organization, seeks to |
| around the southern tip. Watts island, south | | | | eliminate commercial fishing for stripers |
| of Great Fox Island, offers similar structure | | | | through a federal bill (H.R. 1286) introduced |
| along its west side. Smith and Tangier | | | | by a congressman in New Jersey. The bill |
| islands, in mid Bay, both have great | | | | seeks to bring gamefish status to stripers in |
| shoreline structure consisting of undercut | | | | the extended economic zone, waters more than |
| banks, shallow flats and underwater stumps. | | | | 3 miles off the coast, and affect time and |
| In addition, both islands have channels | | | | area closures for commercial fishing methods |
| defined by rocky jetties at their entrances. | | | | such as gill netting during the striper |
| We have taken decent fish right against the | | | | migration. Stripers Forever is really trying |
| rocks on both tides.Winter is the worst time | | | | to help the bay, and if you want more |
| for fishing the Chesapeake. However, a few | | | | information on them visit Chesapeake Bay is |
| places hold fish, mostly along the western | | | | our home water, and although we primarily |
| shore. On mild days, you can find stripers | | | | fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass, we |
| around power plants. In the upper Bay, try | | | | must all try to do our part in saving all the |
| the Carroll Island Power Plant near the mouth | | | | species of marine life in the bay, by any and |
| of the Seneca River, or better yet, Baltimore | | | | all means necessary. That means getting |
| Harbor. We don't reall prefer these areas, | | | | involved, so we can all enjoy what the bay |
| but in the winte, they are one of the few | | | | has to offer for Centuries to come.Steve |
| spots that offer some action at timeSpring is | | | | vonBrandt |
| when the annual shad run of both hickory and | | | | |
| white shad starts in the Susquehanna River, | | | | Sponsored by: GYCB (Yamamoto),Okuma, |
| at the top of the Bay and draws anglers from | | | | Delaware Tackle, TTI-Blakemore, and Ambush |
| everywhere. Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek, | | | | Lures.Steve is the owner of Reeltime Anglers |
| two tributary streams a mile or so below | | | | Guide Service in Wilmington, Delaware, |
| Conowingo Dam, have good runs of hickories, | | | | Anglers Radio in Delaware and New Jersey, |
| while the main river has both hickories and | | | | Reeltimeanglers, Bass Lure Review, and |
| the larger white shad.But the main event is | | | | Delaware Tackle in Delaware. He also is a |
| the 6- or 7-week catch-and-release season for | | | | tournament angler and freelance outdoor |
| striped bass on the Susquehanna Flats. | | | | writer. He has over 40 years of fishing |
| Usually beginning about March 15 and ending | | | | experience in the Northeast, 5 years exp. in |
| in early May, this season increases your | | | | California. He has fished freshwater and |
| chance of catching a really big striper on | | | | saltwater since 1962, and has devoted to |
| bass tackle. However, heavy spring rains | | | | freshwater only since 1989. |