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