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