August 5th, 2020 - Fishing Fireworks
It is all good news for fishermen.
Main Image: Todd Lester used a top water lure to catch this 39 inch striper in the mouth of the Patuxent.
Spot and perch are everywhere in the rivers and creeks. If you can see water you are in the presence of bottom fish. The fish are available off docks and piers most everywhere. The Patuxent and Potomac can produce huge catches on the oyster bars. Bloodworms and fishbites are the preferred bait, but they will take bits of squid and night crawler.
Lure casters using tiny spinner baits tipped with bloodworm or fishbites are loading up on big perch in the creeks and rivers. Favorite lures are Beetle Spins Betts Spins, and Pech Hounders.
Dale Maxwell bagged this 38 pound blue cat while bowfishing in Nanjemoy Creek.
Saturday's mackerel and bluefish from 72A.
Spanish mackerel exploded on Saturday in the Bay around 72A. By Sunday the mackerel had advanced to the Targets and Hooper's Island Light. There are plenty of healthy sized bluefish mixed with the mackerel. Trollers are using planers or in line 12 ounce weights and Drone, Clarke, or Hard Head Custom spoons.
Trout and rockfish are taking cast lures by shallow water stalkers in the rivers and salt islands. The action is limited to early morning from dawn to about 10 AM. Those hard head custom bait popping rigs are fabulous, as are most Bass Assassin soft plastics. The Potomac River is closed to stripers until August 21, and Maryland waters are closed for stripers from August 16 to the 31st.
Mackerel love those HHCB spoons.
Capt. Bernie Shea's party out of Solomons had 700 spot and perch by 11:30 AM Saturday morning.
There have been some impressive founder catches in several areas this week.
The cobia are taking a couple of weeks off for spawning.
Julie Tomisak shows off a nice rockfish that hit a Hard Head Custom Bait Popping Rig.
Big reds love those shiny spoons.
There are big bull redfish taking trolled eels and spoons in the mid bay. There are some slot reds in the lower Potomac and near Smith Point. The creeks are full of puppy drum or rat reds from 8 to 14 inches. The keeper redfish are 18 to 27 inches, one per day.
Big redfish trolled up Friday below the Target Ship.
Aiden shows off perch and spot fishing from community pier.