Long Shots and Sure Things

Bottom fishing in the mouth of the Patuxent is excellent. The spot and croaker are carpeting the bottom from Helen's Creek to the Three Legged. It is not uncommon for a catch of 100 spot and croaker per person. The fish will hit bloodworms, Fish Bites, Lug worms, shrimp, squid, and event bits of night crawlers. Now is the time to schedule a trip with a bottom fishing specialist like Captain Bernie Shea (301-672-3282). This is a sure thing.

Two at the time!

The spot and croaker are in the Potomac too along with some fine speckled trout that have made their way to the mouth of Breton Bay, and Ragged Point.

Jason, Ricky, and Griffin show off Cobia that took a trolled surgical eel lure near the Target Shop.

All other fishing is very good to excellent on any given day, sunrise, sunset and moving tide.

Ken Lamb found hungry perch in a creek off the Patuxent.

White perch in the creeks can be hot for lure casters on one day and skunk the next. The rainstorms will stain the water and suppress tide flow; the fish flee to the river to find cool clear water. The next day they came back and eating again. The nettles are thick making casting a chore (fish will not hit lure with nettle fragments). But, the good days are very good.

Noel with rockfish from Cedar Point. Night fishing with peeler crab.

Rockfish, speckled trout and bluefish are all good for lure casters on moving tides. One must be patient and wait them out until they get the bite signal from mother nature. If you are in the right place at the right time it fishing heaven.

Jake Cullum chummed up this cobia that took a live eel.

Blue fish and cobia are hitting trolled surgical eels. Popular colors are orange, pink and white.  Trolling with planers and in line sinkers work well — your choice. The blues are everywhere and nowhere between the Targets below Cedar Point and Smith Point. The bluefish range from three to ten pounds and love to come up and break in bait fish. Cobia have been very good for chummers using live eels and for trollers. There are lots of throwbacks beneath the 42 inch minimum. Even then ,they are big powerful fish that will test your equipment.

Pickerel are great fighters and plentiful in St. Mary's Lake right now!

Red drum are schooled up and roaming the lower bay. Sight casters find these big bull reds and cobia daily, but it can be the ultimate long shot but big payoffs when your number comes up.

Crabs are plentiful and huge this year. The crab pots off private piers are loading up daily.  Chicken Neckers are doing well. 

Eric is enjoying the hot fishing in St. Mary's Lake.

The weekend forecast is with highs in the low 80's and lows in 60's with light winds. The heat wave has broken!! The August moratorium is 12 days away so get them now or wait till September.