Kai Morgan has a good grip on this 14.5-inch white perch. Photo by Rick Morgan
There is some very pleasant weather in the forecast, a relief from the heat we endured earlier this summer. Marylanders are making the most of what is left of summer with visiting relatives and especially grandparents.
Cooler weather with limited rains Saturday through Monday will make for comfortable fishing conditions this week in Maryland’s waters.
In the upper bay white perch can be found during the early morning and late evening hours along shorelines. Blue catfish tend to be everywhere this time of the year.
At the Bay Bridge anglers are finding good fishing for white perch along the shallower western side of the bridge in about 15 feet of water. The Eastern Bay area continues to be an excellent area to cast a variety of lures during the early morning and late evening hours. Poppers, jerkbaits, paddletails and spinnerbaits are all good lures to use for a mix of striped bass and puppy drum.
Slot size puppy drum can be found in the shallower waters throughout the lower bay region, with the mouth of the Potomac, Patuxent and the Eastern Shore providing some of the best fishing.
Recreational crabbers are enjoying good to excellent crabbing opportunities this week in all regions of the bay. In the upper bay the western shore rivers are providing a half bushel or more per outing.
Deep Creek Lake fishermen have been finding smallmouth bass on lake points and flats at dawn and late evenings on poppers, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Largemouth bass are being found at these same hours in grass bed clumps in 5’ to 10’ of water in quiet coves, also on poppers, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits.
At the Ocean City Inlet, the boat traffic has calmed down a bit and early morning and late evening anglers are catching a mix of bluefish and striped bass by casting soft plastic jigs. The boats heading farther offshore are finding a mix of yellowfin and bigeye tuna, small dolphin, white marlin releases at the canyons.