August Fish Cornucopia
The bay is full of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Fishermen using planers to troll small spoons are getting mackerel and blues straight out from Cedar Point, Cedar Point Hollow, and Point No Point and surgical hose lures of medium size are scoring big bluefish, bull reds, and cobia. All this is very good, and rough weather is the only obstacle.
Miss Susie Charters are trolling and casting up a mixed bag of plentiful fish out of Solomons.
Bull reds on Miss Susie.
Cobia, too!!
Chummers setting up below the Target Ship are finding willing cobia on live eels and cut bait. The cobia are pushing up the bay in good numbers. Trollers in the Mud Leads are finding cobia and occasional bull reds when a school passes through. It is common for all trolled lines to load up on bull reds at the same time. There are many boats chasing them to sight cast. The heavy boat traffic makes them skitterish and keeps them moving.
Chris Madere scored trout, redfish, and rockfish this week fishing from the shoreline around Cedar Point casting mostly Rapala and Yozuri swimming plugs.
One of Chris's slot reds.
Perch fishing is very good in the rivers and excellent in the bay when weather permits. The creek fishing is off due to lazy tides, sea nettles fouling lures, and fouled water from last week's storm that has yet to get cleansed. This should improve daily.
Fantastic catch of white perch by Jeff Horseman from a salt Island's rocky shoreline on Eastern shore side of bay. Jeff was casting Perch Hounders tipped with bits of peeler crab. Biggest was an astounding 13 3/4 inches that leads The TackleBox big perch contest for August.
Bottom fishing is good now with keeper croakers increasing in number, jumbo spot, and even some whiting. There are tons of tiny croaker and spot competing for baited hooks causing a nuisance; they are next year's promised harvest.
Keeper hardhead (croaker) are more numerous in the Patuxent as evidenced by this double header from Captain Bernie Shea's charter boat out of Solomons.
Jumbo spot are also in Patuxent.
Some whiting are here now, too!
Persistent shore fishermen are doing well with rockfish, redfish, and trout. One has to fish at daybreak and sunset to get the best results.
Trout are scarce, but available with persistence.
The slot reds have become more elusive since the big blow last week. We need the good tide flow promised on the changing moon phase. The cooler weather will really enhance the coming better bite. Some lure casters found lots of eager redfish in the slot in the Patuxent along the shoreline above Half Pone Point. There were similar reports around the mouth of Helen Creek by some surprised perch fishermen last Wednesday.
Donna Tippett with a 21 inch slot red from the Patuxent that took a trolled Storm paddle tail jig in 5 feet of water.