Hot Fishing in July
The dominant fish for anglers to target in Southern Maryland is rapidly becoming the red drum.
They are everywhere in juvenile form (puppy drum), and keeper size (slot reds) are plentiful. The bull reds (30-to-40-pound fish) are in tight schools chasing bait and frothing the water in the bay and in the Potomac as far up as the mouth of the St. Mary's River.
Slot reds are everywhere in both Potomac and Patuxent in three to five feet of water for light trollers and lure casters.
Perch fishermen casting spinner baits in the creeks are finding puppy drum in the shallows mixed with big white perch. The drum can be so plentiful the fishermen leave active locations to seek perch waters with less pesky 8-to-14-inch puppies hitting every cast. The perch fishing has been exceptionally good in Herring Creek and Breton Bay off the Potomac and the shorelines of both rivers and in the creeks of the Patuxent.
The puppy drum are growing daily.
Gordon Fredman leads the Tackle Box big perch contest for July with this 11 1/4 incher.
The spanish mackerel have arrived in the bay from buoy 72 to the Target Ship and in the mouth of the Potomac on the Virginia side around Vermar Beach. Spanish mackerel were sighted jumping as far up as St. George Island in the Potomac last Sunday.
Captain Bernie Shea's Party with Spanish mackerel trolled up near Target Ship this week.
Hefty bluefish are mixed with mackerel in most areas. Most successful trollers are using number one planers with small spoons for the mackerel; blue fishermen are opting for number two planers with good-sized surgical eel lures. The big bull reds and cobia will take those eels too.
Captain Bernie is getting bluefish, too.
We saw lots of cobia fishermen this week outfitting themselves with live eels, fresh alewife, and chum logs. We have not heard of much success. Cobia are fickle.
Griffin Frisco caught this bluefish off Point Lookout.
The rockfish season reopens in Maryland this Thursday, August 1. There should be plenty to catch for trollers and lure casters in the Patuxent and in the bay around structure. The recent cooler weather should have them jacked up. The Potomac season remains closed until September 1.
Joe Hering shows bluefish and Spanish mackerel caught in lower bay above Smith Point.
Spot are still very plentiful in all areas. The abundance of little bait stealers of spot and croaker remain a problem. Keep moving to find a bigger class of spot. Big perch are mixed in with the bigger spot.
Michael Marcalus with striper caught in Patuxent before two week closure of season. Shore fishing for rockfish should be excellent when season reopens next Thursday, Aug 1.
Mike Springs and his 5 pound largemouth bass from local pond.
Crabs are big and plentiful.
Some really big bass are active in the ponds and St. Mary's Lake.