As water temperatures dip into the low 50’s fishermen are seeing striped bass schooling up and feeding heavily on small menhaden throughout the middle bay region. The menhaden are ranging in size from 2” or 3” to 6” or 7” in length and the size of the menhaden will often dictate what size striped bass can be found feeding on them. The striped bass are literally stuffing themselves putting on weight for the winter and menhaden is what’s for dinner.

Diving birds are the usually dead give away to fishermen that striped bass can be found driving the baitfish up to the surface. Other times surface slicks or deep marks on a depth finder will lead the way to striped bass. Generally speaking the fish are spread out throughout the entire middle bay region and can pop up most anywhere but channel edges and the mouths of the tidal rivers often provide the most consistent action. Fishermen can often find themselves moving from school to school looking for larger fish, sometimes the fish are only on top and scattered, sometimes it seems everywhere you go there are good fish and of course there are days when nothing seems to pan out. Just be sure not to promise your buddies non-stop action based on what you encountered the last time you were out at your favorite “Honey Hole”. Most fishermen understand from experience that this is the “Kiss of Death”.

A number of fishermen have now switched to trolling for their striped bass and most are trolling deep with small to medium sized bucktails often dressed with a twister tail or sassy shad. They can be pulled behind an umbrella rig or in tandem or singles and fishermen are using inline weights, planners or downriggers to get them down to the desired depths.

White perch are now taking up residence in the deeper holes of the tidal rivers often in 50’ of water or more and can be caught on small jigs often with a dropper fly attached.

Lower Bay/Tangier Sound Region:

Fishermen in the lower bay region are finding schools of striped bass scattered throughout the region chasing bait; which is usually menhaden here and there. There tends to be no rhyme or reason as to where or when the action while occur but there are locations that always have more than their fair share of the action because of structure in relation to bay currents. Some of these locations simply are sharp channel edges, others are points that cause rips or there is always underwater structure such as rock piles and shoals where baitfish such as menhaden are swept alone by the current. This fisherman is casting a soft plastic jig at the Point-No-Point Light; which is a popular channel edge location.

A number of boats have been heading to the Middle Grounds to chum for their striped bass, especially the fleet from Crisfield. Trolling for striped bass is an option that is now gaining more attention as the supply of spot for live lining is just about over. A number of captains have been holding a supply in pens but those also are just about played out. Most fishermen are pulling an array of medium bucktails often dressed with twister tails or sassy shads in tandem, single or behind an umbrella rig. Umbrella rigs usually have to employ inline weights or wire line to get them down and downriggers or planers can be used for the single or tandem lures. Storm type swimming shad lures and deep diving crankbaits are also good choices.

Perhaps the most exciting news in the lower bay region fishing community is the first catches of fall migrant striped bass. Several boats from the Solomon’s Island fleet got into them in the last couple of day by trolling the “big stuff” along the shipping channel edges. The fish ranged from 38” to 44” and were described as fresh and fat. Many anglers were not expecting this kind of action since the waters have only recently cooled and the fall migration down the coast is behind schedule. It just goes to show that you’ll never know for sure unless you try. Rich Watts sent in this very interesting picture of a blueback herring he caught this past weekend next to the large lures that are used to mimic it and large menhaden.

Fishermen are reporting that white perch have moved into the deeper holes in the major tidal rivers in the region such as the 60’ to 70’ hole just above the Solomon’s Bridge on the Patuxent River. Small jigs and dropper flies along with bait such as bloodworms are the ticket for fishermen to catch a mess of white perch this time of the year.