Next Update: 2008, Have A Great Winter!

Fishing opportunities still abound for Maryland fishermen even as we enter the middle of December. Fishermen in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay regions are experiencing some of the best fishing for large fall migrant striped bass most have ever seen. Bait has been the key, large bait in the form of menhaden and hickory shad. Fishermen learn quickly and adapt and planer boards have allowed fishermen to better target large striped bass that are shy of engine noise when they are swimming close to the surface. Our striped bass season ends this Saturday the 15th of December so there is still time to call local charter boats and book a trip to get your last licks in for the year. It is cold out there on the bay now and a good time to have a knowledgeable captain, plenty of hull under you and a warm cabin to retreat to. This is a wonderful opportunity to end the season on a very high note. Jim Moran certainly did while fishing with a fishing guide out of Solomons.

Chesapeake Bay fishermen are always talking about sea lice as an indicator that striped bass having them have just entered the bay from ocean waters. There seems to be a bit of confusion among some anglers and this picture that a lower bay fishing guide provided along with a link to an article by fisheries biologist Rudy Lukacovic may help clear the waters. Please check Rudy’s article at the following link. www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/articles/sealice.html

The picture below is a picture of a parasitic isopod called a “fish gill isopod” Linoneca ovalis; which is often found in the gills of juvenile bluefish and sometimes striped bass and other fish living or traveling in the inshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They cling tenaciously to the gill filaments of their host with horrible looking hooked legs. They feed on the gill tissue not the blood of the host fish and it is not uncommon for them to leave one fish and free swim until they find another fish to cling to. They live in high salinity waters and are an indication that a fish has been in waters at or close to ocean salinity; which typically is about 35 ppt. Gill lice or Ergasalis do not do well in high salinities and live in salinities as low as .5ppt.

Freshwater anglers are still working local waters for largemouth bass but it takes finding them in or close to deep water and fishing slow and close to the bottom. Walleye fishermen on the other hand are finding the walleye just loving the cold water in waters such as the lower Susquehanna River, upper Potomac and selected reservoirs in the central region. Deep Creek fishermen are waiting for the ice to firm up so they can start ice fishing. Other fishermen such as those fishing the central regions reservoirs don’t have to wait for anything when it comes to fishing for smallmouth bass. J Erickson caught this beautiful smallmouth bass this past Sunday.

Trout fishermen in the western region can enjoy the generous stocking of rainbow trout that recently took place on the Casselman Delayed Trout Harvest Area.

Oceanside anglers are targeting migrating striped bass within 3-miles of the Maryland beaches and sea bass fishing is fair to good on the wreck sites. Surf fishing for striped bass has been in a slump this past week but time will tell if it was just a bump in the road. Fishing could be completely different this week.

Don't hesitate to e-mail your recent fishing/crabbing photos and trip information. Send your photos via E-mail by the following Monday in order to be included in the next update. The file should be in .jpg format with the longest side sized at 600 pixels. Please try to keep the file size small, under one megabyte. The photo should clearly depict the angler(s), fish, and ethical handling practices. For information on ethical angling practices please reference the Catch and Release information located at URL: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/articles/catch_release.shtml
Include the following information:

• Date
• Angler(s)
• Hometown(s)
• Photo credit

• Location

• Weight/length of catch

• Bait/lure

Important Note: If anyone in your picture is under 18 years of age, we must have a photo release signed by that person and a parent/guardian before we can post your picture.

Send your photos and information to Keith Lockwood

Until next week,

Tight Lines,

Keith Lockwood
MD DNR Fisheries Service

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