Posted: 07 November 2009 at 8:45am | IP Logged

Water temperatures in the upper bay/Susquehanna River area continue to drop and now are in the 55-degree range. Fishermen have been finding good fishing for striped bass in the lower river and out in the channels leading to the mouth of the river. Most fishermen are casting crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps but some are live lining small white perch, eels and gizzard shad.

Striped bass are being caught farther down the bay at traditional locations such as the channels around Pooles Island and in several of the tidal rivers such as the Patapsco. The Inner Harbor area has been a particularly good place to jig for striped bass that are holding on channel edges or chasing bait. The various shoals and knoll outside the mouth of the Patapsco continue to be good places to check for striped bass. Fishermen are either marking fish on their depth finders holding over structure or simply casting to breaking fish. Often fishermen find themselves moving from one school of fish and heading off for another batch of diving birds on the horizon looking for larger fish.

The channel edges of the Love Point area and Podickory Point have been holding striped bass as well as the Bay Bridge piers and rock piles. Jigging has been the most popular method of fishing but more fishermen are beginning to troll now with umbrella rigs or tandem rigged bucktails. Most are trolling with inline weights to get down close to where fish are holding near channel edges.

White perch fishing from the mouth of the Susquehanna south to the Bay Bridge has been very good this week as the perch begin to school up in the deeper areas. Small jigs such as soft plastics and metal have been good choices for lures.