LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — We have mixed reports on Chesapeake Bay fishing as we begin July.
Maryland fishermen in the creeks and rivers are finding rockfish (striped bass) scarce in their normal locations during the day as the water temperature nears 80 degrees. Early morning and late evening are the times to find them active. The best rockfish fishing is at night with fresh cut bait.
There are still big stripers in excess of the 24-inch maximum to be found cruising around after dark looking for fresh bait. Alewife, peeler crab and razor clam are eagerly eaten.
Spot are reliable in the mouth of the Patuxent. 
Dale with lovely largemouth at St Mary’s Lake. 
Plenty of blues in mid bay. 
Nick with cobia from the bay near Pt. Lookout last Sunday 
Double header spot on Captain Bernie Shea’s charter out of Solomon’s this week. Good croaker and snapper bluefish too. 
Captain Craig Roberts took an overnight party to the Target Ship Saturday and loaded up on big blues, cobia, croaker, and spot. 
St. Mary’s Lake, fly rodder’s paradise! 
Bluegill are fat and hungry in St. Mary’s Lake. Spinner lues and fly rod poppers will do the trick. 
Aaron Estevez with rockfish that took his jig ,cast from the shoreline in the mouth of the Patuxent. 
Noel caught this striper off the beach at Cedar Point Saturday night on cut bait. 
Big bluefish caught on fresh cut alewife Saturday night. 
Eric is catching bass and crappie in quantity at St. Mary’s Lake.
Cobia fishing continues to improve in the lower Chesapeake Bay from the Target Ship south to the Bay Bridge-Tunnel. There are undersized cobia in the Point Lookout area (43-inch minimum) and some keepers. From the Target Ship to Smith Point is the prime location, with catches every day the wind allows. Chummers using live eels do best. The cobia are close to the surface on occasion and can be cast to with big jigs.
Trollers are finding big bluefish up to 30 inches using surgical eel lures, with some cobia mixed in. The blues can be caught at night using cut bait. The smaller “snapper” bluefish are now in all local waters, eager to take bait and lures. Wire-snelled lures and wire leaders are needed to protect from those razor-sharp teeth. Boats anchored at night close to the Target Ship caught big blues, cobia, croaker and spot this weekend.
Big spot are plentiful in the mouth of the Patuxent River. Capt. Bernie Shea on the Shea-D-Lady is loading up every day with spot, croaker and snapper bluefish. Croaker are getting bigger and more numerous daily. Bloodworms are the favored bait, along with lug worms and Fish Bites. Tiny spot are everywhere in the creeks and rivers on sandy bottoms.
The Fourth of July holiday is this week, and we have a traditional heat wave to coincide. Summertime, and the fishing is easy!
Tackle Box is located at 22035 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, Maryland 20653.
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