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Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Stripers, Blues, and Cats Aplenty on the Bay
Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your May 30th, 2025, Chesapeake Bay fishing report for the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region.
The sun rose at 5:47 a.m. and will set at 8:17 p.m., giving us a long day to chase linesides and everything else the Bay has to offer. Winds have moderated since last week’s blow, and today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high in the low 80s and light southeasterly breezes. On the water, tide cycles show a low tide at 8:23 a.m., followed by a high at 1:27 p.m.—so plan to work the moving water for the best bite, especially in the early afternoon and during the evening ebb.
Striped bass season is in full swing, and the action has been consistent for those targeting the upper and middle Bay. According to FishTalk Magazine, Love Point and the Bay Bridge pilings are hot zones for slot-sized rockfish. White and chartreuse tandem rigs are getting it done for trollers, while jigging three- to five-inch soft plastics around structure has produced nice catches. Live lining spot—easily caught just off Sandy Point on bloodworms or Fishbites—has put fish up to 30 inches in the box for charter boats.
If you’re working the Patapsco near the Key Bridge, expect stripers holding near the pilings, with occasional schools popping up in open water. The Choptank’s shallows and Janes Island have been productive, too, particularly for morning anglers. Some speckled trout are mixed in with the rockfish in these areas—soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors are your go-to.
Black drum are making a surprise appearance, with decent numbers of 22-to-24-inchers caught by dropping soft crab near the power plant earlier this week. However, be prepared to battle an abundance of rays if you’re soaking baits on the bottom.
Bluefish are here and hungry; several fish over 20 inches have been caught near the CCNPP discharge and in open water pods chasing bait. Use metal spoons or heavy leaders with your soft plastics—these blues have teeth and attitude.
As for those targeting cats, blue catfish have been very active, especially in the Chester River and around Sandy Point, due to recent lower salinity. Cut bait—alewife or menhaden—works best for these spring cats, and they’re thick enough to keep rods bending all day.
Top baits and lures for today:
- Soft plastics in white, chartreuse, or natural hues
- Tandem rigs for trolling rockfish
- Spot or bloodworms for live lining and bottom fishing
- Metal spoons and paddle tails for bluefish
- Cut bait for catfish
- Soft crab for black drum
Today’s hot spots include the Bay Bridge pilings, Love Point, the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge, and the mouth of the Choptank.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fishing fix. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
The sun rose at 5:47 a.m. and will set at 8:17 p.m., giving us a long day to chase linesides and everything else the Bay has to offer. Winds have moderated since last week’s blow, and today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high in the low 80s and light southeasterly breezes. On the water, tide cycles show a low tide at 8:23 a.m., followed by a high at 1:27 p.m.—so plan to work the moving water for the best bite, especially in the early afternoon and during the evening ebb.
Striped bass season is in full swing, and the action has been consistent for those targeting the upper and middle Bay. According to FishTalk Magazine, Love Point and the Bay Bridge pilings are hot zones for slot-sized rockfish. White and chartreuse tandem rigs are getting it done for trollers, while jigging three- to five-inch soft plastics around structure has produced nice catches. Live lining spot—easily caught just off Sandy Point on bloodworms or Fishbites—has put fish up to 30 inches in the box for charter boats.
If you’re working the Patapsco near the Key Bridge, expect stripers holding near the pilings, with occasional schools popping up in open water. The Choptank’s shallows and Janes Island have been productive, too, particularly for morning anglers. Some speckled trout are mixed in with the rockfish in these areas—soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors are your go-to.
Black drum are making a surprise appearance, with decent numbers of 22-to-24-inchers caught by dropping soft crab near the power plant earlier this week. However, be prepared to battle an abundance of rays if you’re soaking baits on the bottom.
Bluefish are here and hungry; several fish over 20 inches have been caught near the CCNPP discharge and in open water pods chasing bait. Use metal spoons or heavy leaders with your soft plastics—these blues have teeth and attitude.
As for those targeting cats, blue catfish have been very active, especially in the Chester River and around Sandy Point, due to recent lower salinity. Cut bait—alewife or menhaden—works best for these spring cats, and they’re thick enough to keep rods bending all day.
Top baits and lures for today:
- Soft plastics in white, chartreuse, or natural hues
- Tandem rigs for trolling rockfish
- Spot or bloodworms for live lining and bottom fishing
- Metal spoons and paddle tails for bluefish
- Cut bait for catfish
- Soft crab for black drum
Today’s hot spots include the Bay Bridge pilings, Love Point, the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge, and the mouth of the Choptank.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fishing fix. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your May 30th, 2025, Chesapeake Bay fishing report for the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region.
The sun rose at 5:47 a.m. and will set at 8:17 p.m., giving us a long day to chase linesides and everything else the Bay has to offer. Winds have moderated since last week’s blow, and today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high in the low 80s and light southeasterly breezes. On the water, tide cycles show a low tide at 8:23 a.m., followed by a high at 1:27 p.m.—so plan to work the moving water for the best bite, especially in the early afternoon and during the evening ebb.
Striped bass season is in full swing, and the action has been consistent for those targeting the upper and middle Bay. According to FishTalk Magazine, Love Point and the Bay Bridge pilings are hot zones for slot-sized rockfish. White and chartreuse tandem rigs are getting it done for trollers, while jigging three- to five-inch soft plastics around structure has produced nice catches. Live lining spot—easily caught just off Sandy Point on bloodworms or Fishbites—has put fish up to 30 inches in the box for charter boats.
If you’re working the Patapsco near the Key Bridge, expect stripers holding near the pilings, with occasional schools popping up in open water. The Choptank’s shallows and Janes Island have been productive, too, particularly for morning anglers. Some speckled trout are mixed in with the rockfish in these areas—soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors are your go-to.
Black drum are making a surprise appearance, with decent numbers of 22-to-24-inchers caught by dropping soft crab near the power plant earlier this week. However, be prepared to battle an abundance of rays if you’re soaking baits on the bottom.
Bluefish are here and hungry; several fish over 20 inches have been caught near the CCNPP discharge and in open water pods chasing bait. Use metal spoons or heavy leaders with your soft plastics—these blues have teeth and attitude.
As for those targeting cats, blue catfish have been very active, especially in the Chester River and around Sandy Point, due to recent lower salinity. Cut bait—alewife or menhaden—works best for these spring cats, and they’re thick enough to keep rods bending all day.
Top baits and lures for today:
- Soft plastics in white, chartreuse, or natural hues
- Tandem rigs for trolling rockfish
- Spot or bloodworms for live lining and bottom fishing
- Metal spoons and paddle tails for bluefish
- Cut bait for catfish
- Soft crab for black drum
Today’s hot spots include the Bay Bridge pilings, Love Point, the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge, and the mouth of the Choptank.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fishing fix. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
The sun rose at 5:47 a.m. and will set at 8:17 p.m., giving us a long day to chase linesides and everything else the Bay has to offer. Winds have moderated since last week’s blow, and today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high in the low 80s and light southeasterly breezes. On the water, tide cycles show a low tide at 8:23 a.m., followed by a high at 1:27 p.m.—so plan to work the moving water for the best bite, especially in the early afternoon and during the evening ebb.
Striped bass season is in full swing, and the action has been consistent for those targeting the upper and middle Bay. According to FishTalk Magazine, Love Point and the Bay Bridge pilings are hot zones for slot-sized rockfish. White and chartreuse tandem rigs are getting it done for trollers, while jigging three- to five-inch soft plastics around structure has produced nice catches. Live lining spot—easily caught just off Sandy Point on bloodworms or Fishbites—has put fish up to 30 inches in the box for charter boats.
If you’re working the Patapsco near the Key Bridge, expect stripers holding near the pilings, with occasional schools popping up in open water. The Choptank’s shallows and Janes Island have been productive, too, particularly for morning anglers. Some speckled trout are mixed in with the rockfish in these areas—soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors are your go-to.
Black drum are making a surprise appearance, with decent numbers of 22-to-24-inchers caught by dropping soft crab near the power plant earlier this week. However, be prepared to battle an abundance of rays if you’re soaking baits on the bottom.
Bluefish are here and hungry; several fish over 20 inches have been caught near the CCNPP discharge and in open water pods chasing bait. Use metal spoons or heavy leaders with your soft plastics—these blues have teeth and attitude.
As for those targeting cats, blue catfish have been very active, especially in the Chester River and around Sandy Point, due to recent lower salinity. Cut bait—alewife or menhaden—works best for these spring cats, and they’re thick enough to keep rods bending all day.
Top baits and lures for today:
- Soft plastics in white, chartreuse, or natural hues
- Tandem rigs for trolling rockfish
- Spot or bloodworms for live lining and bottom fishing
- Metal spoons and paddle tails for bluefish
- Cut bait for catfish
- Soft crab for black drum
Today’s hot spots include the Bay Bridge pilings, Love Point, the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge, and the mouth of the Choptank.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily fishing fix. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.