Artificial Lure here from Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, bringing you your Saturday fishing report for November 8th, 2025.

The day started crisp and clear on the bay, with sunrise at 6:41 AM and sunset coming at 5:03 PM according to Tide-Forecast.com. We’ve got 10 hours and 22 minutes of daylight to get your lines wet. Weather conditions are cooperative—light northwest winds around 5 to 10 knots and waves holding at about 1 foot or less after a Small Craft Advisory expired at 5 a.m. this morning, per WBOC Weather. Temps are starting out in the low 50s, climbing to the low 60s by midday, so dress in layers and keep those hands warm.

Tide movement’s on the gentle side today, with the tidal coefficient sitting low—just above 30—meaning the curves are mild and the currents aren’t ripping, as reported by Tides4Fishing. High tide came through Cape Charles Harbor around 10:45 a.m., with low tide before dawn; expect another low late afternoon, keeping shallow water action lively.

Now, let’s talk fish. Fall’s chill has triggered good movement for **striped bass (rockfish)**, and the locals are reporting strong catches at both dawn and dusk especially near channel edges and drop-offs. There have been solid reports of **keeper slot drum**, hefty **sheepshead**, and a consistent run of **bluefish** in the inshore zones recently according to Hatteras Harbor Marina’s latest catch reviews.

Out in the deeper stretches—think the Thimble Shoals and the CBBT (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel)—boat anglers have decked some **King Mackerel**, **Blackfin Tuna**, and a handful of **Albacore**. Bottom fish like **sea bass** and **triggerfish** are handy too. On the bait front, fresh-cut menhaden, spot, and peeler crab have been choice for stripers and drum. Artificial action’s hot with **5–7 inch swim shads**, bucktails tipped with twister tails, and jigged spoons in deeper rips. Folks casting **soft plastics** around structure early and late are picking up fish. For sheepshead, crab-tipped fiddler rigs are still top dog.

Virginia Beach and Cape Charles are always dependable, but the hot spots this week have been:

- **CBBT (1st and 3rd Islands):** Striper and tautog, best on slack tide hours.

- **Kiptopeke State Park pier:** Drum and blues, sunset bite has been fierce.

- **Mouth of Lynnhaven River:** Sheepshead, spot, and scattered specks—try the bridge pilings and adjacent flats on rising water.

Reports indicate party boats out of Rudee Inlet are seeing limits of sea bass with bonus blues and scattered mackerel, especially from midday through dusk. Inshore, red drum are around grassy shoreline points, especially near incoming tide.

A few tips for today—keep a variety of baits on hand, and swap to smaller jigs and slower retrieves as water temps drop and fish get finicky. If you’re targeting rockfish, work deeper channels with heavier jigs at midday, then switch to topwater lures near dock lights after sunset.

Thanks for tuning in to your local fishing report—don't forge

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Artificial Lure here with your November 7th Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Out on the Bay around Virginia today, chilly fall mornings are setting in, but the sun is shining and skies are fair—prime time for bundled-up anglers. According to WBOC’s morning weather report, we’re seeing crisp temps, light winds, and the leaves still coming down. Sunrise came at 6:38AM, sunset will hit early at 4:58PM, so make those fishing plans count during the daylight hours.

For tidal movement, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel area gave us a low tide around 5:21 this morning and high tide right around noon, topping out at 3.17 feet according to Tide-Forecast.com. Evening low is due a bit after sunset. So, mid-morning onward brings that rising tide—perfect for feeding fish in structure-rich haunts like rock piles and channel edges.

Reports this week show the striped bass bite has improved. Maryland DNR noted that stripers are being caught from rocks and piers, especially in early and late hours. The waters from the Bay Bridge-Tunnel up through Lynnhaven Inlet and Little Creek in Virginia Beach are seeing solid activity. Many are jigging or casting soft plastics near pilings and rock piles, while others are trolling bucktails and swim shads. Paddle tail swimbaits in pearl or white, three to five inches, are producing well, and chartreuse is a go-to when the water muddies up a bit. For deeper or windier conditions, bump up that jig head weight to get you down where the fish are holding—sometimes even up to one ounce. Midday reports are seeing stripers suspended close to the bottom near the big bridges and channel drops, so that’s your window.

White perch have been thick on shoals and knolls near river mouths—places like the mouth of the James and Elizabeth rivers, and on various lumps in the upper Bay. Bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs remain perch candy. Some folks are still nabbing speckled trout inside Lynnhaven Inlet, with live shrimp and small paddletails scoring—check out recent footage from local YouTube crews who are filling coolers with “yellow-mouths” before their sheepshead charters.

If you’re targeting bigger fish offshore, folks trolling just off the coast near the canyons reported mahi and an impressive pompano dolphinfish caught out of Ocean City in October. It’s a bit north, but those bluewater species can follow warm pushes and occasionally swing close to the southern mouth on a good weather day.

For lures, tins and metals like Ava-style diamond jigs, Hopkins Shorties, and Acme Kastmasters are killer, especially when peanut bunker or sand eels are around. Try slender metals and spoons for their castability and tight action. Top colors: green, red, and natural metal finishes. Paddle tails in standard white, menhaden, or chartreuse are reliably hot for stripers, drum, and trout. When in doubt, go with what matches the current hatch—if the bait’s small, lean toward slender metals, if they’re chasing peanut bunker, beef up with a wide-bodie

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Artificial Lure here with your Thursday, November 6, Chesapeake Bay fishing report, straight from the water and the docks.

**First up, the crucial details:**

Today’s sunrise rolled in at 6:59 a.m., and you’ll catch the last light slipping out right at 6:43 p.m.—daylight’s fading fast this time of year along the Virginia capes.

**Tides are running classic fall patterns.**

Guard Shore and much of Virginia’s Bay side saw a low tide around 3:16 a.m., high at 8:41 a.m., then a midday slack before another low at 3:22 p.m. If you’re fishing the evening window, banks are filling up again by 9:15 p.m. Tidal swings are moderate, so plan your drifts and drops to hit the outgoing or incoming for best results.

**Weather’s kicked up—this morning started chilly, breezy, and clear.**

We’ve got northwest winds blowing 20 to 25 knots, keeping most boats tucked in hard to lee shores. Waves are running 2 to 4 feet, with a Gale Warning in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday per WBOC Weather. That northwest blow means stained water and a little chop, especially on open stretches, but it’s classic for stirring up feeding activity[WBOC Weather].

**Fish activity is solid as the season turns.**

Recent reports from FishPit Charters and locals around Windmill Point and Cape Henry say striped bass are pushing through—plenty of slot-size rockfish moving along channel edges and creek mouths. Top catches are coming early and late, especially around structure and drop-offs[FishPit Charters].

Speckled trout are still biting, especially south of the Bay Bridge Tunnel and around Lynnhaven Inlet, with a few overslot reds still mixed in. White perch are stacking in tributaries like the Rappahannock and back creeks near Kilmarnock; panfish action is strong for those willing to work a bit deeper. Flounder reports have slowed with cooling temps, but keepers are still popping up from deep holes near the mouth of the Bay.

**Last week saw decent striper numbers, with most anglers pulling 2–5 good fish per trip,** and some heartier souls landing double digits when the weather cooperated. The record-setting pompano dolphinfish made news just north of here, but that’s rare inside the main Bay—focus on striper, perch, specks, and blues[Maryland DNR].

**Best lures and bait today:**

With choppy conditions and cooler water, lean into bright chartreuse **soft plastics** for stripers—5” paddle tails on 3/8 to 1/2 oz jig heads work best. If you’re targeting trout, pink or white **MirrOlure** suspending twitch baits are local favorites. For perch, bloodworms and live minnows on bottom rigs will get it done.

If you’re chucking hardware, **metal spoons** and bucktails work wonders for blues and schoolie rockfish, especially in the faster-moving water around high tide.

**Hot spots for today:**

- **Mobjack Bay’s Ware River mouth:** Excellent structure, plenty of lee from NW winds, and solid fall mix of striper, perch, and occasional specks.

- **Kiptopeke Beach Pier:** Shelter from the wind,

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Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025. Sunrise hit at 6:31 AM and you can expect sunset about 5:03 PM tonight. Today’s weather is proper fall: brisk air in the low 50s with west winds around 10 to 15 knots early, tapering to calmer breezes by tonight—just remember there’s a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m., so hang tight if you’re in a smaller rig. Waves are running 2 to 3 feet according to WBOC’s latest marine update.

Turning to tides, Chesapeake Beach saw a solid morning high right after sunrise—peak was around 3.57 feet at 6:35 AM, dropping to low at 12:56 PM, and another high tide pushes in around 6:57 PM, crested about 2.95 feet by evening. That first light tide change is exactly what you want for active fish, especially if you’re targeting stripers, so if you slept in, plan your outing around the dusk window or an outgoing tide in the late afternoon.

Fish activity is classic fall pattern, but you gotta work for your bites. The Fisherman and Southern Maryland Chronicle report striped bass are on the move, feeding heavy when you find ‘em schooled up on channel edges around the Key Bridge, down to the flats near Tolchester, and the traditional haunts near the Bay Bridge pilings. Lots of schoolies, with a few slot fish—most in the 19 to 24 inch range. Outgoing tide into slack produces the hottest bites, and dawn and dusk have been best.

Best lures for these stripers are five-inch white Z-Man Diesel Minnows fished on half-ounce jig heads, blue and chrome Rat-L-Traps, and the ol’ reliable Chartreuse Bomber Long A after dark. A slow retrieve with soft-paddle tails has been out-fishing fast jerks. Don’t be afraid to toss a topwater spook if you see surface busts—especially at sunrise. For bait, fresh bunker is king if you can get it; otherwise, cut menhaden, live eels, and soft crab all draw strikes.

Tautog fishing is hanging strong on hard structure—think pilings, reef balls, and rockpiles on the Severn River mouth and at the Bay Bridge. Main bait is green crab or half-hard sand fleas, fished tight to the bottom. These fish are finicky this time of year, so keep baits small and presentations natural.

White perch are moving into their winter holes. Your best bet is targeting deeper drop-offs around bridge abutments, pier pilings, or the mouths of the Patuxent and Magothy. Dropper rigs tipped with bloodworms or grass shrimp work great, or small jigs with Gulp for artificials.

Bluefish numbers are dwindling but a few are hanging near the Potomac and Chester mouths, especially on an outgoing tide. Metal spoons and epoxy jigs are still producing the last of the run.

For speckled trout, as Salt Water Sportsman notes, colder weather pushes trophies toward the deeper holes and grass beds in the southern Bay, particularly on the flats near Lynnhaven and Back River—try twitch baits at nightfall if you’re after a wall-hanger.

Hot spots today:

- The Bay Bridge pilings for

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Here’s your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Tuesday, November 4, 2025. It’s Artificial Lure here, and this one’s for all the salty hands and dock talkers along Virginia’s lower Bay.

Skies this morning started cloudy with temps hovering in the upper 50s, climbing toward 62 by afternoon. Expect a stiff northwest wind, 15–20 knots, with water chop rough enough that a Small Craft Advisory stands until at least 1 PM, as reported in the latest Marine Forecast from NOAA. Bundle up if you’re braving the spray.

Tides at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel run as follows: we had low tide at 6:29 AM and the next high tide peaks at 12:57 PM with a solid 2.9-foot swing. Sunrise was at 6:39 AM and sunset winds up early at 4:57 PM. Water clarity’s fair on the outgoing, but incoming tide should bring cleaner pushes through the afternoon per Tide-Forecast.com.

Now, the fishing’s been a mixed bag, but word on the docks is spot are thinning fast, with only a handful picking near Lynnhaven Inlet. Speckled trout remain the main event—good catches coming out of the Elizabeth River and up around the Poquoson Flats, mostly schoolies but a couple pushing 24 inches in the deeper bends.

Striped bass—rockfish—remain tough. Most local headboats this week reported a slow pick, echoing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s warning that numbers are dangerously low this fall. A few shorts have hit jerkbaits and bucktails along lighted structures at the HRBT after dusk, and lucky trollers found a pod or two up near the Gooses Reef artificial reef, mostly slot-sized. But don’t plan your day around them— ASMFC’s latest update admits stocks are still struggling to rebuild.

Tautog action’s fair around bridge pilings and wrecks. Crab chunks are gold standard—if you can find them—with green crab or fiddler being the hot bait. Cast a half-crab around the CBBT pilings at slack tide, and you’ve got a real shot at a 20-inch tog this week.

Bluefish have mostly moved out, but a few snappers are still hanging near the oceanfront inlets if you throw a metalspoon into the rips.

Best lures this week for trout have been MirrOlures (especially the 52MR in chartreuse), soft plastics like Gulp! Swimming Mullets in “nuclear chicken,” and 1/4 oz jigheads slow-rolled across drop-offs. Twitching suspending crankbaits around marsh points can also get the bite.

Reports from charter boats like Tight Times Charters say live bait—peanut menhaden and mud minnows—are out-fishing artificials for both trout and red drum this week. However, given the menhaden quota cuts and price hikes reported by The Southern Maryland Chronicle, best savor those baits.

Hot spots right now:

- **HRBT and CBBT lightlines:** especially for speckled trout and a shot at stripers.

- **Poquoson Flats and the Elizabeth River:** top bets for consistent trout action.

- **Gooses Reef:** a gamble for slot rockfish and the odd blue.

For the crabbers out there, blue crab numbers are down and bait prices are up—chalk that up to the menhaden

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# Artificial Lure's Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report

Well folks, it's Monday morning, November 3rd, and I'm here to tell you the bite is absolutely screaming in and around the Bay right now. Water temps have dropped to a crisp 58 degrees inside Rudee Inlet, and the fish are feeding like there's no tomorrow.

Let me break down what's happening out there. The speckled trout bite is outstanding this month—some of the best action we've seen. You want hot spots? Head straight to Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, or the Fort Monroe stretch of the James River. Puppy drum are hitting in those exact same areas, and they're chunky right now. Captain Todd was just out fly-fishing Saturday and landed some impressive puppy drum and plenty of fat specks on the Knot Wish'n.

For tide info, we've got a low at 11:56 PM tonight and highs at 5:35 AM and 5:56 PM. Sunrise today is 6:29 AM, sunset at 5:05 PM. Conditions are looking decent with southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east 10 to 15 knots later, so get out early.

Inside the bay, don't sleep on the tautog—that bite's heating up. Rockfish are showing up in rivers and creeks, especially at night around lighted docks and piers. Red drum are definitely in play, and if you're heading deeper, sea bass and triggerfish are holding on the reefs.

For bait and lures, live bait with light tackle is your best friend right now. Puppy drum and specks love live herring and mullet. Topwater plugs are working great for surface action, and fly fishermen should bring a 7-weight for Bay work.

Elizabeth River is another spot worth hitting if you can't make it to the inlets.

Thanks for tuning in! Make sure you subscribe for daily updates straight from the water. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai

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Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Chesapeake Bay, Virginia fishing report for Sunday, November 2nd, 2025.

The sun popped over the horizon at 6:29 this morning and we’re looking at a sunset right around 5:05pm, so anglers have a tighter window with that fall daylight. Tides are classic for this time of year along the Virginia pilot's dock in Lynnhaven Inlet: high just before sunrise at 5:35am, then low right before lunch, and another high rolling in at 5:56pm—plan your moves for those major changes to maximize the bite. Moon’s on the rise in late afternoon at 3:16pm, worth keeping in mind for that evening push.

Weather’s the big story today. Buckle up—there’s a powerful northeast wind howling 30 to 40 knots, with gusts up to 50, and seas are stacked 8 to 10 feet or more per the latest marine forecast. It’s a tough go for anything but the largest vessels offshore, but these storms settle out bait and push game fish right up to structure and shallow edges, so in-bay and shoreline action could actually heat up as soon as it lays down.

Water’s still hovering high for November, with 68–70 degrees inshore and just a couple ticks warmer offshore. This transition has pushed summer species out and brought some of our coveted cool-weather targets onto the main stage. Here’s how it’s shaping up:

- Offshore: Rare weather windows lately, but last week Top Notch Sportfishing found mahi-mahi in the 10–20 lb class around NOAA buoys slow-trolling cut albacore. Tilefish are holding over deep structure and responding fast to rigged squid on electric reels. Swordfish showed up too, with a few hookups reported—use deep-drop squid baits and be patient if you’re fortunate enough to get a safe day offshore.

- Nearshore wrecks: Sea bass and triggerfish have absolutely lit up the reefs and wrecks out of Virginia Beach. Crews are reporting limits and some “citation-class” sea bass topping 5 lbs. Squid strips, cut bait, and even Gulp! baits are working. Prepare quick-change rigs with small J-hooks and 30–40 lb leaders: if you get a run of triggerfish, swap baits and get right back down—some days it’s 30 or 40 fish before noon.

In the bay proper, as water cools, striped bass (rockfish) and tautog are setting up around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and inshore pilings. Striper action has been best at dawn and dusk with topwater plugs, paddletails, and jerkbaits along the rocks and riprap. Drop-offs and channel edges around the tunnel and the mouths of the York and Rappahannock rivers are solid bets for jigging or trolling with heavier umbrella rigs. The tautog bite is just coming alive, especially on green crab and fiddler crab baits—target the rockpiles, pilings, and lower tunnel tube for your best shot.

White perch anglers are still scoring in tidal creeks and around oyster beds using bloodworm pieces or small grass shrimp on dropper rigs. As winter approaches, those schools will slip toward deeper water, so now’s prime time for panfish.

Hot spots to chec

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Artificial Lure here, reporting from the banks of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia on a crisp Saturday morning, November 1st, 2025. It’s shaping up to be classic fall fishing—cool, breezy, and full of promise for the weekend bite.

**Weather & Water Conditions**

Marine forecasts from WBOC Weather are calling for waves about 2 to 3 feet, with a Small Craft Advisory lasting until 6 a.m. this morning, so take caution if you’re heading out early. Winds are blowing steady out of the west, adding a little chop that’s perfect for stirring up baitfish and getting the game fish fired up. Skies are mostly clear, with sunrise at 6:29 a.m. and sunset at 5:05 p.m—an abbreviated window, so maximize that daylight.

**Tides**

The Virginia pilot’s dock at Lynnhaven Inlet shows a high tide at 5:40 a.m. (2.4 ft), a low at 11:44 a.m. (0.59 ft), and another high at 6:02 p.m. (2.48 ft). Work those moving water periods for best results—they’ll coincide nicely with the bite windows for most species today.

**Fish Activity & Catches**

November means **rockfish (striped bass)** are front and center. Reports from FishTalk Magazine say Lower Bay waters are holding plenty of healthy rockfish, with anglers scoring at the mouth of the Potomac and Rappahannock last week. Middle and upper Bay are also productive, especially around bridges and points with working birds. The average keeper size is around 24-30 inches, with some bigger cows showing up on the outgoing tide.

Don’t sleep on the **speckled trout** action, peaking this month. The west side of the Bay has been best for specks, while puppy drum (juvenile redfish) are still biting hard, particularly in the creeks and marsh edges. There’s also the tail end of bluefish and slot red drum—the farther south you get, the better your odds. Tautog action is heating up near structure and the CBBT pilings.

Last year saw cutlassfish and even flounder into November, and recent catches confirm they’re still lingering. Flounder sharpies are fishing inshore wrecks and reefs with nice success.

**Best Lures & Baits**

Rockfish are hammering **soft plastics**, especially 4-6” paddle tails in chartreuse or white, rigged on 1-ounce jig heads. The Chesapeake Light Tackle Kit remains a top choice for versatility. For an edge, try the Prawn USA Original shrimp lure—its gliding action and weedless design are drawing strikes from smarter bass and reds. For specks and reds, jigged Gulp! Swimming Mullet and MirrOlure suspending twitch baits are the ticket. Tautog anglers are sticking to fiddler crabs and cut blue crab pieces on stout rigs.

If you’re bass fishing in the creeks, match your jig retrieve to the forage: quick hops in cold water, slow drags when they're shy. Skirted jigs with bulkier trailers are picking up more bites.

**Hot Spots**

- Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT): Target the pilings for rockfish, tautog, and the occasional keeper flounder.

- Lynnhaven Inlet: Consistent for speckled trout and puppy drum, especially incoming tide early m

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This is Artificial Lure with your Friday, October 31st, 2025, Chesapeake Bay fishing report.

We’re off to a brisk, blustery start today—bay anglers, be mindful. According to NOAA, we've had a Small Craft Advisory through early morning, rolling right into a Gale Warning until 6 PM. Gusts will hit up to 45 knots with bay waves 3 to 5 feet, making conditions sporty and testing your mettle if you're heading out. Bay water’s cooled to the mid-50s, which puts fall fishing in high gear and fires up those predator species. Sunrise is at 7:27 AM and sunset at 6:07 PM, with a high tide hitting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel around 3:57 AM, low at 10:04 AM, second high at 4:23 PM, and last low at 10:39 PM, all courtesy of Tide-Forecast.com.

Let’s talk about the fish. Striped bass activity is prime right now, though numbers are down—the Chesapeake’s been the battleground for scarce stripers all season. Chris Moore from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation calls it a “looming disaster,” and the science backs it; stripers are struggling, and managers haven’t cut harvest. Keep conservation in mind, practice catch and release, and maybe let those big breeders go swimming for another year.

That said, the bite has really picked up along deep channel edges and structure, with fish blitzing on schools of peanut bunker and bay anchovies. Most recent reports out of the lower and middle Bay—courtesy of Anglers Sport Center and Maryland DNR—show hot action just off channel edges, ledges, and around bridge pilings. The Bay Bridge, mouth of the Choptank, Patuxent, and Potomac rivers all get a nod for consistent catches. Expect stripers slot-size to the mid-thirties, especially where birds are active over bait.

Best producers have been soft-plastic paddle tails in the 6-8 inch range—white, chartreuse, and bunker patterns are money. NLBNs rigged on 1 to 2 ounce jig heads are a proven favorite, especially when the fish are tight to the bottom. For a classic Chesapeake approach, drifting live eels, spot, or small white perch is still effective around bridge structure. Some anglers have found success trolling umbrella rigs deep, right along steep drop-offs near the mouth of the Patuxent and Potomac.

Don’t overlook the tautog bite—right now, blackfish are stacked on nearshore wrecks, jetties, and bridge pilings. The go-to rig: a 3/4-ounce orange or green crab jig baited with fresh green crab. Drop it straight down to the rocks, hold tight for those commitment hits, and use stout tackle. Reports out of Ocean City and local piers have seen good keeper fish pushing the slot, perfect for the table.

Elsewhere, pickerel fishing in tidal rivers like the Severn, Magothy, and Patapsco has been excellent, with plenty of action on small spinners and live minnows. White perch and juvenile stripers round out your mixed bag in the creeks, with bloodworms and grass shrimp still producing.

Hot spots to try:

- **Bay Bridge pilings and rock piles** are drawing stripers and tog.

- **Eastern B

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Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Thursday, October 30th, 2025.

Sunrise rolled in at 7:26 a.m. today, with sunset coming up early at 6:07 p.m. Tides are subtle, with a low coefficient of around 41, meaning only light current action—so you’ll want to work those tide turns for any serious bite, especially around the highs and lows set for early morning and midafternoon. For the Lower Bay and Virginia Beach, high tide is just past 8 a.m. and again close to 9:20 p.m., with lows mid-morning and afternoon. That means your best shot for strong fish activity comes with those tide changes.

Weather’s setting up rough for small boats—WBOC’s marine forecast is warning of east winds 25 to 30 knots today with a Small Craft Advisory in effect and waves running 3-5 feet. There’s a Gale Watch kicking off late tonight and minor tidal flooding expected, so keep a close eye on conditions and mind those channel markers.

Now, on to the bite! Main story for the Bay is a continued struggle for the striped bass population, with this year’s juvenile index still well below average—as reported by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. But that doesn’t mean the linesiders aren’t around. In the Lower Bay, recent reports out of the Potomac and Patuxent rivers put striped bass on the attack in deeper holes—especially morning and evening—cued by cooling water temps driving baitfish like bay anchovies and menhaden out of the shallows and down the main channels.

Your best bet right now: jigging with soft plastics or metal jigs along channel edges, and working paddletails or jerkbaits right up tight to shoreline structure on the outgoing tide. Umbrella rigs pulled deep are picking up some better fish along major drop-offs and river mouths. For bait anglers, live eels or spot (when you can get them) will outfish cut bait most times; otherwise, chunks of menhaden can still draw a strike. Keeper stripers have been landed at Piney Point, Cedar Point rocks, Cornfield Harbor, and the mouth of the St. Mary’s—classic late October honey holes.

White perch are moving to harder bottoms on river mouths and oyster bars as waters chill. You’ll score numbers with dropper rigs tipped with grass shrimp or bloodworm, especially near Curtis Creek, the Patapsco, and deeper shoals off Hoopers Island. Also keep an eye out for speckled trout shadowing schools of small baitfish near Tangier Sound and up the eastern Bay islands; soft plastics on 1/4 oz jigheads do the trick.

As for hot artificial lures—mid-sized paddletails (olive or pearl), jerkbaits, and soft plastic jigs are standing out. On windier days like this, metal jigs give you distance and control. For the surf hounds, don’t pass on topwater plugs early—a walk-the-dog or pencil popper can still wake up a striper at dawn if you find birds working bait.

Two hot spots to focus on right now are:

- The Bay Bridge pilings and nearby rock piles—especially at high tide, drifting live

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