Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

1 min read Summer

Cobia are the lower Bay's summer prize: brown, powerful, curious, and prone to appearing at the surface next to the boat as if they came over to see what the noise was about. That curiosity is the basis of sight-casting for them, which is one of the most exciting things available in Chesapeake fishing.

They are frequently mistaken for sharks at a distance because of the profile and the way they cruise just under the surface. They associate strongly with structure — buoys, wrecks, rays and other large fish — and a cobia shadowing a cownose ray is a classic sight in July.

They do not give up when landed. A cobia brought over the gunwale with fight left in it can wreck a cockpit, and experienced crews are deliberate about when the fish comes aboard. They are also excellent eating, which is part of why the regulations on them are watched closely.

Gear for this fish

Booyah Bucktail Jig 1/8oz White Aqua Shad

The workhorse jig for this fishery.

$3.69

Booyah Bucktail Jig 1/4oz White Aqua Shad

The workhorse jig for this fishery.

$3.69

Booyah Bucktail Jig 1/8oz Black/Chartreuse

The workhorse jig for this fishery.

$3.69

Booyah Bucktail Jig 1/8oz Black/Brown

The workhorse jig for this fishery.

$3.69

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Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

2 min read Spring and fall

Channel edges, rips, and the Susquehanna Flats

White Perch

Morone americana

1 min read Spring run, then all summer

Tributary mouths, piers, and hard bottom

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

2 min read Year-round

Tidal-fresh rivers, deep holes and channel bends

Northern Snakehead

Channa argus

1 min read Late spring through fall

Grass, pads, and shallow tidal-fresh creeks

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

1 min read Summer into fall

Lower Bay shoals, sand bars, and the inlets

Speckled Trout

Cynoscion nebulosus

1 min read Late summer and fall

Grass beds, marsh drains, and the lower Bay

Tautog

Tautoga onitis

1 min read Spring and late fall

Wrecks, rock piles, and bridge rubble

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

1 min read Spring through fall

Tidal-fresh rivers, pads, docks, and grass

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

1 min read Summer

Open Bay, inlets, and the surf

Summer Flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

1 min read Late spring through summer

Sandy bottom near inlets and channel edges

Black Drum

Pogonias cromis

1 min read Late spring

Lower Bay shoals and shell bottom

Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

1 min read Summer

Lower Bay, around buoys and structure

Spanish Mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus

1 min read Mid to late summer

Open Bay, warm clear water

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

1 min read Late winter into early spring

Upper tidal rivers and creeks

American Shad

Alosa sapidissima

1 min read Spring

Susquehanna and major tributaries

Blue Crab

Callinectes sapidus

2 min read Late spring through fall

Grass beds, shallows, and piers Bay-wide

Oyster Toadfish

Opsanus tau

1 min read Year-round

Oyster bottom, pilings, and rubble

Atlantic Menhaden

Brevoortia tyrannus

1 min read Spring through fall

Open Bay, in vast schools