Get signed up for the derby

It’s time again for the annual Fall Fishin’ Buddies Derby at Gilbert Run Park in Dentsville.

This event is one of the highlights of the year for the managers at the park. It’s great fun for the kids and watching them reel in the fish is just as fun for the adults.

The derby will take place on Oct. 8. Anglers will compete by teams consisting of one adult 21 or older and one child 6 to 15. Trophies will be awarded in the two age divisions. Bank anglers and boat anglers will compete separately. Many local businesses have donated items for door prizes and all teams are eligible for the drawings.

Registration is required since participation is limited. The registration fee is $7 per team and the deadline to register is Oct. 5 at noon. Applications can be picked up at Gilbert Run Park. For more information, call 301-932-3470.

Southern Maryland lakes and

ponds — Anthony Hancock, assistant manager of Gilbert Run Park, reports the bass are turned on and hungry. They are striking topwaters early and late in the day. During daylight hours, they will attack swim jigs, Senko-type soft plastic lures, tube baits and white spinnerbaits.

Shallow- and medium-diving crankbaits that cover two to six feet of water work well in natural shad or bluegill colors. Targeting laydown logs and other wood cover as well as steeper-drop offs will produce action. Use a fast-moving bait like a spinnerbait or crankbait to locate fish, then slow down and work the area methodically with a soft plastic bait.

Bluegill are biting on small pieces of worm fished under a bobber. Small popping bugs or sponge spiders fished with a fly-rod are also an option. Look for wood cover and you will find bluegill.

Patuxent River — Big spot are stacked in the lower Patuxent. Ken Lamb at the Tackle Box in Lexington Park (301-863-8151) said bottom fishermen can find them in the mouth of the river and even up in the creeks.

Big white perch are also plentiful and hungr y. They can be found in deeper water over good oyster bottom. Croaker are still dependable but small. Rockfish can be caught on topwater lures on a high falling tide in the morning and evening.

Potomac River — Reel Bass Adventures Guide Andy Andrzejewski (301-932-1509) reports that bass activity has been picking up as water temperatures drop. The topwater bite is strong during low light and low tide conditions as well as on the very high end of the tide. Grass frogs, poppers and buzzbaits will all draw strikes from hungry bass. So will buzzing a spinnerbait just under the surface in grassy areas. Swim jigs and stick worms worked on the outside edges of defined grass lines will catch bass and a few jumbo yellow perch.

Striper action continues to pick up near bridge pilings

and rocky structures. Use topwater baits tight against bridge pilings and lipless crankbaits around rocks. The Potomac is loaded with rockfish, the trick is to catch one you don’t have to throw back. Juniata and Susquehanna

rivers (Pa.) — Life Outdoors Unlimited Guide Matt Greene (717-576-3735) reports awesome fishing over the past week. The boat traffic is at a minimum giving anglers lots of water to fish. His baits of choice this week are topwater, spinnerbait and swimbait.

LOU Guide Jason Shay (717-507-4377) said spinnerbaits and buzzbaits worked fast over ledge fronts have been the hot ticket. Shay has seen a lot of musky lately and the

fish are really starting to group up.

Deep Creek Lake — The lake is a fisherman’s paradise this time of year. The fish are active and boat traffic is sparse, making it a great time to hook into some smallmouth and largemouth bass. Target the remaining floating docks with whacky rigged stick worms and small crankbaits.

Lake Anna (Va.) — C. C. McCotter of McCotter’s Lake Anna Guide Ser vice (540-894-9144) predicts this fall’s striper fishing could make histor y. McCotter anticipates you will be able to find schools in the lower up-lake regions, up to the Holiday Mill Bridge on the North Anna side and the Stubbs Bridge region on the Pamunkey Branch side. Bass anglers are finding hot zones in the upper portions of the lake, with the fish willing to take pitched creature and craw baits around grass, docks, rocks and wood in 5 to 10 feet of water.

Chesapeake Bay — The run on cobia and redfish is winding down with cooler temperatures driving the fish south. Lamb reports there is still a healthy mix of Spanish mackarel, rockfish and blues chasing baitfish around the bay. Spanish up to 30 inches have been caught near Buoy 76. The rockfish and blue mix stretches all the way from Cove Point to the Bay Bridge.

Atlantic Ocean — There’s been a good flounder bite in the bay recently. White Gulp Swimming Mullet continues to be the bait of choice. Flatties can be found both inside and outside of the south jetty. Offshore fishermen are hooking plenty of keeper-sized flounder on the wrecks and reefs. The Baltimore Canyon has been active with lots of white marlin, yellowfin tuna and wahoo catches. Tip of the week

From Lamb: A large school of weakfish was located by jiggers south of the PR buoy under breaking rockfish last week. Sometimes called seatrout, gray trout and tiderunners, the name weakfish comes from the tendency of the soft tissue in its mouth to tear. Even though they closely resemble trout, weakfish are members of the drum and croaker family. The limit on these fish is one per day at 13 inches. The fish caught locally were up to 17 inches.