Catch a slam out on the water
You’ve probably heard the word slam in a lot of different settings.
Denny’s has a grand slam on the breakfast menu, for example. In one of my favorite card games, pitch, players bid on how many tricks they can take in a round. I used to play it all the time as a kid. When a bidder took all the cards in a round, we’d call that a grand slam. Both baseball and tennis have their own versions. Even turkey hunting has one.
You can get a slam dunk in basketball. I’ve never been to a poetry slam, but some people enjoy that kind of entertainment. And just a few days ago, our area got slammed by a 1 1/2 inches of rain when thunderstorms passed through.
So it should come as no surprise that you could catch a slam, as well.
Life Outdoors Unlimited guide service considers it a grand slam when a client catches a smallmouth, largemouth, rockfish, catfish and walleye in one outing on the Potomac River.
The 2017 Chesapeake Summer Slam tournament targets striped bass, bluefish, mackerel, redfish, speckled trout and takes the best three out of the five species for total combined length. And bass anglers can compete in the Susquehanna Fishing Tackle Summer Slam this Sunday launching out of the North East River Anchor Marina on the Upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
No matter what kind of fishing you prefer, don’t slam the door on any opportunity to get
out on the water this summer. Southern Maryland lakes and
ponds — Anthony Hancock, assistant manager at Gilbert Run Park in Dentsville, said there’s a consistent bass and bluegill bite early and late in the day in shallow water. During the heat of the day, fish retreat into deeper, cooler waters.
With the water currently stained from algal blooms, Hancock recommends using bass lures with chartreuse color and targeting grass and wood cover, especially near deeper water. Live bait is working best for bluegill and redear sunfish right now. Small pieces of nightcrawler or garden worms fished under a bobber should put a bend in the rod.
Ken Lamb of the Tackle Box in Lexington Park (301-863-8151) reports rockfish are everywhere on structure in the shallows. Jiggers on the stone piles, wrecks and Gov. Thomas Johnson Bridge pilings are finding good action on tide changes and at dusk and dawn. Most fish are undersized, but a little patience can pay off with an out-sized fish close to 40 inches.
Trollers are catching rockfish on the oyster bars and at Sheridan Point. The Solomons Charter Captain’s Association fleet (www.fishsolomons.com) reports white perch anglers are getting good catches on just about every oyster bar
within the river.
Reel Bass Adventures guide Andy Andrzejewski (301-932-1509) said that warm water temperatures in the mid 80s have brought on a good early morning topwater bite along grasses and spatterdock fields. Buzz baits, poppers, and grass frogs are catching fish.
As the sun gets high on the water, Andrzejewski recommends switching to a wacky-rigged, weightless stick worm to work the same areas. Thick grasses hold bass that will respond to creature baits or jig and craw combos. Bluegill and small bass will cooperate with fly rodders on creek flats near sandy banks.
LOU Guide Kenny Penrod (240478-9055) recommends hitting the water during lower moving tides that coincide with low light hours for your best chances of success.
Lamb reports anglers are catching good-sized rockfish in the mouth of Nomini Bay and near Ragged Point. Mid-river around the Gov. Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, jiggers and trollers are doing well, along with trollers in the mouth between Buoys 5 and 7. The rockfish are evenly mixed with catfish near Morgantown for
McCotter’s Lake Anna Guide Service (540-894-9144) recommends targeting schooled bass from the Route 208 region down to the power plant with soft plastic jerkbaits and topwater plugs. Anglers in the mid- and up-lake regions can find bass with crankbaits and worms on off-shore structure like rocks and brush.
The best crappie action is on bridge pilings, deep brush, channel edges and cool tributaries. Get a couple dozen small minnows and
From LOU guide Keith Barker (301-509-2102): Barker fished the Mattawoman Creek last weekend and advises bass anglers to stock up on Whopper Ploppers in either the 90 or 130 sizes. The topwater bite is “slamming,” especially at high tide over flooded vegetation. If there is cloud cover, the topwater approach will work throughout the day.