Maryland DNR Fishing Report – Last one until March

Taken from DNR’s Fishing Report – link to their entire report is at the bottom of this excerpt.

This week concludes our Maryland Fishing Report for 2020 — look for our winter update in early February, and for our weekly reports to resume in March 2021.

Despite colder temperatures there is still plenty of good fishing ahead in the winter months. Many will now shift their focus to freshwater and ocean fishing — with freshwater providing the easiest opportunities and definitely the more comfortable.

The 2020 recreational striped bass season closes Dec. 10 for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Anglers will still be able to fish in the bay but will have to practice catch and release. In the tidal Potomac River, anglers will be able to catch and keep two striped bass at a minimum of 20 inches until Dec. 31.

Those looking for a little winter outdoor fun and some good eating can recreationally catch their own oysters. If you have a boat and a set of tongs you’re good to go. Drifting in the shallows with clear water one can often spot individual oysters and collect them with a miniature set of tongs called nippers.

Tides typically vary quite a bit during the winter months and when they are low they can reveal these prized bivalves. If you can find access to an approved shellfish area with clear water, watch for a low tide, and put on a pair of knee boots or waders and you can wade out and pick them up as you spot them on the bottom. Using a wire mesh crab net is a great way to scoop them up; long gauntlet type gloves are even better. Before you go, make sure to check the Department of Natural Resources website for necessary regulations and shellfish maps where it is safe to harvest oysters.