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Coastal Fishing Forecast
November is a fickle month for anglers heading offshore—the bite may be hot but weather usually becomes way more of an issue. That said, the past few years there’s been no better time to target swordfish deep-dropping. There’s also a chance mahi will still be hanging out around the canyon buoys (last season that action lasted through the entire month), though water temps will dictate when they decide to clear out and it certainly can happen sooner. As for tuna all bets are off because everything depends on where the eddies go but hopefully they’ll be around more than they were last November. Inshore boats can bet on a more reliable bite for both sea bass and flounder at wreck and reef sites. Remember that last year, good numbers of nice flounder were being caught clear into December. Tog fishing should be picking up, too, and this month is prime time for shoreline and bay anglers tossing fleas or crab baits next to structure. And in the surf we can hope for some level of the kingfish bite to keep up through the month, plus a flounder here and a striper there.
Freshwater Fishing Forecast
The chill in the air will have many species feeding hard this month. Largemouth bass anglers should do well as long as they follow the fish’s transition to deeper spots as temperatures drop; fall crappie action can be expected to peak in November; pickerel are picking up the pace now that the climate’s more to their liking; and if we don’t get whacked by a storm that muddies the rivers, smallmouth action should be excellent. The snakehead bite, on the flip side of the coin, is likely to wind down the cooler it gets. That said, don’t forget that you can still catch them in November, especially if you work drop-offs and channel edges with live minnow.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Striped bass should be around right about now, and if past is any prelude the dam pool and the Flats will both produce fish. Largemouth bass should be on the Flats too, at least until late in the month if and when temperatures plunge. Anglers sticking to the channel edges and dropping cut baits, meanwhile, should have zero problem catching all the blue cats they can handle this month. And by the end of November yellow perch should begin to reappear in the deeper holes and channels near the Flats and around river mouths like the Susquehanna, the Elk, and the Bush.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Rockfish will surely be first and foremost on everyone’s minds through November, and now’s an awesome time to target them whether you’re eeling at Pooles Island or tossing jigs in the Patapsco. But don’t forget that before winter hits some additional opportunities will be kicking in strong. Pickerel will be waking up in the creeks and rivers ready to chew on minnow, bladed baits, and swimbaits. Blue cats should be feeding hard just about everywhere from Pooles on up. And this is an excellent time to target white perch with tandem rigs as they shift out of the rivers and creeks and start schooling up around deep structure.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
No surprises here, rockfish are of course the species on everyone’s mind. Last season November offered up one of the best if not the best bite of the year, with bird play at numerous locations ranging from the Severn clear down to the Pax on both east and west sides. Note that last season trollers enjoyed steadier action overall, and when the fish were acting finicky, downsizing to small lures helped pick up the pace. White perch present another option as they move away from the shallows and cluster in deep holes and channels. We can hold out hope some sea bass start biting on the reef sites, too, but the last two years have been a let-down in that regard so we’d say not to count on it.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Seeking stripers will surely be the number one mission in this zone of the Bay this month, too. With all waters open you can hope to find the best action in the river mouths early this month, shifting to deeper open waters of the Bay as the young-of-year bunker migrate out and form those big, beautiful schools. The Virginia tribs should still be holding some speckled trout, too, and although this year we’ve seen mostly small ones, November is usually prime time to find the gators. As it gets colder and colder remember to focus your efforts on areas where grass beds are close to deeper waters and slow down your retrieve while tossing three- or four-inch paddletails and sinking jerkbaits.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Forecast
Specks are sure to be caught this month in the Sounds and along the lower Shore, but hey people, rockfish are in! Expect the shallows to produce early in the month with the fish shifting to deeper open water as temperatures drop. Also remember that on those blustery days you can still enjoy solid action in this neck of the woods, because many of the rivers feeding the Sounds like the Wicomico, Nanticoke, and especially the Pocomoke, usually light up with red hot action on crappie, perch, pickerel, and bass this month.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
With rockfish in season plenty of anglers will be targeting them, and serious sharpies will be prowling the lighted bridges, docks, and piers while casting at night. Anglers preferring to fish in daylight should be able to pick up plenty of specks through November (the Elizabeth, Lynnhaven, Rudee, and Broad Bay were the headliners last year) with some redfish mixed in, too, particularly in Lynnhaven and Rudee. Meanwhile at the CBBT and other deepwater structure, expect the tog bite to pick up some serious steam this month. Added bonus: there’s a chance the B-I-G migratory stripers will show up by the end of November. We need it to get cold out there and many seasons they aren’t around in solid numbers until December, but get ready people… get ready.