What are we catching?

Depending on the time of year, the Chesapeake Bay offers exciting trophy fishing for a variety of species.

A smiling man in sunglasses and a baseball cap holding a large fish on a boat in the ocean with a shoreline and trees in the background.

January - MARCH

The largest Striped Bass, also known as Rockfish, in the world are holding in the Chesapeake Bay, bulking up on food and staging for the spawn. This time of year provides an excellent opportunity for almost exclusively catching fish between 40-52”. Various techniques are used, including open water jigging, bait ball fishing, and likely some shallow-water stealth fishing.

Striped Bass
A man wearing camouflage jacket, dark pants, sunglasses, and a cap is standing on a boat holding a large fish. The background shows open water and a blue sky with thin clouds.

APRIL - MAY

The early spring provides opportunities for trophy Rockfish in the middle Bay. However, most days of this run will be greeting the Bull Red Drum in shallow Virginia waters as they enter the Bay. This is one of Captain Drew’s favorite times of the year – casting into football fields of 40”+ Reds loafing on the surface. If the surface bite is uncooperative, we will use the Last Drift’s Humminbird electronics to locate these large schools of migratory fish in the shallows. The pull of a big red in four feet of water is something that truly must be experienced.

Striped Bass
Man wearing sunglasses and a cap holding a large fish on a boat in a lake. 
Rockfish & Speckled Trout

JUNE

In June, we will target rockfish and speckled trout in the middle Bay. This is exciting shallow-water fishing with lots of topwater and casting small baits around scenic shorelines.

Two men on a boat holding large fish they caught, with blue sky and horizon in the background.

Back to the big redfish! The Bull Red Drums have made their way into Maryland waters. Heavy on electronics and covering water, this fishery is where the Last Drift separates herself with the ability to comb through lots of water very quickly to locate the large schools of reds. Cobia also show up and, on the right days, provide sightfishing opportunities or jigging. The bluefish also never let you down on these trips and provide exciting topwater bites and lots of fight.

Red Drum

JULY - SEPTember

A man on a boat holding a large fish, smiling at the camera, with water and trees in the background.

Depending on temperatures,  the Striped Bass are often still holding in shallow water, providing topwater and casting opportunities in October. Eventually, they will follow the bait out of the rivers as temperatures drop and provide action-packed feeds under working birds. The fish get slightly more predictable and can be located with radar, sidescan, or just the seeing eye as birds crash into the Bay.

Striped Bass

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER