Spring Striped Bass Charters in the Chesapeake Bay
Spring and summer are some of the best times of the year for light tackle striped bass fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. As water temperatures warm up, baitfish move shallow, and hungry rockfish follow right behind them. From April through October, our trips focus on targeting striped bass along shallow-water structure throughout the Chesapeake Beach, Annapolis, and Solomons areas of Maryland.
If you’re looking for hands-on, action-packed light tackle fishing, this is it.
Light Tackle Jigging for Chesapeake Bay Rockfish
Our style of fishing is built around light tackle jigging and casting artificial lures to actively feeding striped bass. Instead of trolling heavy gear all day, we fish structure where rockfish ambush bait and stay aggressive during changing tides and low-light conditions.
Some of our favorite areas to target include:
Rock piles
Eroded shorelines
Sod banks
Fallen trees and laydowns
Stump fields
Natural points and current breaks
Fishing shallow structure on light tackle makes every fish feel bigger, and it’s one of the most exciting ways to target Chesapeake Bay striped bass.
What Gear Do We Use?
We use medium-power spinning rods paired with 2500–3000 size reels to keep things light, sensitive, and fun while still having enough backbone to handle bigger fish.
Most days we’re throwing:
3–5” soft plastic paddle tails
¼ to ¾ oz jig heads
Topwater lures like spooks and poppers
Jerkbaits and twitch baits
Topwater bites during calm mornings and evenings are hard to beat, especially when striped bass are feeding aggressively around shallow structure.
Best Time for Striped Bass Fishing
Striped bass feed most actively around sunrise and sunset, so we schedule our trips to take advantage of those peak feeding windows.
Morning trips typically begin at first light, while afternoon trips fish into sunset when conditions are right. Low-light periods consistently produce some of the best light tackle rockfish action of the season.
Where Do We Fish?
Launch locations vary depending on weather, tides, and current fishing conditions, but we primarily fish the Chesapeake Beach, Annapolis, and Solomons areas of Maryland.
These locations give us quick access to productive striped bass water while still being an easy drive from the DC and surrounding metro areas.
Whether you’re an experienced angler or just want to experience Chesapeake Bay rockfish fishing for the first time, our light tackle charters are designed to keep you actively fishing and on quality striped bass throughout the season.
If you’re ready to experience light tackle jigging for Chesapeake Bay striped bass, now is the time to book your trip. Prime spring and summer dates fill quickly once the bite gets going.