Chesapeake Bay cheat sheet
Every fish, the two-state licence and the striped-bass slot, the three rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Chesapeake Bay
Spring is the run (Maryland catch-and-release in April). Summer is the slot-fishery and the lower-bay cobia and red drum. Autumn (Oct–Nov) is the prime striped-bass window.
Licence
Maryland (upper bay) or Virginia (lower bay). MD non-resident Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing about $22.50/year or $6 for 7 days; VA non-resident saltwater about $25/year or $10 for a 10-day temporary (2026). A charter covers everyone aboard. The other state's free Saltwater Angler Registration lets you cross the line.
Striped bass (2026)
One fish a day, 19–24 inches (about 48–61 cm); in Maryland, from 16 May any fish over 31 inches must be released. Maryland is catch-and-release in April, August is closed. Confirm the current slot and season with MD DNR / VMRC every year.
Other limits (lower bay, 2026)
Cobia 43-inch minimum, 1/angler, 15 Jun–20 Sep; red drum 18–26-inch slot, 3/day. Release oversized fish, handle in the water, follow the consumption advisories.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From a charter / boat | From the bank or a pier | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass (rockfish) | The main way: troll to find them, then jig the school | Possible at the Bridge-Tunnel, piers and points on a moving tide | Spring and autumn runs; dawn, dusk and a moving tide | Trolling rig, jigging rig, or inshore bait rig |
| Bluefish | Yes, on the same spread and jigs | Yes, into a surface blitz | Warm months; run to a blitz | Trolling rig or jigging rig (heavier bite leader) |
| White perch, spot, croaker | Yes, over hard bottom | Yes, the classic pier and bank fish | Summer; a moving tide | Inshore bait rig (scaled down) |
| Cobia | The lower-bay charter speciality, sight-cast or bait | Hard from shore | Summer (15 Jun to 20 Sep 2026) | Inshore bait rig or a heavy jigging rig |
| Red drum | Yes, lower-bay shoals and the CBBT | Possible at the CBBT and the bay-mouth surf | Summer into autumn | Inshore bait rig or jigging rig |
First trip: book a charter and let the captain find the fish. Fish a moving tide for everything.
The rigs
The bay spread: spoons and umbrella rigs towed along a channel edge or shoal to find a school
Palomar · improved clinch for a mono leaderBraid → FG knot → fluoro leader → bucktail (white/chartreuse) + soft-plastic trailer, dropped or cast to the school
FG knot (braid to leader) · Palomar (jig)Braid → FG knot → fluoro leader → fish-finder slider → swivel → leader → circle hook + chunk/cut bait or live spot
FG knot · Palomar (swivel) · snell (in-line bait hook)What you need
One medium outfit and one small box of jigs, sinkers and circle hooks build the jigging and bait rigs. A charter supplies the trolling spread.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| FG knot | Braid main line to a fluorocarbon leader, slim and strong through the guides. | Jigging rig, inshore bait rig |
| Palomar | Hook, swivel, jig, ring; the workhorse. | Every rig |
| Snell knot | An in-line bait hook on the bottom rig. | Inshore bait rig |
Learn the FG knot for the braid-to-leader join and the Palomar for everything else. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.