UTERMahi-mahi fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, mahi-mahi peak July–September and are around June–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. August: Mahi under weedlines and lobster-pot floats toward the Norfolk Canyon.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Mahi-mahi in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneArriving
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeakMahi under weedlines and lobster-pot floats toward the Norfolk Canyon.
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish mahi-mahi near Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons
The biggest estuary in the country: 200 miles of brackish bay fed by the Susquehanna, Potomac, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke, Rappahannock and James, with oyster bars, channel edges and lumps in the main stem, marsh islands down Tangier Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's pilings and islands at the mouth. Salinity climbs from fresh at the Flats to ocean at Cape Henry.
Fish Scouter charts 850 wreck, 42 artificial reef spots in the The Chesapeake map area — the kinds mahi-mahi hold on.
What to use for mahi-mahi
- BallyhooRigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 72–88°F water, best at 76–84°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch mahi-mahi in Chesapeake Bay?
Peak season is July–September. Mahi-mahi are in Chesapeake Bay June–October. August: Mahi under weedlines and lobster-pot floats toward the Norfolk Canyon.
Where do mahi-mahi hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on wreck, artificial reef — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for mahi-mahi in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: ballyhoo, pilchards (whitebait), blue runners (hardtails). Ballyhoo: Rigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores mahi-mahi for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
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All about mahi-mahi · The Chesapeake, the whole year