Governor Wes Moore and Secretary Josh Kurtz promote fishing for Maryland’s invasive blue catfish during a 2024 event. Maryland DNR photo.
For the month of August, we are giving our striped bass in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay a much-needed break. Heat stress is one of the major threats to the species and that stress is exacerbated during the late summer in the Bay when high water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels are more prevalent. To protect the younger, resident population of striped bass during this time, all striped bass fishing in Maryland is off limits through Aug. 31.
A summer closure has been part of our management strategy for striped bass since 2020, although the department shifted the closure to August. The goal is to give younger resident fish the chance to grow and eventually leave the Chesapeake Bay to join the spawning stock. These efforts follow years of poor striped bass spawning success being recorded in the Bay.
Scientists are still getting a handle on how to reverse this trend. Recent research has suggested that environmental factors – warmer, drier winters and decreased spring water flow rates – contribute to this decline. We can’t control those factors, but others we can attempt to reverse.
According to our most recent striped bass stock assessment published in 2022, recreational dead discards – when a fish dies after being caught and returned to the water – accounted for 21% of total fishing-related striped bass deaths in the Bay. The remaining portions of fishing-related mortality attributed to other sectors were: 44% recreational harvest, 31% commercial harvest, and 4% commercial dead discards.
The decision to close a fishery, even temporarily, is not made lightly. As a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Maryland must remain compliant with our fellow jurisdictions in the Atlantic striped bass fishery. As a trade-off for the expanded August closure, Maryland brought back the April recreational spring catch-and-release season that had been closed for several years as a way to recognize recreational fishing for its significant economic and cultural benefits.
During the striped bass closure, DNR encourages anglers to pursue other fish instead of striped bass. August provides a huge array of fish species to target to help meet the needs of recreational anglers and businesses. In addition to our numerous native species, late summer also welcomes visiting species to the Bay, such as red drum, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish.
DNR also recommends targeting invasive blue catfish and Chesapeake Channa, also known as snakehead, which can be fished using different fishing methods than those used for striped bass. These invasive species have no bag or size limits and their harvest contributes to a healthier ecosystem in the Bay.
We are also investing in this new type of fishery. DNR recently partnered with charter boats around the state to give away 100 free charter fishing trips in August. DNR paid for the charters, and recently announced the winners. Congratulations and good fishing to those who won – hopefully the hunt for blue catfish becomes part of many Marylanders’ summertime traditions.
Josh Kurtz is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
