Post-nor'easter window opens for Bay blues and sea bass

What's biting

What's next

Water temperature is the number to watch as the Bay cools through October, and the fall run typically builds with it. The DE/MD/Chesapeake report from The Fisherman says the first week of October looks much better, but beach erosion has reshaped the bottom, so expect a learning curve on the first trips out.

Use the predicted tides: high at 2:29 AM EDT and low at 8:23 AM EDT. Blues were caught on incoming water, so the flood after that morning low is the window to fish first. If the trend holds through the week, expect the bite to firm up as the water settles and clears from the storm.

Context

Early October sits in the back half of the fall run on the Mid-Atlantic coast, when baitfish start moving and bluefish and bass begin to school. Big blows stir up sand and debris, so expect water color to take several days to clear after this nor'easter, which is typical for this stretch of the season. Up the coast, The Fisherman (Northeast) reports the first 50-inch-plus striped bass of the fall along the north coast, a sign the migration is underway.