Maryland's Chesapeake Bay spring striped bass season opens on Saturday, April 19, with a one fish per person per day limit and a minimum size of 28 inches through May 15 (Detailed regulations are available online.)
Water temperatures play a key role in affecting the movements of striped bass--rockfish--around the Chesapeake Bay. Here's a look at water temperatures from the past four winters. Each graph tracks water temperature from November 1 through March 31. The red line indicates 40 degrees. Anglers may remember that some springs were better than others--did that correlate with warmer or colder winter water temperatures?
Water temperatures at the Annapolis CBIBS buoy were quite chilly this winter. Of note in the graph below--which shows water temperatures there from November 1, 2013, through April 18, 2014--is where there is data missing--that is when the water-quality sensor, which includes water temperature, was removed to avoid damage from ice. Will colder waters mean a better spring season? Time will tell!
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