It didn't take anglers long to discover that if they established a chum slick uptide of the structure, they could eventually entice bass from fairly long distances, stripers that normally did not stray more than a few yards from the platform's concrete pilings. While most of the stripers lured into these chum slicks measure less than the 18-inch minimum size limit, a few creative anglers found a way to entice larger stripers as well.

Their technique involves fishing in the Patuxent River's confines before heading to the open waters of the bay. Using small bottom rigs, they baited small hooks with a morsel of bloodworm and drift-fished the river's channel edges in depths of 12 to 20 feet. Their catch here will consist mainly of 6-inch spots, similar size white perch and small croakers, all of which are carefully placed in a circular livewell. These fish are then transported to the open bay, rigged to heavy boat rods with the aid of 10/0 circle hooks and carefully lowered overboard into the chum slicks.

One- to 4-ounce sinkers are used to get their offerings down to the correct depth. When a hit occurs, the angler simply waits a few seconds until the circle hook turns and sets up in the striper's jaw. Most of the stripers caught using this technique measure 26 to 38 inches, but a few 30-pounders are weighed in at local tackle shops each season, too. The only time this technique is ineffective is when schools of bluefish invade the bay and devour the baitfish as soon as they hit the water.

Most of the stripers here are nearly identical in size, but there is always the exceptional fish, one that dwarfs those 18-inchers ripping through the chum slicks. This time of year, however, big stripers rarely travel in large schools. Small pods of two or three large fish often move into the chum slick, gulp down a few smaller fish such as croakers or spots, and then move off unnoticed. This is where a live spot drifted in the chum line can be quite effective. To a large, hungry rockfish, this is a steak dinner just waiting to be eaten.

As the tidal currents rip through the inlet, the turbulent waters contain large quantities of plankton and other microscopic animals from the adjacent back bay, thereby causing the smaller fish to feast on anything smaller than themselves. The same holds true for marauding schools of stripers, which, in turn, feed on the scavenging baitfish. Most of the stripers caught from the inlet last summer ranged from 24 to 38 inches. Yes, some were throwbacks, measuring less than 28 inches, but there were sufficient numbers of larger fish to make the effort worthwhile.

If you want to get away from the tourists and traffic jams, the waters beneath the U.S. Route 50 bridge to Ocean City's southern end is where some of the best striper fishing takes place. The beauty of fishing here is you don't need a boat to get in on the action.

While there are a few fish taken during the day, the majority of the larger stripers, those measuring 32 to 40 inches, are frequently caught between 9 p.m. and midnight, especially during a strong ebb tide. Everything from plugs to live eels is effective, and this time of night there is never a crowd to contend with. While anglers are permitted to catch and keep two fish measuring 28 inches or larger, most anglers are happy to keep just one fish of this size and release any subsequently caught striper to fight another night.

Listing every striped bass hotspot in Chesapeake Bay and along Maryland's coast would require an entire book, and there have been several written on the subject. We've only listed a few of the more productive locations that have consistently provided good to excellent catches over the past decade.