The Chesapeake Bay, with more than two thousand miles of shoreline, is the largest estuary in the world. Despite its size, it is basically a shallow body of water. There are deep spots (some greater than 90 feet deep) but there are lots of spots where shallow-water anglers can enjoy world-class angling.

Let's divide this big bay into three distinct sections. The upper Bay includes the waters from Susquehanna Flats to the Bay Bridge. Middle Bay runs from the Bay Bridge south to the Honga River on the east and Solomons at the mouth of the Patuxent on the west. Finally, the lower Bay includes Crisfield on the east and Point Lookout at the mouth of the Potomac on the west including Tangier Sound, to the mouth of the Bay.

As is the case on most big inshore bodies of water, angling is seasonal.

Fall is here, and so happens to be the best time to fish. Cooling waters trigger increased feeding activity, so many anglers focus on breaking schools of stripers because it's visual, lots of fun, and quite productive. In early September, surface breaking schools of striped bass are commonplace in early morning and from midafternoon to dusk. Twelve- to 20-inchers are the norm, but larger fish are possible. Small glass minnows, or bay anchovies are the predominant bait at this time, so small lures or flies work best.

Try crank baits such as a 1/4-ounce Rat-L-Trap, a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow or a similar "slim minnow" floater diver. Small spoons like Sting Silvers or Hopkins Shorties are always good. Soft plastics of all kinds are excellent choices, but a Bass Assassin with a 1/4-ounce head is my favorite. When blues mix with the stripers, tie on a 4-inch wire bite tippet. And then forget about soft plastics! Since many breaking stripers are sub-legal in size, I flatten the barbs on my hooks. For the fly rodder, small white poppers are tops, and a 2/0 Clouser Minnow or Deceiver with plenty of flash delivers subsurface strikes.

Some of the best fall spots to try along the western shore in the upper Bay include Abbey Point at the mouth of Bush River where an outgoing tide is best. Pooles Island, off the mouth of the Gunpowder River, has lots of underwater structure and is quite shallow well out from shore, so be especially careful here. The confluence of the Seneca, Dundee and Gunpowder rivers is productive, and one of the few spots where one can wade.

On the eastern shore, try Worton Point at the mouth of Worton Creek. Lots of fish-holding structure here, including old duck blinds and rotting piers. Fairlee Creek is a hotspot on the upper eastern shore. Baitfish pour out of the mouth on an outgoing tide. Finally, Bloody Point and the mouth of the Chester River has a big tidal rip and is favored by local light-tackle guides.

Anglers fishing the middle Bay should try Bay Bridge. The waters around the bridge pilings to the north and toward the eastern side are almost always productive. The western shore has spots with significant tidal rips, and all can hold breaking stripers. Try Hackets Point, just below the Bay Bridge, near the mouth of Whitehall Creek, Tolly Point at the mouth of the Severn River.

In southernmost mid Bay, the Solomons area at the mouth of the Patuxent River is a top spot on the western shore. Just south of Solomons is a series of targets used by the Navy, and a favorite spot for breaking fish in the fall. Along the eastern shore, Kent Narrows is a narrow cut that joins the Chester River with Eastern Bay. The shoreline nearest the Bay in the Narrows proper is usually the best spot, but difficult to fish. The water against the shoreline is considerably deeper than the water between it and the channel, and grounding is a possibility.

Eastern Bay has schools of breaking stripers and sometimes bluefish in early fall. Cruise along and look for working gulls, but if you can't find surface-feeding fish, don't despair. You can blind cast around the points, lumps and tide rips for both stripers and seatrout. Poplar Island, at the mouth of Eastern Bay, has lots of structure providing good fish habitat, but spoil dredging to restore the island to its original size may have had an adverse effect.

For many years, Tilghman Island and the mouth of the Choptank have been fall hotspots. Again, breaking fish offer the best possibilities, and the points at both the north and south ends of the Choptank are usually prime locations. In addition, schools of rampaging Spanish mackerel pass through. If you find these toothy guys, break out your small spoons and retrieve as fast as you can because Spanish like their food "on the fly." Seatrout may be near the bottom under schools of other surface-feeding species.