Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 28, 2019 Update:
Large numbers of catfish in the Potomac have been dominating the brackish water fishery, which has seen a decrease in the number of yellow and white perch being caught as their spawn begins to end. The area above Piney Point has been full of channel and blue cats that are taking cut bait, especially alwives. Some reports have come in from the Nanticoke, as well, where there is a strong blue bite from below Sharpestown. The Tackle Box reported that although the perch fishery has slowed, there are still some reports of yellows coming from Allens Creek; however, they’re mixed in with plenty of reports of guys coming home skunked. Similarly, the white perch run is slowing down as their spawn comes to a close and catching has been a mixed bag.
The Tackle Box also reported that freshwater fishing in the area has been doing particularly well. Anglers going to St. Mary’s Lake have been coming in with crappie, bass, and pickerel that are becoming more active as days warm up and become sunnier. On sunny days, the Tackle Box reported that fish have been hanging around the shallows, and keeping to the depths on cloudier, chilly days.
Those in the open Bay searching for pre-spawn stripers for catch and release action haven’t been doing great, however, there have been rumors of large (40-plus-inch) fish showing up in the southern pound nets. This matches up with the rest of the Maryland portion of the Bay, where stripers seem to be showing up slowly but in steadily increasing numbers.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 22, 2019 Update:
The yellow perch run is officially on in the lower bay, with reports coming into the Tackle Box indicating that fish are holding heavy in the tributaries and feeder creeks. Although they’ve moved up river and into their spawning patterns, reports have indicated that many fish are still holding deep in eight to 10 feet of water in some creeks. With that being said, some anglers have found success casting out a bottom rig with minnows. Off the shore, anglers have been moving around to get on a school of fish, but once you’ve found a school sticking with them has been the way to bring home dinner. The Patuxent and Potomac have both produced lively fisheries, and Allen’s Fresh has been a hotspot for local anglers. Yesterday's rainfall make have muddied up some areas and disturbed the bite, but since it's blowing like the devil today we don't expect to get an update on that situation for another day or two.
Outside the yellow perch fishery, the creeks off the Potomac have also been providing great action on crappie and for those sinking cut baits to the bottom, the channel and blue cat bite has persisted, giving anglers who want a bend in their rod some action. As usual, cut bait such as menhaden and chicken breast or livers are working well. Other anglers have been getting in on the preseason rockfish bite, which is primarily taking place in the middle region of the Bay trolling the channel and the mouths of the rivers. Some large fish are popping up but primarily they’ve been between 22 and 26 inches.
3/16/2019 Perch Run Update: Get out there and get ‘em quick, people!! Tuesday the yellow perch still had roe but today they were spawned out, and whites were visible spawning along the shoreline of the Tuckahoe from the railroad bridge up. It looks like the weather may have created conditions conducive to a rapid spawning run, so get out there fast!
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 15, 2019 Update:
PERCH ALERT: The yellow perch run has begun, folks! Much of the current info overlaps with the Middle Bay report, the pertinent info we’ll repeat here so you don’t have to click back and forth (if you already looked at the Middle Bay report, skip this paragraph to get to more Lower Bay intel). The run wasn’t yet in wide-open mode mid-week, and shoreline anglers who can’t seek out many spots weren’t doing as well as those on boats or kayaks; Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow had mobility and reported a limit catch on yellows between 10 and 12 inches made in about two and a half hours earlier this week, in the Tuckahoe. Minnow fished on shad darts very slow and low right on bottom did the trick. Grass shrimp did get a fish or two but were much less effective, as is sometimes the case when the fish haven’t yet gone into spawning mode. Pink was the best color, followed by orange or white. The key was finding a deep spot that dropped to eight feet and had structure in it. We also spoke with some kayakers who went up-river from the Hillsboro ramp, and they had experienced very slow fishing. However, water temperature was 44 to 45 degrees — and we’ve had a couple of sunny, warm days since then – so it’s quite likely that by this weekend the perch kick into high gear and for the next couple of weeks, the annual hot spots on the Eastern Shore catch on fire. We shot a how-to perch fishing video earlier this week on the Tuckahoe; tune in if you need a start-to-finish perch fishing refresher course.
Back on the western side, meanwhile, the perch are slightly behind their Eastern Shore counterparts. This may be partially due to temperature but cloudy, high water has also been an issue in some areas. Anglers probing the creeks off the Potomac (including Nanjemoy, Mattawoman, and the Wicomico) were finding some yellows, but again still mostly in deep areas slightly downstream of where they spawn, holding close to bottom. That said, if you get out in the near future don’t hesitate to prospect, as the recent warm, sunny days could trigger fast-moving changes in this fishery any day now and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the perch shift into spawning mode in a blink of the eye.
If perch aren’t your thing, another good option right now is hitting the Potomac for catfish. There have been solid bites on blue and channel catfish around the 301 bridge and from Indian Head up, for weeks now. Breton Bay has also been noted multiple times in the past few weeks, both by our friends at The Tackle Box in Lexington Park, and by readers sending in pics. Cut fish set dead on bottom, on a 10/0 circle hook, is the top choice.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 8, 2019 Update:
The lower waters of the Chesapeake have been a haven for anglers hoping to get in on this winters’ catfish bite – blues and channel cats have been abundant in both the Potomac and the Patuxent, and haven’t been particularly picky about location, aside from preferring a deep, snaggy bottom. As in past weeks, cut bait from chicken breast to menhaden has been the ticket to getting cats in the boat. Breton Bay has popped up several times in the reports as a great place to try, recently.
The yellow perch run seems to have stagnated thanks to this week’s chilly weather, with most fish in the tributaries still hiding in deeper water. As usual, minnow on a bottom rig with an ounce to an ounce and a half weight has been most productive. Any day now this fishery will bust wide-open, just as soon as the temperature clicks up a few notches. Although some anglers have been catching pre-season rockfish in the channel, Sea Hawk Sports Center could only confirm a few reports of anglers catching while trolling the Bay.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 1, 2019 Update:
Fishing from the Bay’s northern-most waters all the way to the southern-most has been objectively tough – few species are out and biting, and many anglers have struggled to locate fish in their area - with one BIG exception: those near the Potomac and Patuxent rivers are being presented with the best opportunity to enjoy a day catching on the water, as catfish are running heavy in their local waters. Channel catfish along with blues have been particularly abundant in the Potomac, where the Tackle Box reported that fish around 30 pounds have not been uncommon. They suggested heading to the Morgantown area, where anglers staying in sight of the Potomac River Bridge are doing well. Most of the river's feeder creeks are also plugged with cats. In addition, they recommended using cut alewife as bait. In previous weeks, cut chicken breast, gizzard, and cut menhaden have been good baits as well.
Aside from a consistent catfish bite, yellow perch have been in the mix for those headed onto the Potomac and Patuxent. Perch have been very deep, holding in water between 40 and 50 feet in some places, and are taking minnow on shad darts and bottom rigs. Although the runs at Allen’s Fresh and Wayson’s Corner haven’t taken off yet, head out out to test the waters after we have a few warm days which could trigger their run any time now.