Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 29 Update:
Naturally everyone’s awaiting the rockfish opener on Sunday, but since there has been zero pre-fishing, we have zero intel on any hot zones to head for. That said, we talked to several angers who fished for catfish in the past week in the Upper Bay, and only one of them said they accidentally caught a (mid-20s) rockfish. We also spoke with one who did a shakedown cruise and decided to take a peek with his electronics, but in the Love Point area didn’t see much bait nor big marks.
Many of those looking to get a bend in the rod have been dropping cut fish or chicken livers to the bottom and tugging against the catfish, which are not in short supply by any measure. A reader fishing with “old freezer-burned menhaden” reported catching a half-dozen up to 15 pounds near Heart-Miller, and we heard from folks who enjoyed catty success in the Patapsco, Bodkin Creek, and the Chester. Sandy Point has been noted yet again as a good spot for shoreline anglers.
We have a Monster Snakehead Alert in from Bowley's Bait and Tackle: Rick Lumpkin weighed in a 33.5-inch, 13 pound eight ounce dragon at Bowley's Bait and Tackle this week, that he caught on Frog Mortar Creek near Wilson Point this week. Congrats Rick, that is a monster!
Perch fishing has remained a bit tougher than usual. With the runs now done Angler’s is reporting that perch can now be found out in the rivers, including the Magothy. We spoke with one angler who hit some open Bay oyster bars and tried dropping bloodworms to the bottom; he confirmed that the perch must still be up in the rivers because he didn’t get so much as a nibble.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 22 Update:
Catfish and white perch remain steady favorites to fish for on the Upper Bay as anglers gear up for the return of striper season. Angler’s let us know that white perch are biting in the middle-to-lower reaches of the tribs, primarily on bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs. The bite remains alright, with many anglers, particularly on the Western Shore, reporting slimmer perch-findings than in previous years. Still, Alltackle did mention that they had some anglers who fished the Choptank with success, bringing in a great stringer. With water conditions and temps in flux, we’re hoping things will even out as spring moves along!
Otherwise, blue cats are stealing the show. They’re the primary source of action for anglers who’re looking to put some bend in their rod, or just fish from shore. They’ve been very accessible from boat and shorelines, with Alltackle mentioning good catches reported from the Sandy Point State Park area and various locations along the Chester. Most anglers are opting to use cut bait for them. Fresh menhaden, chicken livers, or clam snouts are all great things to have on the end of your line if you’re looking to bring in a big blue cat.
Angler’s also reported that they’ve had some monster snakehead brought in throughout their 2022 Monster Snakehead Hunt, though by all accounts the cooling weather has slowed the bite for that species recently. One angler fishing outside the tournament also brought in a snake weighing in at 15.8 lbs. Snakehead Angler Alert: Remember that at 4:00 tomorrow (Saturday) FishTalk Contributor Eric Packard will be giving a seminar on how to catch snakeheads at the Bay Bridge Boat Show! The seminar will be at the Fishing Pavilion located near the food court, and Packard will hang around for a happy hour meet-and-greet afterwards. AIC Lenny Rudow will be on at 4:00 today (to talk about jigging for rockfish) and Sunday (when the topic will be alternate species in the Bay, like specks and reds).
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 15 Update:
Anglers on the Upper Bay this week were appreciating some incredible blue catfish catches. With striped bass fishing shut down for catch-and-release, chasing them has become common for those who’re eager to score some bigger fish after the winter. And luckily, they’re available from most shorelines you can (legally) make your way to and waters you can traverse. We had wicked good reports from the shoreline of the Chester, including one angler who checked in with over eight cats north of 16-inches and reaching into the upper-twenties. Another reported a 30-incher from shore and some even bigger ones are showing up in the open Bay. The blue cats aren’t especially picky, but fresh, juicy bait is a game-upper. Cut menhaden, chicken liver, and clam snout soaked on the bottom are working well.
Perch are further up the rivers, with Angler’s reporting that those who fished for them on warm days this week were enjoying some pretty decent caches. While they aren’t around in great numbers, the bite has picked up over the past few weeks in post-spawn downstream areas and should continue to as the Chesapeake warms. Anglers fishing for white perch with bloodworm or grass shrimp tipped bottom rigs or shad darts are getting hits. We also had one report of good pickerel action from the Magothy this week, and a couple of anglers reported catching a snakehead here and there.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 7 Update:
Although some blow-out tides and windy weather kept anglers off the water for parts of this week, those who were able to venture out returned with varied reports. But generally, the fishing has been pretty slow. White perch have had an undeniably weird season. Fishbones and Tochterman’s both let us know that they aren’t really biting well on the Western Shore, and there’s a little more action on the Bay’s eastern side. Mostly, the perch are in the creeks and taking bloodworms or live minnows and grass shrimp. Meanwhile, the yellow perch bite is almost wholly over… and snakehead are beginning to bite again. Tochterman’s reminded us that the snakes favor live minnows to artificial baits this early in the season before the warm weather activates them a bit more, and reported that anglers using minnows this week were getting some.
The hickory shad are running full steam ahead in the upriver areas that normally get a run on both Eastern and Western Shores. We may be seeing peak action in southern tribs right about now, with multiple angler reports coming in of catches (well) over a dozen in a matter of a couple of hours, while reports from the Susquehanna area are just starting to come in. As usual tandem rigs tied with a spoon on the bottom and a shad dart up top are the hot offering. In the past week we heard from various sources and readers of multiple dart colors proving effective, and gold, chartreuse, and silver spoons doing the trick. Remember, these fish can change their color preference from day to day so go armed with several choices and swap ‘em out until you find the hot choice of the moment. Note: we did hear from one reader on Wednesday that there was high, muddy water at Fletcher’s and he only caught a single fish; hopefully the effects of the heavy recent rains won’t last long.
At the river mouths, the bite is dominated by anglers fishing for blue cats. With striped bass shut down they’re the primary target for anglers hoping to catch larger fish right now. Fishbone’s reported that there’s a good bite for them at the mouth of the Magothy and in Bodkin Creek, with fresh-cut and frozen alewife being the best baits. BLUE CAT ANGLER ALERT: Don’t forget to sign up for the FREE CCA-MD Invasives Species Count. Just take a pic of the blue cats you catch, upload them on iAngler, and you’ll be entered to win uber-cool angling prizes!! (Plus, fisheries scientists will then get access to the population data you help to accumulate).
The Magothy and Severn were also reported as top spots to pickerel fish— pickerel have remained active in the Western shore tribs.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 1 Update:
Many anglers this week headed to their local tribs on the hunt for white perch, which are now being caught post-spawn. Anglers who fished for them were able to find whites in deep holes and pockets of the tributaries, with Alltackle in Annapolis reporting that some boats hitting the Severn and Magothy managed good numbers. However, a large portion of white perch reported this year are on the smaller side. Most people reported average sizes of seven to nine inches, with a few straying upwards. Nonetheless, anglers using shad darts and other small jigs tipped with minnows or grass shrimp have been finding fair numbers of perch on weather-permitting days. Bloodworms on a bottom rig have also been a favored option. Angler’s Sport Center has noted that Beechwood has produced some fish as well. On the Eastern Shore, the same gear is working, but numbers and sizes of perch are regularly better. The Chester and many of the regular hotspots on the Choptank were good this week.
Many anglers are also focusing on the shad run, which has started up pretty much everywhere from Baltimore south, but took a slowdown this week with the chilly weather. (See the Freshwater report for a full rundown on the shad). Catfish are another favored target species in the Upper Bay right now, and should continue to be throughout the month. Striper fishing closed for catch-and-release today, and until it resumes catfish will be one of few fish and the only large species anglers will have their shot at targeting in local haunts and on the open Bay. They’ve been biting and ranging from the size of a ballpark hotdog to upwards of 35 or 40 inches on exceptional days. Alltackle and Angler’s let us know that anglers who fished around the Bay Bridge and from Sandy Point State Park reported landing blues and channel cats on cut bait this week.
In other news, crabbing season officially opens today in Maryland. We don’t expect to see them on trot lines for a while, but in the meantime the potters will go to work and soon there won’t be any stopping us from getting out there and crabbing, crabbing, crabbing our weekends away.