Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 28 Update:
Despite the cooler temperatures this week, there is a lot of fishing action in the northern Bay right now. Anglers fishing at the Conowingo Dam have caught a variety of fish this week. There is a decent catch and release bite going on for Hickory and American shad though it is showing signs of slowing down. These fish can be found in the dam pool and in the main stem of the river. On warm days when there are good flows, hotspots include Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek. The forecasted rain today and this weekend may produce a renewed run. Small tandem rigged shad darts and silver spoons work well when targeting the shad. A few snakeheads and smallmouth bass were also caught below the dam this week.
Many anglers are anxiously awaiting the return of trophy rockfish season which will begin this Monday May first. It is important to remember that the area of the Susquehanna Flats will not open for rockfish until May 16th where there will be a slot size of 19 to 26 inches with a one fish per angler, per day limit. The waters of the upper Bay below the Brewerton Channel will open on Monday where there will be a 35-inch minimum and a one fish per angler, per day limit. Tandem rigged bucktails and parachutes spread out with planar boards is the most popular way to target the big stripers. It’s a good idea to fish baits at various depths because the fish are scattered throughout the water column. You can check the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website for a map of areas open and closed to striped bass fishing.
More white perch are being found in the lower Susquehanna and surrounding tidal rivers. Look for them in deeper holes and channels as they head downriver from their spawning areas. Bottom rigs baited with blood worms have been the top producer lately. A mix of channel and blue catfish can be found in all of the region’s tidal rivers. The blue catfish are more tolerant to higher salinities and are found in basically all tidal waters. Fresh cut bait like menhaden, mud shad, bluegill, and chicken baits all work well.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 21 Update:
The warm spring weather has greatly improved the shad fishing in the northernmost reaches of the Bay. Hickory and American shad are being caught at Deer Creek, Octoraro Creek, and in the lower Susquehanna near the Conowingo Dam. Tandem rigged shad darts and small silver spoons are the go-to lures for these catch and release anglers. One reader wrote in to let us know that they had a productive few hours below the dam, catching four American shad and twenty Hickory shad. They also noted that towards the end of his trip they slowed the outflow from the dam and the bite shut completely off.
Catfish are also a main attraction for anglers in this region of the Bay. Rising water temperatures have led to more flathead catfish being caught in the Susquehanna north of the dam, and in the outflow below the dam. Large rods and heavy weights are required to get cut bait down to where the fish hangout in the turbine wash. In the other tidal rivers like the Elk, North East, and Bohemia, channel and blue catfish are abundant and active this time of year. They are typically found in deeper holes or along channel ledges and willingly hit fresh cut bait. An increasingly popular way to fish for the blue catfish is to jig for them using soft plastics. Anglers using this method find schools of fish along ledges and either anchor or drift over them while jigging as you would for rockfish.
Reports of steady smallmouth action on the Susquehanna have been rolling in all week. Jerkbaits, soft plastics, and topwater lures have all been working well. Many anglers are reporting double digit catches during their outings with the bigger fish coming in around three pounds.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 13 Update:
Springtime offers the opportunity for fun catch and release fishing during the shad run. We had a reader fishing for shad check in from the Conowingo last weekend, who reported a slow bite catching one and seeing five others landed. He also said there were so many people taking eagle pics that it was tough to find a good fishing spot. That catch was similar to many reports from the weekend, so the drop in temps after last week’s significant warmup slowed things down temporarily in some areas, but now we’re on the rebound. We did receive a report from late this week from an angler targeting shad in Deer Creek who reported catching over 50 shad, mostly hickory but a few American as well. Shad darts and small flashy spoons and colorful flies are good lures to use, and they are often rigged in tandem.
Smallmouth fishing on the Susquehanna has been great as of recently with some anglers regarding it as “on fire.” Multiple reports of boats catching over 50 fish came this week with one reporting 77 smallmouth and one walleye over a five-hour stretch. One kayak angler caught 11 smallies over three pounds and plenty of smaller fish in a two-and-a-half-mile section of the river, though they wouldn’t give up the exact portion of the river. Most of his fish were caught on a six-inch magdraft.
Catfish are abundant and providing steady action in the Susquehanna River, on the Flats, and in tidal waters. Blue cats can be found in just about any tidal body of water and will take a variety of baits. Fresh cut baitfish like alewife or mud shad are usually the best to use but they can be caught on chicken baits as well. White perch should be making their way into the lower Susquehanna if they haven’t moved in already. Bloodworms or grass shrimp on bottom rigs is a popular way to fish for them. As the water temperatures rise, this fishery should become a good option for anglers in the area.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 7 Update:
The striped bass are making their way to the spawning grounds in the Susquehanna River and on the Flats but targeting them is now off limits in Maryland waters. While the rockfish are left to spawn, anglers can turn their attention to the abundant amount of catfish in the upper Baya areas. Blue cats are just about everywhere while channel catfish are more concentrated in the tidal rivers. The blue cats are an invasive species and every year we see bigger fish and an increasing population throughout the Bay. We have even seen pictures of blue cats filled with perch in their stomachs, so removing them from the waterways is a good way to help native species. They are great eating fish and can provide plenty of meat for a fish fry. Any variety of cut bait works well for the cats and adding scents or flavors to your bait can help attract them.
Sarge’s Bait and Tackle said they are starting to get a few reports of anglers targeting the spring shad run. Hickory and American shad are arriving in the Susquehanna and staging in deeper holes. They can also be found on the Elk River in Big Elk Creek. These fish can provide fun catch-and-release opportunities on light tackle gear and a variety of small spoons, shad darts, and jigs are popular options for the shad. White perch are still being caught in the upper Bay rivers but their spawning run is slowing down. Anglers will soon start to find these fish moving down river towards their typical summer habitats. Bottom rigs paired with bloodworms or grass shrimp have been working best.
Smallmouth bass fishermen on the Susquehanna and other rivers are finding hungry fish this week. One angler fishing the Monocacy River earlier in the week and ended up with 25 smallies and a bonus largemouth. He said the fish were biting everything he threw at them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and ned rigs all caught fish. Most of the fish were medium sized but the biggest was a 20 incher that weighed just under four pounds. Anglers in the Susquehanna are also finding jerkbaits to be the one of the top producing baits this week.