Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 3 Update:
The catfish are biting, and we heard reports of success this week from both the Susquehanna near Port Deposit and from the North East River. Some of the Port Deposit fish were true monsters, and while we didn’t hear a quoted weight, the fish looked to be 40-plus pounds from the pics. The Conowingo Dam is still running a limited power generating schedule, which means that the flow below the dam has been minimal. The slower moving water has made for good conditions to target blue catfish near the dam. When there are several gates open, the faster moving water often drags weights and snags lines in the rocky bottom. Lower flows make bait fishing more effective, and the big blues have been active just below the dam. Anglers casting lures up to the turbine wash are catching some striped bass, smallmouth bass, and the occasional walleye. Stripers are one of the most sought-after fish at the dam. It usually takes a large surf rod and a heavy weight to cast close to the dam where the fish usually hang.
Striped bass fishing on the Susquehanna Flats has been very spotty lately. The few fish that are being caught are coming from the edges of the flats. The aquatic grasses are starting to break up, so anglers may be dealing with floating grass over the coming weeks. Once the grass dies off, fishing around shoreline points and drop offs should offer better opportunities for stripers. We did have a report from a reader who caught a 23” slot fish on the south end of the flats this week. The striped bass bite has been much better in the waters south of the Susquehanna Flats, especially in the waters around Pooles Island. As water temperatures continue to drop, baitfish will start to move out of the creeks and tidal rivers. This is when striped bass will school up near ledges and other bottom structure. The mouths of the tidal rivers tend to be good places to search for stripers during the month of October.