Freshwater Fishing Reports
Freshwater Fishing Report, October 2 Update:
The big weather change has finally pushed freshwater fishing into a more recognizable fall pattern. Snakehead activity is beginning to wind down, bass are shifting with cooling water and declining vegetation, and trout anglers are looking ahead to improving conditions and the start of fall stocking. There is still plenty of action available but expect the fish to become increasingly focused on deeper water and remaining structure as October progresses.
Snakehead fishing may be slowing down significantly after this weekend, but the warmer temperatures later this week provided a good bite in many of the tidal tributaries. A reader checked in after fishing a trib on the Potomac and said that warm temperatures triggered the bite on in the afternoons after the Nor’Easter. While fishing topwater frogs over hydrilla and other SAV, they caught six snakehead, four largemouth bass, and missed several other bites. As temperatures continue to cool off, vegetation will begin to die off, and fish will start to relate more to fallen wood and deeper channels. Warm sunny afternoons can provide good bites during the fall, but overall, snakehead activity will start to slow down. Fishing with live minnows under a bobber can be a very effective way to catch them when water temperatures are dropping. The more subtle presentation of a live minnow is hard to resist for a hungry snakehead.
Contributor Adam Greenberg checked in and said that he has been hitting some local suburban ponds with urchin baits with great success on largemouth bass. The hot colors have been green pumpkin and black/blue. Adam also said he prefers the smaller urchin baits because they are easier to pitch into tight spots where fish are waiting to ambush prey. Contributor Eric Packard also checked in after spending a day fishing St. Mary’s Lake. In just under three hours of fishing, Packard caught seven largemouth bass, six crappie, two pickerel, and one snakehead. Water temperatures had dropped after the storm and were hovering around 65 degrees. Most of the fish he caught were in eight feet of water or deeper. The productive baits were a Yum worm, Yen urchin bait, 1/8th ounce ACC Crappie Stix Jig Head, and American Snakehead Custom froglet. As water temperatures drop, fish will slowly transition away from shorelines and hang on the edges of grass beds. The pattern that Eric found will likely be the pattern in many of the region’s lakes and reservoirs this month as vegetation starts to die off and water temperatures drop.
We checked in with Mossy Creek Fly Fishing for the latest report from the western trout zones. They report that more rain is still needed, but that the dry river and Skidmore have some good fishable runs right now. The east side of the Blue Ridge should have better conditions compared to the western slope. They expect the brook trout spawn to start within the next few weeks, so any anglers looking to target them should get out soon. That way we can let them do their thing once it gets going. The spring creeks are showing trico hatches in the early mornings with a spinner fall later in the morning. Hoppers, crickets, beetles and ants are all still on the menu. They also mentioned that Virginia DWR will start their stocking soon, so anglers should keep an eye out for stocking info over the next few weeks. Maryland DNR will also be getting ready for the fall trout stockings, so be ready for some more opportunities headed our way this month.
