Freshwater Fishing Reports

Freshwater Fishing Report, May 2 Update:

The weather has been more stable and is offering some beautiful spring days to get out and fish. Contributor Eric Packard says bass have been hitting in local ponds, with wacky worms producing the best bite. Packard also got out late in the week and said bass were eager to hit topwater lures on local southern Maryland ponds. A white whopper plopper produced several bites. We also had another reader send in this pic of a magnificent smallie, caught on a green pumpkinseed stickworm in the Shenandoah. FishTalk Contributor Adam Greenberg checked in after doing some pond hopping and said he scored some bass and bluegill. Interestingly, though, he did not get a bite on any traditional bass lures, including topwater frogs, Texas-rigged worms, craws, and jigs. He switched to throwing micro jigs for bluegill and caught plenty, but was surprised to find bass inhaling the tiny jig. It made sense once he looked at the bank and saw the shallows peppered with bluegill fry. Classis situation of match the hatch.

Snakeheads seem to be waking up in multiple areas. We had reports of success from both the west and east sides, and Apex Predators on Potomac Creek sent in several pics of nice catches their clients made on the Potomac. Potomac River tributaries on both the Maryland and Virginia sides have been fishing well this spring as an abundance of emerging grass flats and SAV are providing prime habitat for pre-spawn snakehead fishing. Topwater frogs are working very well right now and anglers are reporting that hydrilla fields have been holding a lot of snakeheads, and some bass too. Further up the bigger freshwater rivers, smallmouth action is heating up. Mossy Creek Fly Fishing reports that they are in full spawn mode right now with most fish already dropping their eggs. Males can be seen guarding the eggs and small fry, and they expect to see males on nests for the next two weeks. Residual spawning should continue through the middle of the month. Mossy Creek also says that musky are spawning, which can make it tricky to get bites. The fishing should improve during the later part of May.