Way North Fishing Reports
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 2 Update:
Summer fishing patterns have taken hold in the Way North region, with striped bass feeding primarily during low-light periods and deeper water as temperatures climb into the 80s. Largemouth bass fishing on the Susquehanna Flats has been excellent around healthy grass beds, while snakehead fry balls are creating outstanding sight-fishing opportunities throughout the tidal marshes. Blue catfish are also feeding more consistently now that their spawning season has wrapped up.
The largemouth bass bite on the Susquehanna Flats has been very good lately. The grass is looking good this year and is spread across a vast area of the flats. On a high tide, throwing chatterbaits and retrieving them just above the submerged grass is a great tactic for producing bites. On low tides, the grass will likely be matted on the surface, so weedless soft plastics and jigs will be needed to keep grass off your hook. We have heard of a few big fish being caught on the Flats this week, including a few five-pounders and one six-pounder. Snakehead are spawning, and fry balls are starting to show up in marshy areas of tidal tributaries. The best areas for catching snakehead in the Way North zone of the Bay are the marshes around the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Bohemia River, Elk River, and the lower Susquehanna River near the Conowingo Dam and feeder creeks. On bright sunny days, sight fishing snakehead along marsh edges can be productive. Fry balls can also give away the location of snakehead. It looks like an area of small bubbles boiling at the surface. Parent snakehead are usually close by guarding the fry.
The heat wave has brought water temperatures into the low to mid 80s in the Way North waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Striped bass fishing will be best in low light hours in the mornings and evenings. If you can only fish during the midday hours, the Conowingo Dam, or the rocky areas just below the dam with higher flows will be the better areas to catch them. Other productive zones have been the mouth of the Susquehanna River in depths of 10’ to 15’. Rip-rap shorelines channel edges have also been holding some fish. Stripers are particularly vulnerable to the hot temperatures, which can stress them and cause die-off from catch and release fishing. If you plan on catching and releasing stripers, it is best to keep them in the water if possible. Blue catfish are another reliable fishery in this region. Anglers have been catching them on the Susquehanna River at the Conowingo Dam pool, near Port Deposit, and at the mouths of the tidal rivers including the North East and Elk. The spawn is wrapped up, so the bigger fish should be back in the mix feeding on a variety of cut bait.
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