Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report 3/30/2018 Update:
Schoolie-sized rockfish are finally starting to be caught with regularity, primarily in the Severn and Magothy, as well as along channel edges in the Bay. Tochtermans has had report of trollers getting in on the pre-season catch and release fishery out in the open Bay with great success. The water is finally starting to warm up, with most open-water areas in the low to mid 40's and tributaries a degree or two higher, and with the coming warmer weather we're looking for rockfish to become more active and begin to go into spawning mode in the next few weeks. The Baltimore-area warm water discharges are still a good bet for anglers casting jigs and kayakers trolling plugs.
Meanwhile, white perch fishing has stayed consistently good, with Fishbone's reporting that shad darts are still the go-to, as well as grass shrimp and bloodworms when you can find them. The Magothy has been mentioned as a decent option, the Chester above the 301 bridge, and Red Bridges. Small two-inch tubes in green and blue fished on 1/8th ounce jigheads have also been effective. Yellow perch have become a bit harder to locate, as their spawning is complete.
We heard from a reader who scouted Deer Creek, but didn't find any willing shad just yet. The water is still on the chilly side for these fish, which should begin running for real as water temps hit the mid and upper 50's, so stay tuned - in the next week or two, this report is sure to change!
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report 3/23/2018 Update:
Poor weather has made it near impossible to get out on the water, however anglers who did head out on tributaries sheltered from the wind had enjoyed some great perch fishing on the Magothy and Severn prior to the storm event, according to Tochtermans. Perch are still taking bloodworm and grass shrimp. Clyde's and Angler's both fingered minnow and grass shrimp fished on bottom rigs or under a bobber as top choices. In the next few weeks we're looking forward to warmer weather bringing us the start of rockfish season, so we'll have some real action to tell you about.
The impact of the recent storm remains impossible to calculate as of yet, but water temperatures in the open Bay have dropped back to around 41- to 42-degrees in most areas. Pre-season trollers had begun encountering some nice fish just before the storm but they may go into lockjaw mode until the temps bounce back a degree or three. We have no reports of anyone probing the main-stem Bay since the ugly white stuff fell out of the sky. We are heartened, however, by the effort to clean out the garbage that had collected behind Conowingo dam and applaud Exelon for getting this stuff out of the water before it flows down and clogs the upper Bay with debris.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report 3/16/2018 Update:
Although the weather has certainly made fishing difficult the past week, we hope you can get out on the water to enjoy some of the killer perch fishing that's been happening around Beechwood park and in the Magothy's northernmost creeks. Fishbone's has had some stellar reports coming out of these areas, as has Clyde's Sport Shop, with shad dart and feather jigs tipped with grass shrimp or minnow bringing in great numbers of perch as well as some catfish in the mix. We also spoke to Tochtermans about the pickerel run that's been going on in the Severn, which they only expect to pick up as the weather becomes less hostile, allowing for better water conditions. They recommended using shiny spoons and chatter or jerk baits, which tend to catch the fishes attention, especially in the murky waters the wind has stirred up.
In the open Bay catch-and-release anglers have been encountering a few small stripers around the Bay Bridge, although recently the wind has made getting there a real challenge. There have also been reports of stripers in the mouth of the Chester already. On-again, off-again success on larger fish, some up to 40-inches, has been found by casting jigs and slow-trolling plugs at the Baltimore area warm water discharges. Better reports came from the hospital this week, but that's likely because the water is more protected then Brandon Shores. Remember that anyone catching stripers right now needs to crimp down the barbs on their hooks and we'd strongly recommend trading the trebles on plugs for single hooks. Anyone planning to target stripers in the near future should also check out the DNR map of legal fishing areas.
Many Upper Bay area anglers are still heading to the Eastern Shore river headwaters in search of perch, but the bite has not been red-hot over there the past week. Check out the Freshwater Reports, for more details on both the yellows and the whites. And if you decide to take the weekend off from fishing, the guys in Essex asked us to remind everyone that their fishing flea market takes place this weekend, starting at 9:00 am Saturday, at Commodore Hall on Eastern Avenue.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report 3/9/2018 Update:
Although high winds made this fishing week a short one, those able to step off of dry land enjoyed bringing home enough yellow perch for dinner. Tochterman's reported that finding water that isn't totally mucked up from the past weeks' storms has been key to catching. The Patapsco and Magothy have had some good reports of perch, with minnow or grass shrimp suspended under a bobber providing the most action. Beechwood has been holding some fish but anglers with kayaks or boats heading away from the crowds have been doing better.
Fishbone's had a solid report of stripers caught in the warm water discharge off Middle Branch, and we also had a reader report of some big stripers in the warm water plume at Brandon Shores. Catch and release anglers have also been having some action on mostly smaller fish at the mouth of the Chester, and by the Bay Bridge rockpiles. We're finally in the home stretch before rockfish season opens back up, as well as recreational crabbing in Maryland. Although it'll undoubtedly take a while for crabs to work their way up into the Bay, you won't hear us complaining about another excuse to get out onto the water.
Reminder: Even though it seems like perch fishing is as safe as it gets, the Delaware NRP is reporting that last weekend a slip into the Nanticoke resulted in a drowning death. The water's still very cold, so be careful.
ANGLER ALERT: There's talk of re-opening the black drum commercial fishery in the Chesapeake. Maryland has proposed the opening to the ASMFC and public input is now open, plus there will be a public meeting on the topic next week. See Angler Alert: Maryland Commercial Black Drum Re-Opening Proposed, to learn the details and make your voice heard.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report 3/2/2018
Fishbone's reported that the main action the past few weeks has been centered around yellow perch in tidal rivers, but catfish and crappie are also active up in local creeks and ponds. Warm weather has allowed plenty of anglers to get out on the water, and some massive perch are being reported. Tochterman's had some anglers coming in who had caught yellow perch in the 10- to 13-inch range, with a few pushing 1.7 pounds. Catfish pulled out of deeper water have also been fairly large. However, before you make any plans...
Earlier this week the skunked water running down from the Susquehanna arrived, turning many areas brown and bringing a large amount of flotsam. In many parts of the Upper Bay running a boat means dodging logs and branches, and in the Magothy, perch have been on-again, off-again, with the bite depending on the changing water conditions, which does not bode well for the immediate future. On the bright side, this week readers reported encountering stripers in the Patapsco area warm water discharges, both at the Brandon Shores discharge and in front of the Hospital on the Middle Branch. However, Lenny Rudow was on the water testing a boat in the area yesterday and reports that there was a ton of garbage floating in the Brandon Shores area, so fishing here could be problematic. Add to that this weekend's slight breeze (ahem) and conditions in this zone may not be fish-able for quite some time. Anglers will probably have a better shot if they look to sheltered areas that have minimized runoff and tidal action.