Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 25 Update:
With some beautiful weather early this week, many anglers were able to get out on the water and enjoy some wonderful spring-ish fishing. Many of the reports coming out of the lower regions of the Bay this week had a fair number of blue and channel catfish biting up in the tribs, where areas with deep water and fished with cut baits have been steady throughout most reports. The Potomac and Rappahannock are both hotspots, producing large cats more consistently than other areas, however, fishing has been a bit spotty with all the pressure systems moving through as weather fluctuates rapidly. The Tackle Box reminded us that channel edges and holes are good spots to sink cut herring or chicken livers on 8/0 to 10/0 circle hooks. The James is holding additional bites and sometimes bigger fish. We also had reports from up the St. Mary’s River this week, where channel catfish and white perch could be found off the docks of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
While it’s admittedly more of a Freshwater catch than a Lower Bay score, we also want to note a very cool accomplishment by angler Cliff Hutt on the upper James this week. While out fishing with Sam Scott of Blue Ridge Musky, he reeled in a 46-inch muskellunge. It may not have been in the Bay but that catch is certainly one of note for Lower Chesapeake area anglers – congrats, Cliff!
Yellow perch are around on the Eastern Shore, biting minnows and small jigs offered to them. Traditional haunts and the spindly reaches of the Pocomoke are producing the best reports. A smattering of bass, pickerel, and sometimes crappie can be found willing to bite up the creeks, too. A bottom rig with a minnow or a minnow under a bobber has been the most common bait. Contributor Eric Packard reported trying for perch on the western side but found they weren’t yet up in spawning areas.
The Tackle Box heard some reports from anglers who were catch-and-release striper fishing with little success in the main stem of the Bay off Point Lookout and the tribs, unsurprising for this point in the year.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 18 Update:
While the open water of the Chesapeake hasn’t been especially interesting this week, anglers who are heading up the rivers to get in on the blue catfish report success and these fish have been much more active than anything else. Catfish are hitting gizzard shad and chicken breast fished on bottom, deep in the usual holes and channels. The upper Potomac from the Wilson bridge and shoreline areas far up the Potomac both produced reports of fish in the mid-twenties and one real whopper with week for Jeff and Lou – just look at that thing!
Running up the rivers is also producing excellent crappie catches. The Rappahannock is providing another season of good catches, and fish are taking minnow and tubes retrieved slowly near structure, in areas as far up as Fredericksburg.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 11 Update:
While many waters were quieter than usual due to chilly weather this past weekend, anglers who hit the Potomac found that it’s producing a variety of species. Blue catfish, yellow perch, and crappie have all been present, but big catfish have been stealing the show. Though there was a bit of a shut-down with the front that passed through earlier this week the fish should be back in fine form by now and deep holes and channels have had the strongest bite. The Tackle Box suggested targeting the blues with gizzard shad, which has been the most successful bait this past week.
Yellow perch are on, with a couple of readers reporting success on yellows and a few whites in the mix as well. Both minnow and grass shrimp are working when fished on darts. While none of the folks who checked in with us gave away specific locations, one did mention that the fish were already surprisingly far upriver approaching the spawning zones (Eastern Shore reports).
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 4 Update:
Word from up the Rap and the James are that the precip hadn’t had a huge effect in the rivers as of early this week, and catfish were still willing to chew on cut fish sunk in the holes. Some areas with slow-moving water were iced for a time but by midweek most of the hard water had cleared out. Reports from anglers who hit the Rap indicated that getting out early in the day produced a better bite on the cats, and multiple chunky catfish were scored early in the day. Many of this week’s fish were hovering around the 20-inch mark, with a couple in a larger class. Cut gizzard shad or frozen menhaden is bringing the catfish bites in, with chicken and clam snouts also working.
Reports of yellow perch from the tributaries have picked up, with them now available in pre-spawn staging areas in the creeks feeding the major rivers. Anglers reported that the bite is flighty, with perch lighting up and then shutting down for seemingly no reason. When they’re on, minnow on shad darts have been getting hits.