Way North Chesapeake and Delaware Fishing Report, 12/28/2018 Update:
Hey there FishTalkers, and welcome to the final fishing report of 2018! Don't worry - despite the chilly weather and difficult conditions the next few months will hold, we'll keep bringing you current reports right through the winter. They may be shorter at times and the options may be a bit more limited, but we know there are plenty of die-hard anglers out there who will want to wet a line whenever the opportunity presents itself. Come rain, sleet, or snow, let's keep on casting!
Between the falling temps and the end of striper season, all the action up north has been limited to the tribs and the lower Susquehanna. A few perch and also some crappie are being reported in the upper North East, mostly around docks on darts tipped with minnow. The pickerel are also hiding out along these parts with the cooler temperatures being the norm now, so toss some large swimbaits or bull minnows under a bobber (or a big streamer if you’re on the fly) if you want some pickerel action. Perryville is also holding some yellow perch but hasn't really come into prime form just yet.
Some area anglers with boats in tow have been heading for south Jersey waters, and trolling tandems, umbrellas, and Mojos off the beach where stripers in the 30 to 34 inch range have been hitting.
Way North Chesapeake and Delaware Fishing Report, 12/21/2018 Update:
Happy holidays, northern anglers! Can we just reprint those words over and over again? Because otherwise, this will be a very brief report. Thanks to the non-stop rain, the rivers are still swelled. Thanks to the end of striper season, there aren't a ton of options. And thanks to the cold (and rain) we didn't hear from many anglers in the area this past week. In fact, all we can pass along is that we've heard of some yellow perch and crappie (mostly perch) coming from the Sassafras, the Elk, and the North East rivers, and the Susquehanna near Perryville, when the conditions allowed. Generally speaking it's been messy and difficult. Minnow on shad darts have been the top offering.
Way North Chesapeake and Delaware Fishing Report, 12/14/2018 Update:
As the striped bass season closes off on the 15th, anglers are making their final push to wrangle up just one more legal-sized rockfish before stowing away the tackle. Unfortunately, water temps have dropped considerably the past few nights so it may be tough out there for the last hurrah. Surface temperatures have been recorded at the low 40’s, so the only place to really find any activity is going to be the bottom of the deepest channels that are outside the mouths of the tributaries. Dropping some hefty shads in pearl and chartreuse on inline weights has been the best bet at keepers when trolling the deep channels. White bucktails are still staying in many spreads in order to bounce off the hard bottoms. The white perch are still in the deeper sections of the northern Bay as well. They’re still nibbling on bloodworms when available, or on the tandem rigs.
Last two points with the first regarding the yellow perch: the Sassafras and the Elk have been good places to find perch willing to take a bite at blood worms, dropper fly rigs, small spoons/spinnerbaits, and perch pounders. Secondly, the pickerel are also hiding out along these parts with the cooler temperatures being the norm now, so toss some large swimbaits or bull minnows under a bobber (or a big streamer if you’re on the fly) if you want some pickerel action.
Meanwhile, the striper bite offshore is in full swing just south of Jersey. As a result, lots of captains from Delaware are running north to those grounds to find the big girls. Fish in the 32” range are the norm up there right now, so if you can make the trip it’s option to keep in mind as the Bay’s season comes to an end.
Way North Chesapeake and Delaware Fishing Report, 12/7/2018:
Heavy water flows continue from the Conowingo Dam, causing the conditions to remain difficult up to the north. Water clarity has taken quite the hit, and should be the number one factor in choosing where to wet a line. The bottom of the water column has been holding fish, so trolling those deep channel ledges that lie just outside of the river mouths have been the best bet this week. Chartreuse has been a staple color, with whites and pearls coming in at a close second. Using umbrella rigs with inline weights to get down deep has been common. Stripers that are still holding deep will also be eager to bite some bouncing bucktails off the bottom. Still, recognize that overall, it’s a very tough bite up north.
Jigging around the flat and the edges hasn’t been too good with the mucky water and lower salinity levels. (Salinity? What salinity?) However, the perch are still nibbling away at whatever you drop to them. The yellow perch are hanging out in the Elk River and are eager to snap at dropper fly rigs or tandem rigs on the bottom, minnow, and bloodworms. We also had reports this week of yellows in Middle River, the Gunpowder, and Back River. White perch are all over hard bottom in deep water (30-plus feet), and as such should be easy to spot on the finder. Dropping bloodworms to them has been the hot ticket, and they won’t be shy about conserving energy like their striped neighbors, so have at ‘em.
The final bite to mention for anglers way north on the Bay are the pickerel. This species is ready to play come December and although the only reports we’ve had of ‘em this week came from the Sassafras, it’s a sure bet they’ll bite in the rivers and creeks throughout the region. Lip-hooked bull minnow wobbled along slowly on a bare hook or a Roadrunner are the way to get them snapping.