Way north Chesapeake and Delaware fishing report, January 25, 2019 Update:
With high winds and low temperatures the past week, few anglers were bold enough to head out to the water. As a result, we'll apologize ahead of time for a very brief report. Although we applaud those who did for their dedication even in the toughest conditions, most guys brought home empty coolers. Our reports this week come from anglers fishing from shore - we couldn’t confirm any reports of boats actually out on the water. In addition, though some lakes and ponds froze, most did not have enough ice to safely support movement across the surface. Although conditions this week make our report short, conditions are looking clear and cold for the weekend. If the weather begins to cooperate a bit, best bets should be yellow perch in lower Susquehanna areas like Lapidum and Perryville (where the yellows had previously showed up in decent numbers, though many reports were of mostly small fish), and perch, catfish, and crappie up the rivers. Will we be ice fishing soon? Will a warming trend change the nature of the fishery? Stay tuned…
Way north Chesapeake and Delaware fishing report, January 18, 2019 Update:
Although fishing in the upper reaches of the Bay has been slow for the past few weeks, as cold weather has moved in over the past several days, water temperatures have dropped, seeming to have had a positive effect on some bites. Although pickerel, white perch, and crappie have been present (but not abundant), yellow perch have been playing a small role in the equation save for this week. This could be a result of the cold snap, which we anticipate to have an effect on the present species and how they act. Although few anglers have been heading out onto the water in the freezing temperatures this week has brought us, those that have are finally seeing better numbers of yellows. The bite is slow but steady, and most fish are in tidal creeks and in the far reaches of the tributaries. Fish have primarily been in three to 10 feet of water, and are holding around structure such as fallen trees and underwater stumps. Minnow suspended by a bobber have been the best bait, and Mepps spinners have been successful lures. There are also some perch prowling deeper in the lower Susquehanna, in the Perryville zone. Again, minnow are the top bait.
Way north Chesapeake and Delaware fishing report, January 11, 2019 Update:
Keeping with the trend of the past few weeks, fishing has been slow in the northern reaches of the Chesapeake. Anglers have mostly been staying off the open waters of the Bay, instead traveling to ponds, lakes, and keeping to the tributaries. The focus has been on targeting crappie and perch, primarily in the upper North East and lower Susquehanna. Some anglers have been traveling south as well, hitting the mill ponds on the eastern shore, which have been producing pickerel steadily, with crappie and perch in the mix as well. Bull minnow are the top bait but kayak trollers pulling small swimming plugs and swimbaits have been scoring, too.
This December brought the DelMarVa area warmer weather than we’ve expected, shutting down the area for ice fishing and delaying the yellow perch bite from turning on in earnest. In addition, the massive amounts of rain 2018 brought us have still been affecting water flow and salinity levels. As we move into the second week of January, adding to those issues we’ve been met with high winds forcing many anglers to stay off the water. Despite the wind cutting into our fishing time, it has brought along with it a cold front that should begin to push water temperatures lower, allowing for our traditional cold-water fisheries to switch on. In the coming weeks we’d expect the yellow perch bite to become more active. Although anglers fishing for yellows have had limited success to date, we are beginning to see an uptick. A bull minnow on a shad dart underneath of a bobber is a safe bet when the fish are around and biting. This goes for the pickerel and crappie as well, which are continuing to hold near shore and around docks.
Way north Chesapeake and Delaware fishing report January 4, 2019.
Editor’s Note: We’d like to say a special thank-you to Parker Martin for compiling the fishing reports these past few months. Now he’s getting ready to study abroad, and starting this week the reports are being compiled – once again – by none other than Mollie Rudow. Parker, as we bid you adieu we rest assured in the knowledge that the FishTalk fishing reports will be in good hands moving forward!
We wish we could report that fishing has been hot starting off the New Year, but as we enter 2019 fishing in the northern reaches of the Chesapeake and its tributaries has been lackluster at best. Some waters remain tainted by high flow volumes, and temperatures are well above normal for this time of year. Determined anglers have been venturing into the upper reaches of the North East, targeting crappie and perch, which have continued to hold around docks. Using shad darts with a minnow has been a safe bet to ward off the skunk, and some anglers have been sticking to pink shad darts, which the crappie are being reported as having an affinity towards. Largemouth bass also remain a bit more active than usual for this time of year, thanks to the unseasonal warmth. With a cold snap nowhere in the foreseeable future, we’re stuck wondering when the perch fishing is going to turn on for real. Yes, some yellows are being caught in the usual haunts like Perryville and through the lower reaches of the river, but unusually warm temperatures this winter could be delaying this bite from cranking up into high gear - in the meantime, we suggest throwing a bobber and a large bull minnow on your line in hopes of catching those crappie, bass, and pickerel, which have been biting well.