4/28/2017 Update:
The guys at Sarge’s Bait and Tackle let everyone know not to worry if this hasn’t been your best season ever. With lots of rain and dirty water coming down from the Conowingo Dam, the bite has dropped off. However, as the weather warms up and the area experiences a few days of 80-plus degree temperatures, the bite is expected to pick back up. Local catfish anglers are finding some success dropping cut baits on bottom, targeting channel catfish below the dam. They remind you to be sure to use enough weight, because strong currents could prevent your bait from staying on bottom and this has been a common problem, recently. Although the rockfishing hasn’t been the best this season, the anglers catching the most are using cut bait including menhaden and gizzard shad. Water conditions have often just been too murky for lure anglers to have as much success.
The shad fishing was been good the past week, but may well take a pause as the cool and turbid waters from the recent rain move through. With weather in the 80’s with little rain predicted the next few days, hopefully, the fishery will recover quickly.
4/21/2017 Update:
The rockfishing has been on the slow side thanks to muddy waters, and the folks at Herb's and Sarge's agreed that bait anglers fared better than those using lures. (Cut bunker has been best). However, by mid-week the water was improving and this weekend we should see some decent conditions - at least momentarily. The slug of rain we have lately may well cloud the water again.
Guide Chris Karwacki Jr. has been working up on the flats and said that as of Thursday the water had cleaned up nicely, but many of the fish were still up-river. He said that anglers were catching some schoolies and an occasional big fish, with Rapala X-Raps and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows being top lure choices. Daybreak was the time to be on the water casting, and the six to nine foot depth range has been best.
The flats fishing should bust loose, at least for a short period of time, as those up-river fish start moving out. The big question is, will their departure coincide with clean water? It all depends on just how much additional rain we get in the near future - cross your fingers the skies clear quickly.
Northern anglers interested in some exciting catch and release action may also want to keep tabs on the shad bite. These fish (both hickory and American) are in the creeks and rivers (see the Freshwater Report) and are also now showing up in the pool below Conowingo. Shad darts are the best way to catch 'em. Again, the recent weather will probably have an impact on how this bite holds up during the next week.
4/14/2017 Update:
Herb's Tackle Shop chimed in to say that folks in the area are catching just about everything right now - rockfish, white perch, catfish, and hickory shad are starting to show up. For the stripers, baits including bloodworm and bunker have been best. The recent opening of the floodgates at Conowingo had muddied the waters a bit last week, and as a result of these conditions, bait has been better than lures - muddy water leads to bad lure fishing. But the gates are closed now and the water has been clearing up rapidly. Within the next few days, we should expect the bite to pick up on Bass Assassins and similar soft plastic lures.
Over at Sarge's Bait and Tackle, they note that striper numbers have been increasing in the river and perch fishing has also been good. They recommend trying BKDs and Smack-Its for the stripers and expect the bite to pick up as the waters clear and the rockfish keep moving through.
Guide Chris Karwacki Jr. of Chesapeake on the Fly reports that he's basically been on stand-by, waiting for the flats to clean up after that release of water from the dam. He does believe the water should be clear by the weekend, but notes that finding the cleanest water is key. Bait anglers have still been having success, though, and he mentioned that fly anglers in the right place at the right time have been able to hook some fish. Chris also said he'd be back down south on the Tangier, fishing out of Crisfield, MD, for redfish and post-spawn stripers, starting in May.
4/7/2017
We spoke with folks at Herb’s Tackle Shop and Sarge’s Bait and Tackle, and heard that up north anglers have been catching perch and striped bass. Local anglers found success earlier this spring using grass shrimp for white and yellow perch, and minnow for rockfish and yellow perch, although at times the fishing was slow this winter. Warming weather is expected to bring fish back to the upper reaches of the Chesapeake soon.
