Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 28 Update:
In Maryland waters and in the Potomac (below the 301 bridge) the late start to trophy striper season begins tomorrow with a one-fish limit at 35-inches or more. Thanks to the wind, however, postponing the initial trip certainly seems in order; the Lower Bay forecast includes gusts to 30 or 40 knots depending on just where you are on Saturday, which means it's likely to be both unsafe and unfishable. Sunday still looks like a possibility, but checking the weather forecast for late changes would be the smart move. We wish we could share some intel about where the best bite is likely to be, but since pre-fishing was shut down completely, in all honesty we have to say it’s anyone’s guess. What we can say for sure is that trolling umbrellas and tandems in white and chartreuse will be the main harvesting method.
Meanwhile, the Tackle Box is reporting that spot have already showed up in pound nets, so bottom fishing in the Lower Bay could start up sooner rather than later. They also note that catfish continue to provide steady action to anglers casting fresh bunker; Bushwood and Breton Bay on the Potomac have been excellent areas to try lately.
In Virginia’s waters stripers remain off-limits for two more weeks, until slot fish (20 to 28 inches) come in. However, there’s reason to hope for a solid speck bite coming on strong. Just before the unsettled weather the specks had made it as far up the western side as the Piankatank and with this week’s warm weather those fish are kicking it back into gear. Mirr-O-lures and soft plastic like four- and five-inch paddletails have been productive and should be a solid bet in the upcoming days. Our first reader reports of Piankatank redfish also came in this week, one in the slot and a second fish just under.
Shad fishermen are enjoying the last of the run. We had a handful of reports from the Rappahannock and the Potomac the past week and contributor Eric Packard caught some hickories at the Mattawoman. He then tried the Potomac in the gloriously warm mid-week weather and found the action fast and furious, losing count somewhere around 106 hickories. We’d expect that after the blast of warmth catches will begin dropping off (from the reports it sounds like the James and Rappahannock have already seen their best action) and the next week or so will likely mark a decline in this bite. If you want to get in last licks, red/white, white, and green/black darts and silver or gold spoons have been the ticket.
Reason for hope: there have been a couple of sturgeon reports in the Lower Bay this spring and last week a reader checked in with a report of three more caught in a pound net on the Potomac (among the throngs of blue cats). Wouldn’t it be amazing if these once-prevalent fish could stage a come-back? Meanwhile, the overwhelming number of blue catfish once again gives us all reason to join in the CCA Great Chesapeake invasives Count, and help the scientists wrap their heads around just how many of those critters there are out there.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 23 Update:
Catfish continue to provide nonstop action for anglers hitting the western shore Bay tribs. As per usual, the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James are the perennial producers. One reader checked in after soaking gizzard shad in a branch off the Rap near Haymount and hooking into a 40-plus-pounder.
As of last weekend the shad run was still going strong. Contributor Eric Packard enjoyed hot action at Mattawoman, and we had three reader reports of good action at Fletcher’s before the difficult weather moved in. In all cases, shad darts, small silver and gold spoons, or a combination of the two rigged in tandem (dart up front, spoon two feet behind it) were the ticket. Packard was also catching ‘em on the fly. This bite won’t last a whole heck of a lot longer, though, and is already slowing to some degree in the southern rivers, so if you want to give shad fishing a shot make it happen sooner rather than later!
As of last weekend specks had moved north from the mouth of the Bay and we’d heard of them being caught in decent numbers as far north as the Piankatank. Reports didn’t flow in of ‘em this week, but we’d likely blame that on the weather conditions more than a probable lack of fish. If you have the chance to get out, tossing small white and pink twister and paddle tails to points or shallow oyster bars and bouncing them along bottom at shorelines with steep drops should prove to be a good move.
Rare catch alert: last week a shortnose sturgeon catch was confirmed from the Potomac. Then this week, a sturgeon was caught by a surf angler!! How cool is that!?
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 16 Update:
Catfish are still the name of the game in this area. They’re providing the best tug for anglers looking to catch some action by casting bunker or gizzard shad. Cats right now are ranging from absolutely minuscule to pushing 50 pounds. Beyond finding snaggy holes and fishing near bridge pilings there hasn’t seemed to be a rhyme or reason to where the big ones are, but we rung up the Tackle Box this week to find out what’s going on and they mentioned that creeks on the Potomac from Port Tobacco north are good areas. The Rappahannock from Tappahannock up and the James and its creeks from Claremont up are all good bets as well.
For shoreline anglers the cats present a serious opportunity to reel in a big fish, but the excellent shad run is proving another solid option right now. It kept up well into this week, and hasn’t sputtered out yet. The Tackle Box continued getting a steady flow of reports, rain or shine. They’ve been hitting darts and tiny spoons in the upper reaches of all the tribs plus in the creeks that support runs; Mattawoman got a mention from Contributor Eric Packard.
In the southern sections of the Lower Bay saltier species are expanding their reach as well. A few speckled trout and a handful of redfish have been reported moving north and Mobjack and the Piankatank have produced fish for anglers throwing Mirr-O-Lures and four- or five-inch paddletails and twisters. Late afternoons on sunny days were reported to provide the best action. The best catch we heard of this week was five specks and a red, and although we also got word of a skunk or two, this bite should only get better and better in the coming days.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 9 Update:
The Tackle Box checked in this week to let us know that from Port Tobacco to the Wilson Bridge there are catfish of merit, including some in the 50-pound range. Abel's Wharf in Breton Bay and the public fishing area behind Ryken High School are both producing healthy catches of channel cats as well. With stripers shut down anglers have been putting a lot of pressure on the cats, but their numbers can take it. Cut gizzard shad, cut white perch, chicken, livers and fresh-cut menhaden will all suffice. Reports are identical from the Rappahannock from Tappahannock up to above Port Royal, and in the James from Hopewell to Dutch Gap. The Tackle Box also let us know that while there are rumors of white perch in the creeks, the bite hasn’t been exceptional as of yet and we’re expecting them to pick up them.
Shad runs have kicked into high gear from the Potomac south and although last week’s rains had water levels up over the weekend, in most areas it had settled out enough that water quality was good and more than suitable for fishing. Contributor Eric Packard spent several days on the Potomac in DC this week casting tandem rigs with small spoons and shad darts (with a split shot added for weight), catching hickories by the dozens. Silver, gold, and chartreuse spoons with a split shot added a few feet up the line (and a 10-count allowed for sinking) all produced. Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow also visited the shoreline near Fletcher’s, and reported that the rod was bent almost continually. Reports from the Rappahannock in the Fredericksburg area and the James near Richmond are ranging from strong to very strong, again with catches measured by the dozens. If you’re into shad fishing, get out there NOW! And if you’re interested in this fishery but need some intel on rigs, tactics, and choosing hotspots, check out this video Packard and Rudow shot just this week:
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 2 Update:
Anglers who want a strong tug on their line are turning to targeting blue catfish in increasing numbers. The Potomac, Rappahannock, and James are all chock-full of them. Guys who hit the waters this week enjoyed steady catches, with fish varying greatly in size. While there are plenty of little guys, anglers have also been hooking up on monster cats out of nowhere, and one reader let us know he caught 12 blues in the three- to five-pound range, then suddenly one well over 30 pounds jumped on the line. They’ve been taking fresh-cut gizzard shad, menhaden, and chicken liver — the juicer the better!
In the Rappahannock and the Potomac, shad have moved in. Reports from readers and contributor Erick Packard were of good bites on shad darts and small spoons. Within the past week we saw a strong uptick in their numbers and anticipate that more should be moving in with warmer weather, however, note that the heavy rainfalls mid-week could muck up the waters in some locations. Shad anglers may want to also carry along some catfish gear just in case muddy conditions require switching to Plan B this weekend.
The remnants of the perch run are still ongoing. While the run this year wasn’t crazy, a slow and steady trickle is continuing for both whites and yellows. Both species will take bloodworms on a bottom rig, but in some areas grass shrimp on shad darts have proven more effective.