Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 29 Update:
We hope that everyone had a great Christmas and got some new fishing gear to try out in 2024. We have some great bites going into the New Year with some of the best striped bass action you can experience happening right now. Trophy catch-and-release rockfish have anglers braving the cold and jigging and trolling their way to new PBs one after the next. Reader reports came in this week of hot action in the mouth of the Potomac and lower portions of the river, and the mouth of the Rappahannock. At times birds give away the fish’s location and trollers pulling white and chartreuse nine-inch tandems and umbrella rigs have been encountering fish over (and sometimes well over) 40 inches with amazing regularity.
Potomac anglers have been catching the most fish from Piney Point to the mouth of the river. One boat checked in after boating a 44-inch and 36-inch fish while light tackle jigging. Another boat trolling umbrellas reeled in some very big fish at 41 and 49 inches respectively along with plenty of mid 20s. Locating working birds helped them find the fish. A lot of the action in the Rappahannock has been around the Cut Channel, but fish are being caught anywhere from the Norris Bridge to the mouth of the river. One angler checked in and reported that fishing in the fog earlier in the week was productive with a lot of fish in the upper 20s. Another boat caught a two-man limit and released several fish between 23 and 27 inches including a 41 incher. There are still a few days left in the Potomac and Virginia striped bass seasons for anglers who want to catch and keep a few more fish before the end of the year. Both seasons will end on December 31st, but catch and release fishing will still be permitted. Remember, it’s important to handle these fish with care; check out Dos and Don’ts of Catch and Release Fishing for a brush-up on how to handle them without doing harm.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 22 Update:
It appears that Christmas has come early for many Chesapeake Bay anglers as big migratory rockfish have showed up in big numbers. Trollers and jiggers are both doing well. Tandem rigs with heavy in-line sinkers and umbrella rigs with smaller teasers are working well for boats taking the trolling approach while big soft plastics (usually seven inches or bigger) are working well for light tackle anglers. If you are marking fish but they won’t bite, dropping down a big metal jig or spoon is a good way to entice difficult fish into biting. Both of the Lower Bay tidal rivers have been very productive for anglers still chasing the rockfish. The bigger fish showed up in the Rappahannock about three weeks ago, and there are still reports rolling in of nice size fish being caught. One boat out on an afternoon trip caught a three-man limit of fish between 24 and 28 inches. They also released a 35-inch fish. Guide Service Chesapeake Charters has also been putting their anglers on fish consistently with trips this week producing plenty of keepers and a few over slot fish into the mid-40s.
Up in the Potomac, the reports are very similar. We got a report from a boat trolling that caught three fish between 22 and 24 inches and then one big one that measured 41 inches. Another light tackle angler fishing in the mouth of the river reported quickly catching a two-man limit then continuing to catch and release quality fish up to 43 inches on a mid-week trip. The bulk of the fish are in the 20- to 30-inch range, but the bigger ones are mixed in. The most productive zone in the Potomac has been from Cobb Island down to the mouth of the river. Striped bass season is closed in Maryland waters, but in the Potomac and Virginia, it remains open until December 31st.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 15 Update:
It may be December, but fishing for rockfish is just about as good as it can get in some areas of the Lower Bay and while the Maryland season for striped bass closed on December 10th, the Potomac and Virginia waters will remain open until December 31st. Anglers in the Potomac can keep two rockfish per day between 20 and 31 inches while Virginia anglers can keep one fish per day between 20 and 31 inches. The Tackle Box checked in to let us know that the fall run of striped bass has shifted into overdrive with big fish showing up in force. They have received reports of fish up to 50 inches with boats trolling and jigging catching the big ones in the main stem of the Bay, the Potomac, and the Rappahannock. Trollers are doing well using tandem rigs with heavy inline sinkers and umbrella rigs with smaller lures. Jiggers are dropping down big soft plastics in the form of paddletails or BKD’s. Birds have been sporadically giving away the location of fish, but keeping a close eye on your fish finder has been important on days when the birds don’t cooperate.
One boat trolling near buoy nine in the Potomac caught six fish between 20 and 36 inches. Light tackle anglers are also doing well near the mouth of the river. In the Rappahannock, the big fish have bene around for the past couple weeks and the bite this week was no different. One boat trolling in 70 feet of water landed a 48-inch rockfish during a mid-week trip. Another boat caught a pair of low 40s trolling near Greenvale. Boats aren’t catching the big fish on every trip, but there are enough “smaller” fish around to keep lines tight while searching for the big ones.
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Maryland, Virginia, or the Potomac River, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 8 Update:
Rockfish are the main focus of Lower Bay anglers this month, and rightfully so as there are good concentrations of fish marauding around. The Tackle Box checked in to let us know that the rockfish reports have been mixed all over. Trollers are still catching plenty of fish as they chase the bird shows, but some days it takes some running around to find the fish while other days they seem to be feeding everywhere. Light tackle anglers have done well when the fish are pushing bait to the surface making it easy to stay on the schools. A few anglers have noted that the fish have been preferring metal jigs and spoons over soft plastics when jigging recently. Captain Mike from Apex Predators checked in to let us know that the rockfish bite on the lower Potomac has been great. He is finding good schools of fish with most of his keepers being between 20 and 25 inches.
One of the more exciting developments in the Lower Bay this week has been the arrival of trophy sized striped bass. (Release them gently!) Most of these fish are being caught in the Rappahannock and multiple boats checked in with some big catches. One boat caught two 42-inch fish and a 43-inch fish on an afternoon trip. Most of the rockfish action has been below buoy 10 in the river. There aren’t a ton of these big fish around, but some trollers are occasionally picking up a couple during their outings. There are also plenty of slot fish around and one boat found fish biting between Ragged Point and buoy nine. They caught eight fish between 20 and 28 inches while trolling. Rockfish season ends on the 10th in Maryland waters but will remain open util the 31st in both the Potomac and Virginia waters.
Blue catfish are another hot topic in the Lower Bay tidal rivers like the Potomac and Rappahannock right now. These fish are very active in the winter and are being caught further up these rivers in more brackish and freshwater areas. They tend to hold along main channel edges and deeper holes. Any form of cut bait will work but fresh bunker, gizzard shad, eel, and chicken baits are favorites among anglers.
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Maryland, Virginia, or the Potomac River, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 1 Update:
The late season mega-size blue cat bite is on and in full swing in the lower Bay tribs. This week we heard about a 43” 40-pounder reeled up in the Potomac, and for two weeks running readers have reported 30-plus-pound blues mixed in with coolers full of smaller fish caught in the James. We even saw a report from an angler who was light tackle jigging for speckled trout in the lower James River and hooked into a blue cat that was over 20 pounds. The colder months are a prime opportunity to catch these big catfish and the bite is showing no signs of slowing down. The more popular baits to use include cut bunker, bluegill, eel, shad, and chicken. It has also become increasingly popular to soak chicken baits in powdered Kool-Aid for added scent. Surprisingly, the catfish seem to love it.
The Tackle Box let us know that there have been breaking striped bass and working birds in the Potomac below St. George’s Island down to Smith Creek on the Maryland side. Over on the Virginia side, the fish have been working from Ragged Point down to Vermar Beach. The fish are not always pushing bait to the surface, but at some point throughout the day, fish will usually provide some surface action. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. Trollers are still outperforming light tackle guys for the most part. Tandems and small umbrella rigs are consistently getting bites. Most fish are averaging between 20 and 25 inches. One angler fishing near the Hog Island Reef just south of Buoy nine in the Potomac caught 12 rockfish while trolling earlier in the week. Only four of the fish were keepers which ranged between 21 and 23 inches. Another boat trolling towards the mouth of the Rappahannock caught 6 keepers up to 27 inches while trolling this week. Rockfish season is winding down in the main stem of the Bay in Maryland waters where the season will close on December 10th but the good news for lower Bay anglers is that the Potomac and in Virginia waters will remain open until December 31st. In the Potomac the limit is two fish per day between 20 and 31 inches while Virginia’s slot is 20 -to 31-inches and a one fish per angler limit.