Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 23 Update:
Big blue catfish have been keeping anglers busy in the Lower Bay rivers with some monsters being caught this week. Captain Mike from Apex Predators guide service checked in to let us know that the cats are biting on the Potomac. He was able to land 35, 45, and 61 pounders during a trip this week. We also saw a report from an angler fishing the upper Potomac in D.C. waters who caught a 77-pound blue cat while fishing at night in the area of Fletchers Cove. Cut eel and bunker has been working best to get the big fish to bite. Contributor Eric Packard also had a good day on crappie and some stripers in the Blue Plains area late this week. We are less than a month away from the start of spring, so the yellow perch and shad runs are right around the corner. Get ready for them now!
Virginia Beach Sport Fishing shared some news about an exciting reef improvement project taking place in the southern Chesapeake Bay. “The Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia and Maryland, non-profit organizations dedicated to the conservation of marine resources, recently partnered with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to improve the Gwynn’s Island Artificial Reef Site, a popular fishing destination in the Chesapeake Bay. The project involved deploying 54 reef balls and 250 pyramids, totaling more than 24 tons of reef material, onto the reef site, which is located about a mile offshore from historic Gwynn’s Island on the western shore of the bay, near the mouth of the Piankatank River.” You can read more about the project on the VBSF website.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 15 Update:
Monster blue cats are biting in the lower Bay tribs and we had a reader check in after night fishing on the Potomac inside the DC line, which resulted in putting a beast topping 48 pounds into the boat. Fresh cut shad was the bait of choice. Another angler fishing just north of the D.C. line was fishing from the bank last weekend and had a great bite that included eight blue catfish up to 36 pounds and a flathead catfish that was nearly 20 pounds. While catfish have been the main target for many anglers, there are some other winter fishing opportunities in the lower Bay tribs. We saw a report from ana angler fishing on the upper Rappahannock who had a great day targeting crappie this week. He put plenty in the cooler in the 10-to-14-inch range, all of which were caught on jigs. Cold water doesn’t bother the crappie much and now is a great time of year to target them.
More updates to striped bass regulations for the state of Maryland were released this week by Maryland DNR. “Striped bass emergency regulations submitted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to support the spawning population was approved this week by the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review, and are effective immediately. The emergency regulations extend periods of closure to recreational striped bass fishing in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Targeting of striped bass will be prohibited from April 1st to May 15th, eliminating the Maryland striped bass trophy season. In the Susquehanna Flats, targeting of striped bass is prohibited through the end of May.” Additional information can be found on the Maryland DNR website.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 9 Update:
February is here and we are finally getting some more stable weather. Unfortunately, the fishing has been fairly slow this week in the Lower Bay. The most reliable fish for anglers to target has been blue catfish which are abundant in the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James Rivers. The closer you get to Washington D.C. in the Potomac, the more blue catfish you will find. Big fish are commonly caught from Fort Washington up to the fall line. Recent reports from anglers have indicated that eel is a hot bait. Other popular baits include fresh bunker, chicken, hot dogs, and any other meat that you can bait a hook with. One angler fishing near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge caught a few blue cats in the 10-pound range during his lunch break this week.
Down on the Rappahannock, blue catfish are commonly found from Tappahannock up towards Fredericksburg. The catfish can be caught in the main stem of the river as well as all the tidal tributaries feeding into it around that area. We saw a report from a boat that caught a 35 and a 24 pounder on the Rapp this week. Another angler reeled in a 20 and a 30 pounder near Fredericksburg. The big fish are out there and will remain active the rest of winter.
Another fishing hotspot near D.C. is the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant. Warm water is discharged from this facility, making it a great location for winter fishing. Bass and crappie school up near the discharge and right now is a great time to catch them. Crappie are also commonly caught in the Washington channel in D.C. and along many of the bridge structures in the river. A local angler let us know that most of the crappie are holding in around 15 feet of water.
Now is also a great time of year to do some gear prep if you don’t like fishing in the cold. The spring runs of shad and perch are right around the corner, so make sure to get all your gear in order before it kicks off.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 2 Update:
The winter blues have set in as fishing has become slow in the dead of winter. The exciting striped bass bite that was happening in December and early January seems to have trickled out. Reports on these fish have been slim and we are not sure if it is because anglers aren’t targeting them, or if the fish have scattered. The most likely option is that the fish have scattered, so if you have the time and patience to search for them, you may find some schools to fish without having to worry about boat pressure. Scanning channel edges along the main stem of the Bay and the larger tidal rivers is a good way to locate them. As always, if you can find bait then you have. A decent chance to find fish. This time of year, it is all about covering water. The more reliable bites are coming from farther up the tidal Rivers. Blue catfish are very active throughout the winter and can be caught in the Potomac and Rappahannock where the salinity starts to become more brackish. Check out our How to Catch Blue Catfish on the Potomac video for the lowdown on enjoying this fast action.
Anglers fishing around the District of Columbia are reporting some big blue catfish upwards of 40 pounds being caught on chunks of eel. Other popular baits include chicken and fresh cut bunker. Recent rains have many of the larger rivers running high and muddy which is making it difficult to fish, at least on the upper sections of the rivers. If your fishing grounds fall in these areas, it is a good idea to check the USGS stream gauges to check water levels before heading out to fish.