Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 29 Update:
Anglers who hit the water this week were rewarded with serene sights. That is, serene due to an absence of people. High winds and generally foul weather caused the barren water to be slightly unfriendly and only a few anglers decided to brave the weather. While we didn’t hear of anything exceptional, jiggers were catching and releasing rockfish upwards of 20 inches near Point Lookout and in the Potomac. Over last weekend when the weather was alright, boats that headed out were similarly rewarded and managed to get into the 20-somethings and an occasional larger fish to take a picture of before releasing. In the creeks across the Lower Bay, meanwhile, they continue to hold healthy populations of yellow perch. Our friends at the Tackle Box let us know that deep holes in the creeks off the western shore tribs are where they can be found, and that they’ll spare no time chomping down minnows. Yellow perch are also available to anglers fishing the eastern shore mill ponds, where they’re biting alongside the pickerel.
We realize that this week's reports are unusually thin, but that sometimes happens in the middle of the winter. The following is a public service announcement that has nothing at all to do with us trying to come up with more than a single sad paragraph for the entire report. Nothing at all (ahem): Please remember as we’re experiencing frigid temperatures, wearing a life jacket and paying attention to boating safety have an incredible level of importance. Make sure your life jacket is suited for your size and the appropriate buoyancy rating for your excursion. Additionally, always, always, always go fishing with a buddy and make sure that someone is aware of your plan for the day. in low-40-degree water temperatures, individuals who fall in generally have only 10 to 20 minutes depending on their age, gender, weight, and submersion level before losing all coordination and muscle strength. It’s important to be able to spot the signs of hypothermia: sleepiness, clumsiness, confusion, slurred speech, shivering, a weak pulse, low blood pressure, and a body temperature below 96 degrees. Stay safe out there - and we're hoping you'll find some fish.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 21 Update:
From the Point Lookout to Smith Point zone there’s still chatter about catch and release stripers; most of the fish aren’t huge but a few monsters have showed up for jiggers slinging seven-inch plastics on 1.5- to two-ounce heads. If you’re more interested in filling the cooler, heading upriver for catfish is the natural choice. Some good reports of action on fish up to 40 inches came from the Rap this week on cut fish, and we also had a reader report come in of good bass action early this week on pumpkinseed swimbaits worked slowly, in one of the creeks not far from Port Royal. Remember that if you fish the Potomac and/or Anacostia, the USCG security zones remain in effect through the 25th. Make sure your launching, cruising, and fishing all take place below the Woodrow Wilson bridge, until the zones go out of effect.
The other winter fish fry option is to head into the creeks and look for yellow perch. At this time of year they can be counted on to move into pre-spawn areas where there are deep holes in bends downriver from freshwater spawning areas, and sit tight until the weather warms. Bull minnow lip-hooked on a bottom rig or bounced slowly along bottom behind a jig will get ‘em biting.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 15 Update:
There are stripers being caught (and released, of course) in the main stem of the Bay outside Point Lookout. Anglers jigging these areas for catch and release fish have been scoring a few, and while some have been big they’re mostly on the smaller side. White and yellow perch fishing is dominating the cooler-filling fishery right now — in coves, creeks, deep holes, and pockets there are plenty of perch to be found. Dropping a bottom rig baited with minnow or bloodworms is the safest way to get them on your line.
Catfish remain a solid option in the tribs, especially the James and the Rap. Anglers focused on the Potomac in the DC area, however, pay heed...
IMPORTANT NOTICE for anyone hoping to fish the Potomac for blue cats this weekend or next week: The USCG has established three security zones on the river for January 13 through January 25, as a result of the upcoming inauguration and the recent events related to it, going from the Francis Scott Key bridge clear down to the Woodrow Wilson bridge. According to the announcement entry into or remaining in the security zone is prohibited unless authorized by the USCG. Click to read the entire Maritime Safety and Security Bulletin.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 7 Update:
Some very big rock are now being caught in the Lower Bay near the mouth of the Potomac for those interested in catch-and-release action, according to reports from Angler's, with chartreuse ZMans getting them biting. Many anglers looking for fish for the cooler are shifting their attention to the yellow perch, white perch, and catfish in the tribs. The Tackle Box reported that yellow perch can be found in holes near shore throughout the tributaries, and white perch can be found in deeper holes. They’re both taking minnows and shad darts, though at this time of year jigging tandem rigs with a small spoon and a teaser fly is usually a great way to get the whites biting.
Blue cats! Blue cats! Blue cats! They’ll bite right through the winter, and the James is producing the biggest fish but the Rap and Potomac are both good bets for high numbers. Fresh cut gizzard shad and sunfish are top baits, and plenty of people are soaking chicken breast on bottom, too.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Welcome to 2021 anglers! We at FishTalk would like to wish everyone a happy new year and we hope you have some fabulous fishing adventures as a new season dawns. This week saw reduced reports thanks to weather, the holidays, and reduced tackle shop hours, but last week in the Potomac some stripers continued to bite to close out the 2020 season, though many of the fish being caught were on the small side. We’d expect that at this point many dedicated winter anglers will be turning their attention to upriver portions of the Potomac, Rap, and James, where big blue cats will remain willing to put a bend in the rod. We heard from a reader who fished in the area of the Potomac’s Wilson bridge between the holidays, and caught all they could handle on frozen bunker.
