Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 26 Update:
Big news was announced this week for striped bass regulations. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has voted for option B2, setting Chesapeake Bay 2024 striped bass regulations across all jurisdictions in Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River. The limit will be one fish per person per day with a slot from 19 to 24 inches. Seasons will remain the same as 2022 through this action, but the State of Maryland in its latest action has proposed eliminating their May trophy season plus adding another week during the summer closure to extend it through the first week of August. Maryland DNR announced an “Emergency Regulation” ending trophy season and simultaneously closing catch-and-release fishing during the same period. That “Emergency” action appears to have stalled. The DNR announced that since the Joint Committee on Administration, Executive, and Legislative Review has not taken action, a public comment period on this now-proposed change has been opened. You can click on this link to the DNR Striped Bass – Changes to Season Comment Form to voice your opinion.
After a big shot of cold last week, we have gotten quite the warmup over the past few days. Much of the action in the Lower Bay this time of year is for catch and release striped bass fishing or blue catfish in the tribs. The striped bass reports have slimmed out significantly the second half of this month, but there are undoubtedly still big fish around the main channel edges of the Bay and in the tidal rivers.
The Rappahannock, James, and Potomac Rivers have large populations of blue catfish as you get farther north in the waters where freshwater is more prevalent. Any form of cut bait, especially fresh cut baitfish, usually gets the fish biting. Other popular baits include eel, chicken, and hot dogs. The section of the Potomac from Georgetown up to the Chain Bridge has some very deep holes with some very big fish. Light tackle jigging for the blue catfish in this section of the river has become more popular and is a solid option for those who prefer to fish with artificial lures.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 19 Update:
The weather has not been kind to us to start the 2024 fishing season. Reader reports dwindled down to nothing this week which is likely due to the weather. Our first snow in a long time along with frigid cold temperatures kept many anglers off the water. The trophy rockfish can still be found in the Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and main stem of the Bay. Side scan is an essential since most of the bird shows have stopped giving away the location of fish. It seems that anglers targeting these fish on recent trips have been catching a few trophy sized fish but nothing like it was in December. Scanning channel edges for bait will be the best technique for locating them. Remember that this time of year, fishing is strictly catch and release. Please make sure to handle the fish with care and have them out of the water as little as possible. We need them to have a good spawn in the spring!
Blue catfish are the other more popular fish to target this time of year in the Lower Bay tributaries. The Potomac, Rappahannock, and James are known for having monster blue catfish where freshwater begins to be more prevalent in the rivers. The blue cats are very active in cold water. They typically cruise along channel edges and fresh cut bait works great for getting them to bite. It looks to be another cold weekend, so make sure to bundle up and be safe if you plan on fishing.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 11 Update:
Fishing was put on hold many days this week as heavy rains and strong winds kept most boats off the water. There were a few breaks in the weather and with all the striped bass excitement going on, anglers made sure to take advantage of them. The scene with the striped bass in the lower Bay is mirroring what is happening in the middle Bay. There are still a ton of big migratory striped bass cruising around in deeper water chasing bait. Bird shows are still routinely popping up showing the location of the fish. While trolling is proving successful, light tackle jigging is the most common tactic now that we are in a strictly catch and release season.
Both the Potomac and Rappahannock are the producing good striped bass fishing right now. Reports were a little slim this week, but that is to be expected with the turn in the weather. We did hear from one angler who was trolling umbrellas in the mouth of the Potomac who caught five nice size stripers including his new personal best at 46 inches.
Another popular winter target in the lower Bay are blue catfish. The cold water does not bother these fish and they will actively feed throughout the winter. Again the Potomac and Rappahannock have solid numbers of these fish, as does the James. The waters around our nation’s capitol are known for producing big catfish, but the Rappahannock and James are home to some true monsters. We got a report from one angler targeting the cats in the Rapp who boated a 32, 22, 20, and four around the 15 pound mark. We wish the forecast for this weekend looked good for fishing, but it looks less than promising. Very strong winds are forecasted, so fishing trips may have to wait until next week.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 5 Update:
Happy New Year! Hopefully some of you have already caught your first fish of 2024, and if you haven’t, there are some good bites out there to chase. Striped bass season is now closed in Potomac, Virginia, and Maryland waters. Catch and release fishing is still permitted, and many anglers are still out fishing for the big migratory striped bass that are still in the Bay. The big fish are being caught anywhere from Cape Charles all the way up to the Bay Bridge. The Potomac and Rappahannock, especially the lower river from the bridge down to the mouth, are still holding a good number of fish for anglers to chase this month.
Multiple reports of striper action rolled in this week including a report from a boat that caught fish on the bayfront and inside the Rappahannock. They were able to find fish from 25 feet all the way out to 60 feet with their big fish measuring 44, 45, and 47 inches. Another boat fishing near Smith Point Light found breaking fish and was able to catch some fish in the upper 20s while trolling umbrella rigs. They did note that there were a lot of short strikes without hookups too. A boat fishing in the Potomac on the last day of the season had a stellar day. They caught a boat limit of slot rockfish along with some big fish measuring 37, 39, and 45 inches. We don’t know how long the big fish will stick around, but the hot bite is happening now so get out there while it lasts!