Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 24 Update:
The rockfish bite in the mid Bay has slowed down some after a hot bite for a few days in mid-February. Schools of bigger migratory fish are still staging in areas from the mouth of the Patuxent to Chesapeake Beach and are starting to push shallower. Some anglers are catching them in 20 feet of water. Anglers Sport Center reported that they are starting to see more fish suspended and even some towards the top of the water column pushing bait. Sporadic bird action is even being reported when the conditions are right. There still seem to be a few oddball speckled trout “stuck” in the warm water at the power plant, as we heard from two different readers who were enjoying the recent warm weather there and scored a fish. Each catch was a single and one was snagged in the back. Both anglers reported that the rockfish bite was relatively slow but they had catches of around half a dozen fish in the mid 20s and low 30s. Another angler hitting the same spot reported catching three rockfish, with green and avocado 10-inch BKDs on 1.5-ounce heads tempting them into biting.
We had an early report on perch coming in at the upper Patuxent in the Wayson’s Corner vicinity. The action wasn’t “hot” but some smallish yellows along with a few large whites were caught at a rate of two to four per hour on an outgoing tide. Another angler fishing the upper Patuxent also reported that some white perch are pushing north in the river. During their outing they caught a few large ones on night crawler. The Angler in Chief fished the zone from Jug to Waysons and had zero luck on perch, but in the warm afternoon sun late this week reports an excellent bite kicked in with a mix of catfish, crappie, carp, bass, and bluegill. He noted that the fish mysteriously ignored minnow but pounced on grass shrimp worked along bottom with shad darts.
Yellow perch are becoming more active in the Severn and Magothy with many anglers reported success with them last weekend. Smaller live minnows work best for the perch, and they can be fished under a bobber or on a shad dart bounced along the bottom. Pickerel fishing is still providing great action, especially with the mild temperatures. Captain Tom Weaver checked in to report that a trip in the Severn this past week targeting them provided around 10 bites, swipes, and follows. There are only a few days left in the CCA Pickerel Championship so anglers looking to move up in the rankings should hit the water asap.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 17 Update:
Multiple readers checked in after hunting for catch-and-release rockfish in the past week. One found a good bite in open water and reports catching about a dozen fish with most in the mid-20s but several pushing and at least one breaking the 40-inch mark, in 65 feet of water. Skirted Boss BKDs on big leadheads did the trick. Two others went to the power plant, where they enjoyed a slow pick on mostly 20-somethings with a couple fish in the 30s also taking the jigs. One said they caught six fish in about four hours of fishing. And one reported landing a speck in the 20-inch range, which was snagged while jigging on bottom.
Captain Pete Dahlberg of Four Seasons Guide Service took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather this past week and reported a great open water bite. Birds were active and gave away the location of bigger schools of rockfish in 40 feet of water. His boat landed multiple fish over 40 inches, all of which were caught on light tackle. We did get a skunk report from a boat launching out of Chesapeake Beach last weekend, but a reader trolling deep along the main channel edges below the Bay Bridge reported catching three rock in the low 20s plus a 34-incher. Although finding them and getting them to bite can be difficult, there definitely do seem to be a lot of fish holding in the middle bay zone right now.
The warm weather should also kick the yellow perch into gear very soon. The Severn and Magothy are great places to target the yellow perch from boat or kayak. Live minnows usually work best but small jigs can work well too. They are currently in the upper rivers and creeks but haven’t left the deeper holes as of midweek. That could change fast if the warm trend continues so stay tuned.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 10 Update:
The warmer weather recently has many anglers itching for the start of spring. Anglers Sport Center reports that big migratory rockfish are continuing to move up the Bay from Virginia waters. Areas from Point Lookout up to the Patuxent have been productive for anglers. It is important to note that while there have been days that the fish cooperate, there are others where boats spend all day searching and can’t find any fish willing to bite. The fish that are being caught are being found between 40 and 60 feet of water, but we have heard of some anglers catching them as deep as 100 feet. The bigger fish are on the bottom so a heavier jighead (typically one and a half to two ounces) with larger soft plastics work well. Two- and three-ounce metal jigs and large flutter spoons have also been getting the job done. Be sure to use heavier rod and reel set ups when targeting the bigger fish so that the fight isn’t too prolonged.
Anglers also reported that a few people fishing in the Severn are having some success with yellow perch. The yellows are still staging in the deeper holes, but we are only a few weeks away from their spawning run really kicking off. Live minnows tipped on bottom rigs or bounced along the bottom on shad darts is a great way to target them. White perch move up into the rivers and creeks after the yellow perch spawn, so right now they are still schooled up in deeper water. Some anglers are catching them while targeting rockfish. If you happen to mark a school of them down deep, small metal jigs work well for them.
Pickerel fishing conditions are still good, and the Severn continues to be one of the more productive tidal tributaries in the Bay. Live minnows, jerkbaits, and other spinners are all catching fish this week. There is still time to enter the CCA Pickerel Championship which concludes at the end of the month so make sure to check out the divisions and enter for a chance to win some great prizes.
Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, February 3 Update:
There have been some large striped bass marauding about in the middle Bay but their whereabouts are hard to narrow down on any given day. It will take a lot of searching but generally speaking the shipping channel edges in 40 to 100 feet of water are good areas to start your search. The CCNPP has been providing some rockfish and a stray speck here and there to anglers willing to brave the cold. This time of year, boating safety is extremely important. Make sure to dress appropriately and wear life jackets. The AIC says a trip to the power plant in the cold and rain last weekend made for difficult fishing and a slow bite. Only six fish hit all day — one did make the 34-inch mark — and a larger fish was lost mid-fight. He noted that there were also very few marks on the meter, and although he heard scuttlebutt of some big fish hanging in deeper 50- to 70-foot waters to the east it was too rough to make a serious attempt at finding them.
The pickerel fishing in the tidal tributaries continues to be reliable and anglers hitting both the Severn and Magothy are catching fish. One angler did particularly well on the Severn last weekend. He fished through the rain and wind and caught seven pickerel ranging from 10 inches up to 24 inches. The pickerel were aggressively hitting three and a half inch paddletails and jerkbaits. He also noted that the larger fish were plump and their fins were red and tattered which may be an indication of some spawning activity. This is the last month to enter and fish the CCA Pickerel Championship which will conclude on the 28th. The top of the leaderboard is tight so good luck to those anglers fighting it out!