Upper 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 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.
Fishing is fairly quiet in the Upper Bay right now, especially since last week’s cold brought two rounds of snow. This week we are seeing a significant warm up accompanied with some rain. The upper creeks in the Severn and Magothy should have thawed out by now, so pickerel fishing is back on the table. Anglers Sport Center let us know that pickerel fishing is at its peak this time of year in the tidal tributaries. Casting out spinnerbaits, paddletails, or jerkbaits is highly effective for enticing bites. Shoreline and shallow water structure are prime ambush points for these fish, so make sure to look fish around those areas. Striped bass are also an option for dedicated anglers who have the patience to target them. The Patapsco River holds them throughout the winter. Our most recent reports indicate that most of the bait is hanging along the main channel edges and points in 35 to 45 feet of water. Fish that are around are following this bait and will usually be found in the same depths but have been caught as shallow as 25 feet recently.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 19 Update:
It was a frigid week with temperatures hovering around freezing for the better part of most days. Combine the cold with some strong winds and most people opted to stay of the water until some better weather returns. The cold temperatures have locked up many of the tidal creeks in the upper Bay which has restricted access to some of the pickerel grounds. Angler Sport Center told us that before the freeze, pickerel fishing was close to peak activity. The Severn, Magothy, and Baltimore area tidal creeks were producing good bites. Anglers recommends throwing a four-inch gambler paddletail with a willow vibe or an in-house-made pickerel spinner. Once the creeks thaw out, look for pickerel around shallow water structures like fallen trees, rocks, and docks as they prefer shallow areas with drop offs nearby.
While many fishing opportunities are limited this time of year, blue catfish are a reliable target in the winter. Blue catfish and channel catfish can be caught in the various tidal rivers of the Upper Bay. The blue catfish are very active in cold water. They typically cruise along channel edges and fresh cut bait works great for getting them to bite. The striped bass craze that was taking over much of the region has dialed back a little bit. The fish have become more scattered and fewer anglers are targeting them thanks to the cold. Schoolie sized striped bass can be found around the deeper parts of the Bay Bridge and the Patapsco. Fishing for stripers this time of year usually requires covering a lot of water and patience, but they are still around for the dedicated anglers who want to target them.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 11 Update:
The weather has been downright nasty this past week. Heavy rain and strong winds have been battering our region since last weekend, so it has been hard to get out during the brief breaks in the weather. The mid-week storm brought the worst weather with coastal flooding in most of our tidal areas. The dirty water and debris flowing into the Bay will likely take a few days to clean itself up, so be prepared for less-than-ideal water conditions.
Bay temperatures are hovering around the low 40s, which has spurred some good pickerel fishing in the tidal rivers. Anglers Sport Center reports that these ambush predators are in full swing feeding mode. The morning and evening are when these fish are most often on the prowl looking for baitfish. Pickerel are most abundant in the Magothy Rive, and Baltimore area creeks. Those targeting them are finding these aggressive predators around shallow water structures such as piers, rocks, and fallen trees—prime locations for exciting angling experiences.
Before the weather rolled in, striped bass fishing was still offering a great winter bite, mainly from the Bay Bridge south. When (or if) we get some good weather again, it may be worth trolling boats down to the areas between Eastern Bay and Solomons to find the highest concentrations of fish. If you want to stay local, you can find scattered fish along major channel edges and inside the Patapsco River. Trolling umbrellas or jigging large soft plastics in deeper waters will likely yield the best results. We wish we had better news heading into the weekend, but the forecast does not look promising with more strong winds expected. Let’s hope for some better fishing conditions next week.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 5 Update:
Happy New Year folks! Hopefully some of you have already caught your first fish of 2024, and for those of you who haven’t, there are some great bites going on in our region. Many Upper Bay anglers who are mobile are trailering their boats to the Middle Bay grounds because of the huge push of migratory striped bass. The bite is still going strong and there is quite a buzz about these fish, so be prepared for a decent crowd on the water when fishing. Areas noted as hot include Bloody Point, Eastern Bay, south/west of Poplar Island, the mouth of the Choptank, Chesapeake Beach, east of Parker’s Creek, east of Cove Point, west of Hoopers Island, and points south in the Lower Bay report. If you want to catch striped bass closer to the home grounds of the Upper Bay, the Patapsco River will be your best bet. There are resident stripers that stay in the river year-round along with other species like white perch and blue catfish. Most fish have pushed to deeper waters so search those channel edges and look for bait. Where there is bait, there will be fish (sometimes).
Pickerel fishing in the Upper Bay is coming to its peak as we get into the heart of winter. The Severn River, Magothy River, and Baltimore area creeks all hold good concentrations of these fish. Contributor Eric Packard reports a slow pickerel bite early this week in the Baltimore creeks but said that the fish that did hit were quality, including a 26-incher. He also noted that the pickerel were covered in sea lice, something he (and we) can’t ever recall seeing before. Recent reports from other anglers showed that the pickerel are hanging around shallow grass beds in two to three feet of water or are hanging at the ends of creeks in around five feet of water. Any lure with flash is producing bites right now, especially inline spinners paired with paddletails. Pickerel anglers should check out the CCA Pickerel Championship which runs until the end of February. The biggest three fish stringer can earn you some cool prizes and bragging rights among other anglers.