Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 26 Update:
Snakehead action is up as fall-like weather triggers the urge to feed, with good catches reported this week around the Flats and in the rivers. We heard from a pair of readers this week who had excellent action near Aberdeen, with a catch of eight fish including two over 30”. They noted that frogs made for short strikes but Mepps #3, a spoon, and chatterbaits made for solid hookups.
In the dam pool rockfish continue to be caught by those casting out jigs and swimming plugs as far as possible from shore. Par for the course we also had several reader reports of solid catfish action this week. Interestingly, one angler said he found the channels were more numerous than the blues recently, fishing with cut perch chunks near Town Point.
Editor’s Note: Our intrepid and awesome Reports Editor Dillon Waters is away on his honeymoon this week, and the reports were compiled by the staff in his absence. We send Dillon and his bride Layla our congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful future.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 19 Update:
Rainy conditions and stiff northeast blows have not made for the best fishing conditions this week on the Bay. The more protected areas of the tidal rivers have made for much easier fishing. Not much has changed in the Way North region this week. The best bite this week has been for blue catfish in the lower Susquehanna and on the Susquehanna Flats. All the tidal rivers of the upper Bay have populations of blue catfish, but the area around Port Deposit and Havre De Grace is known for producing big blues with 20 to 30 pounders being common. The big blue cats prefer fresh cut bait and will also eat clams and artificial lures. If you can find a school of them, dropping down a soft plastic on a jig will usually entice a bite as they are known to be predatory instead of strictly bottom feeders. Channel catfish are also found in the same rivers and can be caught using the same tactics. Flathead catfish can be found at the Conowingo Dam and areas just south in the river. The flatheads prefer live bait and live lining small sunfish is a popular way to catch them. They are also willing to eat artificial lures jigged along the rocky bottom.
Anglers fishing at the Conowingo Dam are still catching some smallmouth bass and striped bass. Fishing has been best during the power generation schedule which has been releasing water in the afternoons and evenings. As we get ready to head into October, striped bass fishing on the Flats and in the rivers should get better as baitfish begin to exit the tributaries which will cause stripers to school up and chase them franticly.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 12 Update:
As summer is coming to an end, many anglers are anxiously awaiting the famous time of year known as Rocktober, where baitfish will begin to exit the tidal rivers and striped bass will be chasing them around frantically. Not much has changed in this section of the Bay thus far, but as fall progresses, we should see some patterns shift and action pick up. Many anglers are focusing their efforts on catfish in the lower Susquehanna and on the Susquehanna Flats. The cooler end of summer has led to fish feeding for prolonged periods throughout the day. It is still best to fish during a moving tide and those night fishing have reported good success in the area of Port Deposit. Cut bait is the preferred choice when searching for the bottom dwellers, but blue catfish are known to chase down crankbaits, chatterbaits, and jigs. If you find a stack of them, breaking out a light tackle rod typically used for striped bass fishing is a fun way to target them. The blue cats in this portion of the Bay are known to get upwards of 40 pounds, so make sure your tackle isn’t too light. Any medium light to medium rod spooled with 20-to-30-pound line should suffice.
White perch are around in the creeks rivers, with reports of either spinners or small minnow under a bobber generating the action. At the Conowingo Dam, anglers have been targeting striped bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing has been on the slower side, but there have been some nice smallies and slot sized striped bass pulled from the water this week. Fishing has been best early in the morning, and we had reports of a decent topwater bite along the rocky shorelines. Smallmouth anglers are using spooks and poppers in low light hours then transitioning to tube jigs and crankbaits as the sun gets up. Most of the striped bass will be found in the wash below the dam and it typically requires a large surf rod to get baits into the strike zone. Wading out into the water and casting baits as far as you can is the standard approach for targeting the stripers. Artificial jigs and bucktails worked through the current will get bit with the right presentation, just make sure to not let your lures get all the way to bottom as the rocks below the dam are notorious for snagging lures.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 5 Update:
Fall is in the air and most anglers are happy after a summer of extreme heat. Anglers fishing around Port Deposit this week enjoyed a solid catfish bite and those night fishing had some big fish hit their lines. A few in the 20-pound range were reeled in by an angler fishing at Marina Park. The mouth of the river and the main channel running along the Susquehanna Flats were also good for catfish anglers this week. As temperatures cool down as fall progresses, the fishing action should pick up with fish feeding hard on the abundance of baitfish around. All the area tidal rivers including the Northeast, Elk, and Sassafras have large populations of blue catfish that can be caught year-round. Deeper holes and ledges are prime locations to search for them. Make sure to participate in CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count to help out with some cool citizen science. Anglers are asked to log their catches of invasive fish species and are then entered to win monthly prizes. It is a great cause and a great organization to support.
Sarge’s Bait and Tackle let us know that they had a few reports of improved smallmouth action on the lower Susquehanna this week. The early mornings and late evenings were best with a few big fish being caught on topwater lures. The Conowingo Dam was also productive for smallmouth this week with a few three pounders being caught along the rocky shoreline from below the dam. Now that river conditions have improved and water flows are lower, anglers are returning to fish from shore along the rocks and the walkway at Conowingo Fisherman’s Park. Striped bass fishing is also picking back up and there are a good amount of slot sized fish hanging out below the dam in the moving water. To effectively target them, anglers should use larger surf style rods with long casting capabilities. A three-way rig with a sinker at the bottom and a lure above works well for getting down in the water column to where the fish are. Just make sure to keep the rig off bottom as the rocks are very snaggy and are notorious for taking away rigs.