Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 20 Update:

The pattern is changing, and anglers are looking to close out 2024 with a bang. The Tackle Box reports that large numbers of migratory fish have moved into the lower Potomac with a fair number of trophy sized fish in the mix. Their angler intel says that the bulk of the fish are from the mouth of the St. Mary’s River down to the mouth where the Potomac meets the Bay. The fish started showing up late last week and many are covered in sea lice which indicates migration from the Atlantic. The Potomac River and Virginia waters striped bass season is still open until the end of the month, but the slot is 19 to 24 inches. The trophy fish must be released, and we should make sure to handle them with care and use ethical catch and release techniques. Trollers and light tackle anglers are finding fish in 35 to 55 feet of water with occasional bird shows popping up. One boat pulling baits near Piney Point reported catching their limit of four slot fish with around a dozen more under slot and slot fish that were released.

Down on the Rappahannock River the striped bass action is slower, but more migratory fish are showing up as well. The concentration of fish has been down river from Urbanna out to the mouth of the river and along the bayfront. The fish in this area seem to be more scattered, but covering water is the name of the game in the winter months. We heard from one boat trolling that landed three fish that were all over 35 inches out of a half dozen bites. The Rappahannock has also been fishing well for big blue catfish further upriver. The biggest fish we saw a report of this week weighed in at a whopping 72 pounds. There are even bigger fish than that lurking around and now through the winter is a great time to target them. Fresh cut eel and shad works very well for getting these fish to bite. The James and Potomac rivers also have high populations of blue catfish and are also known to hold river monsters weighing well over the 50-pound mark. Keep this in mind as a winter fishing opportunity.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 13 Update:

The season for striped bass is now closed other than catch and release in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay but the Potomac River and Virginia waters will remain open for harvest until the end of the month. Fishing for striped bass in the Rappahannock was still on the slower side this week. Many boats tried their luck trolling and reports showed that few fish were caught. It seems that the slight bit of action has been upriver of the Norris Bridge, but fish and bait have been very scattered. One boat reported finding fish in 35’ to 40’ of water close to bottom. Heavy inline sinkers that got their baits to bottom was what it took to get the bites. The bite has not been all that much better on the Potomac. There have been some fish in the lower section of the river near the mouth in the 40’ to 50’ range. Most boats are having to cover a lot of water to find fish and bird shows have been few and far between. One boat reported finding good marks near the Smith Point Bar, but that the fish weren’t willing to bite, and they caught only one slot fish. Other boats reported marking lots of bait near St. Clement’s Island, but again few rockfish around.

While the striped bass bite has been slow, the catfish bite has been very good at times in the larger Lower Bay rivers. The big fish are biting in the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James with plenty of smaller fish to keep lines tight as well. One angler fishing in Washington D.C. filled a stringer with close to a dozen blue catfish in the three-to-five-pound range. Historically, the boats that can get out on the main stem of these rivers and fish deeper channels and holes in the winter have been able to pull some monster catfish out of the water. Big fish ranging from 40 pounds up to 80 pounds can be caught in each of these tributaries. Fresh cut gizzard shad and eel are two of the top cut bait choices when it comes to blue catfish. They can also be caught using artificial lures with the same tactics you would use when jigging for rockfish. This method can be effective if you find a big school of fish, but when they are scattered, soaking baits is usually best. 

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 6 Update:

Striped bass season is nearing the end with less than a month to go in Maryland, Virginia, and Potomac waters. Reports were slim this week likely due to the brutal cold snap and windy conditions we have been experiencing. A few anglers braved the cold and made it out, but we didn’t hear of any stellar trips. It still seems as though trollers are finding the most success by covering water with tandems and umbrella rigs. Most boats are reporting that fish are in the 30’ to-50’ range and are often close to bottom. One troller reported that chartreuse baits have been outperforming other colors recently. Light tackle anglers are working ledges in the same depths with side scan being a huge advantage for finding schools of fish. The most productive zone of the lower Potomac has been from Colonial Beach down to the mouth of the river.

Down on the Rappahannock, fishing for striped bass has also been slow and we haven’t heard of any more reports of migratory fish showing up this week. Historically speaking, now is the time when the big fish start to move up the Bay. This cold snap should help get them moving, but it appears many are still hanging out off the beaches of New Jersey. Surprisingly, even with the cold there are still cutlassfish being caught in the Rappahannock and other southern Bay tribs. Chesapeake Charters was out looking for stripers but ended up catching several nice cutlassfish on a trip earlier in the week. Umbrella rigs with five-inch sassy shads were getting the bites.

While striped bass fishing has been on the slower side, blue catfish are biting in both the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers. These fish will be more abundant upriver where salinity levels are lower. The big fish are biting, and we have seen several reports of fish over the 40-pound mark this month. A variety of cut bait will work including bunker, eel, chicken, and any other meaty substance you can find. Target them at the mouths of creeks and other tribs leading to the main stems of the rivers and at ledges or deeper holes. They will be a reliable target throughout the winter.