Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 12 Update:

Spring finally feels like it made its arrival this week after temperatures made it into the 70s. Trees and shrubbery all responded with green leaves sprouting which is a sure sign of the season change. It’s good to have the warmer weather back, especially with the big fish that are biting in the Lower Bay tidal rivers. Blue catfish are cruising along channel edges and transition points searching for bait. Anglers targeting them have had no problem finding them or getting them to bite. The Rappahannock River from the Tappahannock Bridge up to Fredericksburg saw good action this week including some fish over 30 pounds. Anglers on the Potomac also saw good action and fish are being caught just about everywhere on the river. D.C. anglers have had great luck using eel and gizzard shad as bait on fish finder rigs. But the catfish aren’t the only big fish cruising around the Lower Bay. There are still big migratory stripers being caught in the upper sections of the Rapp and Potomac. Most of the fish are being caught by catfish anglers, but you can still catch and release fish for them in D.C., the mainstem of the Potomac, and in Viginia. Maryland waters are closed to targeting striped bass until mid-May. The stripers are getting ready to spawn and some are likely spawning right now. If you catch a big one, make sure to handle the fish with care and ensure it swims off strong.

FishTalk’s own Zach Ditmars and Eric Packard, both made it to Mason’s Run at different times last weekend, and both reported good action on hickory shad with dozens being caught in a few hours of fishing. There was no apparent pattern to the lure preferences as different colored darts and spoons both worked, but Ditmars mentioned that small jigs with fuzzy bodies seemed to work particularly well. Packard did well on black darts and noted that moding other darts by coloring them with a black sharpie worked, too. The upper Potomac was running high and turbid last weekend and early this week thanks to heavy spring rains. Make sure to check the USGS flow gauges to know the latest conditions before you head out for a trip. The shad should stick around through April, so if you are looking for action-packed fun on light gear, head to some of the shad fishing hotspots.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 5 Update:

Up in the tributaries the Tackle Box reports that the blue catfish bite has been on fire, and many boats are returning loaded with fish. They mentioned a few in the 30-pound range showed up this week as well. Ebb Tide Charters has been running trips for blue catfish on the Potomac out of Goose Bay and have had no problem filling coolers on recent trips. Catching and removing blue catfish from our waters is always encouraged since these fish are invasive and have a big impact on native species. CCA’s Great Chesapeake Invasive Count just started on April 1st and we encourage anglers to participate. The goal of this initiative is to help fisheries managers understand which invasive species are being caught and where. All you have to do is log your catches and you will be entered for a chance to win great prizes. Get more details on the Coastal Conservation Association website and meanwhile, check out our article on catching these big blue cats from the shoreline and our video on how to catch blue cats in the Potomac:

FishTalk intern Adam Greenberg visited the Potomac for shad as opposed to catfish, and reported a good bite but finicky fish which were hitting weighted spoons and then decided they wanted a lightning-fast retrieve up along the surface. A reader checked in after fishing for shad on a tributary of the Potomac last weekend reporting that they found a red-hot bite in the evening. Big hickory shad consisted of all their catches which totaled around 30 fish. They mentioned that pink shad darts were getting most of the bites compared to chartreuse. The upper Rappahannock River was also reported as productive for shad anglers at the beginning of the week before the rains. Reports of American Shad showing up throughout the Lower Bay tidal rivers and tributaries means that there is an abundance of fish presenting catch and release opportunities. These tributaries may be flooded and muddy at the moment, but when the waters recede, the fishing should be great. Here's our video on how to go after shad:

Big striped bass are still being caught in the upper Rappahannock and Potomac this week as the fish stage for their spawning runs. Catch and release fishing is allowed in D.C, Virginia, and the main stem of the Potomac River (Maryland waters are closed to targeting). Striped bass season in Virginia, D.C., and on the PRFC waters of the Potomac will open May 16th with a slot of 19 to 24 inches.