Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 3 Update:

The Tackle Box checked in to let us know that plenty of catfish are being caught in the Potomac River. They are biting on a variety of baits like alewife, gizzard shad, perch, and just about anything else edible. Michael Whiffen of District Catfish says that the blue cats are pushing into shallower water and staying there throughout the day. He was out last week and caught over 200 pounds of blue catfish in the shallows near Three Sisters Island in one trip. We also heard from a reader who scored a nice catch of seven- to 10-pound cats fishing near Coles Point. On the upper Potomac near Fletchers Cove, flathead catfish are also attracting anglers to the area. This species is invasive too, and they are growing in size and number every year. Flatheads are a predatory fish and most anglers take the approach of jigging for them with soft plastics along the rocky ledges in the river. Five- and 10-pound fish are common, but flatheads as big as 40 pounds have been caught on the upper Potomac.

Shad fishing is slowing down with low flows and warming waters. There are still some hickory shad around along with some big Americans. The schools are thinning, and most will move out in the coming weeks. Contributor Eric Packard said a day at Fletcher’s produced just a handful of shad plus some blueback herring so if you want to catch shad before they are gone, don’t wait.

Migratory saltwater species are pushing further north into the Lower Bay this week. Speckled trout and puppy drum have been in the Rappahannock and Piankatank and they are pushing into the Potomac with the warmer weather. A pound netter in Cornfield Harbor reported that he found a 35-pound red drum and some big specks in his net last weekend. Spot are also starting to show up and the puppy drum should be right behind them as long as the warmer weather holds. An angler fishing in the Pianktatank last weekend found steady pickings of puppy drum and small speckled trout while fishing docks and rip-rap shoreline in various creeks. Four-inch paddletails were the ticket. Aquatic grasses are emerging more in the shallows and now that water temps are in the low 60s, bait and gamefish will be moving into these areas. Popping corks can be very effective when fishing shallow grass beds. The cork mimics baitfish being chased when popped correctly and will draw nearby fish in to check out the commotion. Give them a try the next time you are out.