Middle Bay Fishing Reports

Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 20 Update:

Water temperatures on the main stem of the Bay are on the rise as we anticipate the start of the striped bass migration. Main stem temperatures on the west side are in the low to mid 40s, while on the east side they are closer to the 50-degree mark. The Eastern Shore always warms up quicker, and fish will often gravitate to those warmer waters. We didn’t have any readers check in with striper reports this week, but the Eastern Shore shallows on the main stem had been producing some fish during the warm spells at the beginning of the month. Many tributaries are closed to targeting, so make sure to check the striped bass regulation maps before heading out. Menhaden should soon be returning to the Bay, and the stripers will be following closely behind them. Once they show up, anywhere you can find schools of menhaden should have stripers close by. The shad run will also be starting soon, and contributor Eric Packard paid a visit to Mason Springs looking for shad but only found a few mostly small male yellow perch. Other anglers on-site reported the same, with small fish present but only a couple of keeper-sized fish showing up. The water was high and muddy from the rain early this week, but it should have settled out by the weekend. FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars heard some scuttlebutt of white perch already showing up in the Western Shore salt ponds and tried an early trip for white perch at Triton last weekend but reported a skunk. We also heard from a reader who tried hitting Hillsboro for yellow perch shortly after the storms at the beginning of the week and also had an unfortunately fish-free experience.

Better white perch action has been reported from the Choptank, where one reader found them already up as far as Red Bridges. Another reported catching some whites south of Greensboro. Reports Editor Dillon Waters made a trip with his brother over to the Eastern Shore to fish the perch run last weekend. They started the day at Red Bridges but reported no bites there. They also talked to an angler fishing in the area who had only caught one white perch and two river herring. After striking out there, they drove over to the Tuckahoe in Millsboro and launched their kayaks right as the incoming tide was starting. As they worked their way down the creek, they found scattered yellow perch hanging around fallen trees along the shoreline. They fished for two hours, and each caught a limit of yellow perch plus a dozen more and one big crappie. Everything was caught with minnow suspended under bobbers. An angler fishing at the boat launch had also caught four yellow perch with minnows. Most of the fish appeared to be males, and only one of the fish they kept was a female. We also had a report from a reader who said they were at Jackson’s Landing on the Patuxent River last weekend where some yellow perch and white perch were biting on bloodworms. The bite wasn’t hot, but steady enough to stay busy. The yellow perch run is likely at the tail end, but the white perch run should be following right behind it. Warm temperatures in the forecast this weekend should have the white perch on the move pushing up tributaries like the Choptank and Patuxent River.

Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 12 Update:

It was refreshing to enjoy some unseasonably warm temperatures this week even though it was quickly followed by a reality check that it is still March with some snowflakes falling later in the week. The weather is all over the place this time of year, but the perch runs remain consistent and are kicking off right now. Reader reports of a solid bite in the Tuckahoe near Hillsboro came in last weekend. The yellow perch run is naturally what’s on everyone’s mind right now, and after an absence of perch action during the incoming tide the yellows did start biting strong on minnow on shad darts during the outgoing and low tide. There was also a good bit of action from nice-sized crappie, as well as a few bass. Another reader reported good perch action, also last weekend, although far more whites than yellows, while fishing the Choptank downriver of Greensboro where pre-spawn fish were still staging. Grass shrimp for bait was the ticket.

The Angler in Chief says he made it out last week (just a hair too late to make the reports) with Capt. Tom Weaver of Fish With Weaver, searching the Severn for pickerel in the fog. The bite was very slow, but Tom caught a 20” fish, fooling it with an inline spinner. That said, the recent warm-up should have kicked the fish into gear, and we’d expect many of the bites that were tough during the past week to have picked up steam by now. Striped bass should also be on the move pushing up the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay. A reader checked in after searching for them last weekend without any luck. They fished from Eastern Bay down to the Choptank and only saw a few marks on the meter all day. Water temperatures are just now getting warm enough for the main migration to start, so we should have more catch and release opportunities on the table for the next few weeks. The striped bass regulations after this month are still up in the air, and it is still unclear if catch and release will be allowed in April Bay. Captain Pete Dahlberg of Four Seasons Guide Service found some large schools of fish in the shallows this week. His crew landed a mix of schoolie fish and trophy fish, but he said most of the fish were weary and unwilling to bite in the shallows. Jerkbaits were the most effective lures at depths of three to 10 feet. These fish will often move onto shallow flats to take advantage of the warm sun this time of year.

Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 6 Update:

March is the migration month for striped bass to make their way up the Chesapeake Bay for their spawning run. Temperatures in the main stem of the Middle Bay are still in the mid to upper 30s, but the warm front in the forecast starting this weekend should warm them up enough to get these fish on the move. A pair of readers who visited the power plant recently said there were good numbers of rockfish, including some 40-plus-inch trophy striped bass, though the bite was a bit of a roller coaster with the fishing good at times and slow or very slow at others. Six-inch chartreuse paddletails on 1.5-ounce heads were the ticket. Unfortunately, we also received a report of dozens of dead rockfish, toad fish, crabs, and even a number of cormorants and seagulls, washing up along the beach there in increasing numbers during the past two weeks. (The Maryland Department of the Environment has been alerted and has visited the site).

A reader checked in after hitting the Severn River last weekend and said the water was cold, clear, and fishless. Casting for pickerel in spots that normally produce during winter didn’t generate a single bite. The recent snowmelt, rain, and cooler temperatures have kept water temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s in most of the rivers and creeks. These prolonged cold temperatures are likely the cause of the slow action for pickerel. Warm temperatures on the way should get these fish more active as early spring is typically one of the best times of year to fish for them. The Severn River is the hotspot in the Middle Bay. Pick any creek in the middle to upper reaches of the river and focus on shoreline cover such as docks, fallen trees, and rocks. Perch reports are starting to come in as the yellow perch and white perch begin their spawning run as well. The yellow perch have been difficult to pattern this year, which is usually the case, but white perch are entering the mix on the Eastern Shore tributaries. Some fish are being caught on tributaries of the Choptank River, including the Tuckahoe. Minnows and grass shrimp are the key for a successful day during the spring perch runs. Grass shrimp are usually the most effective bait and a popular way to use them is either on a bottom rig, or on shad darts that are bounced along the bottom. We haven’t heard any reports of perch on the Patuxent yet, but we expect that to change after this weekend. Gear up and get ready folks, spring is here.