Middle Bay Fishing Reports

Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 3 Update:

The white perch run in the rivers is mostly a done deal, but tidal pond runs are still underway. We had a couple of reports from shoreline anglers who caught good numbers of fish casting floats suspending a shad dart tipped with grass shrimp. Finding the edge of a weedbed was noted as a good move. The tidal pond bite can vary depending on the day, but there are a bunch scattered from the Mayo peninsula down along Calvert Cliffs to give a try. White perch should also move into the Middle Bay tidal tributaries soon as water temperatures are warming up quickly. Once they make their way into the rivers, they can be found hanging out near rock jetties, docks, and fallen trees. Small spinners or underspin jigs work great for casting to structure with an ultra-light set up. Live minnows under a bobber is also a bait that perch usually can’t resist. Some fish may be in their summertime spots now, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check them out.

Anglers looking for big blue catfish have had some success near the river mouths and also up the rivers, and FishTalk contributor Peter Turcik reported catching a 33-incher in the South. The AIC said he spent an afternoon looking for them near Mayo Beach but came up blank, proving that blind squirrels may find a nut now and then but they often go hungry, too. The Patuxent River is a great location if you are looking for a more consistent catfish bite. A reader fishing just south of Jug Bay reported that the evening bite was hot this week as they caught 10 blue catfish from the bank one day. They ranged from four pounds up to 15 pounds. If you are looking to get out on the river in a boat, there are a few boat launches on the Prince Georges County side of the river including Jackson’s Landing, Selby’s Landing, and Magruder’s Landing. Anchoring up along a ledge with shallow water close to deep water is a good strategy. Throwing out baits on both sides will usually reveal what depths the fish are hanging out in.