Way North Fishing Reports
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 18 Update:
The striped bass bite has slowed from its early-June peak, but anglers are still finding fish throughout the Susquehanna Flats and lower river systems. Rising water temperatures have pushed many fish into deeper water, making them more scattered and finicky than they were just a week ago. Snakehead fishing continues to improve in the tidal creeks and marshes, while blue catfish action should rebound as spawning activity winds down.
Reports Editor Dillon Waters took a trip up to the Susquehanna Flats late last week to fish with Rich Leadbeater of Rhythm Of The Tides Guide Service. The striped bass bite on the Susquehanna Flats had been very good at the beginning of the last week, and they were hoping to take advantage of the hot bite. As most anglers know, conditions change quickly, and fish rarely stay in the same zone for very long. They started the afternoon by searching some troughs in 10 to 15 feet of water where there were schools of stripers prowling around. The fish were very finicky and unwilling to hit larger soft plastics. Switching to a small white two-inch straight tail on a 1/8th ounce jighead got a few bites from small stripers between 12” and 18”. The fish were short striking a lot and not very active. After messing with the small fish for a bit, they headed to the flats in the zone where fish had been breaking on bait in the evenings. Casting topwater lures for an hour only produced one fish that was a four and a half pound largemouth. Another move to deeper structure produced a few blow-ups on topwater lures, but none came tight. The last hour of daylight, they moved back to the grass flats in five feet of water where they caught two slot fish. It was a grind, but fish were caught, and they found some action in several areas around the flats. Daytime temperatures in the upper 90s last week caused water temperatures to jump into the low 80s. This likely caused the larger schools of fish to push off the flats and head for deeper water that is cooler. Anglers are still catching fish on the lower Susquehanna River and on the flats, but the fish are much more scattered.
At the Conowingo Dam, the flow has been running low due to lack of rainfall in the area. Many anglers have been casting jigs into the dam pool to catch striped bass, but there are many other species around the dam that can also be caught. Big blue catfish are common below the dam and flathead catfish are also around, but in smaller numbers. The big blue catfish are wrapping up their spawning activities, so anglers should start to see the big fish start to bite again. We even heard rumors of a 70-pounder caught just below the dam this week, but we have not confirmed this catch. The mouths of the tidal rivers, including the North East, Elk, and Sassafras, are good areas to anchor up and chunk some bait for blue catfish. Bunker chunks and eel will also give you a chance to catch some stripers too. In the tidal creeks, white perch and yellow perch are spread out. Anglers have been catching them by tossing out bloodworms and grass shrimp on bottom rigs. They have also been willing to hit live minnows. Along the marshy shorelines of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Bohemia, and the Sassafras, northern snakehead are active. Topwater frog fishing has been very good in areas with thick vegetation. Along hard marsh edges, spinners and chatterbaits are enticing reaction bites. Mating activity is picking up, and fry balls will start popping up in the Way North tributaries over the next few weeks.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 11 Update:
The striped bass bite remains red hot in the Way North region, with large schools of fish feeding across the Susquehanna Flats and providing excellent action for anglers casting swimbaits and paddletails. Snakehead fishing is also heating up in the Susquehanna and upper Eastern Shore tidal rivers as fish move into shallow vegetation and begin spawning activity. While blue catfish are becoming less aggressive during the spawn, anglers are still finding success in the region's tidal rivers and around Conowingo Dam.
The striped bass season is off to a hot start in the Way North region. The reports we have received seem to show that there are a lot of fish in this area of the Bay right now. Several days this week, anglers observed breaking fish in the vicinity of the Susquehanna Flats. Most of the action is at depths of seven to 10 feet and the stripers are traveling in larger schools. This hot bite does not usually last long on the Flats, so make sure to get out there soon. Swimbaits and soft plastic paddletails have been working well. In the shallower zones where the grass is thicker, the largemouth bass bite is still going strong. Water temperatures are on the rise, and the aquatic grasses are growing thicker, so topwater frog fishing over the grass mats will start to come on the table soon. Anglers have also reported some bycatch while bass fishing with soft plastics including channel catfish and yellow perch.
Some reports of solid snakehead action came from the zone this week, the biggest being a whopping 34” caught in the Susquehanna. Snakehead action is also heating up in the upper Easter Shore tidal rivers where aquatic vegetation is growing. These fish can often be spotted hanging out in the shallows along the marsh shorelines. This can present great sight fishing opportunities, and a well-placed cast with a topwater frog usually gets their interest. Anglers fishing around the Aberdeen Proving Grounds are also having good luck with snakeheads. Spawning activity is just starting with fish beginning to pair up, and there have been rumors of the first few fry balls popping up around the region, but the fry balls are not widespread yet. The sight fishing opportunities should increase over the coming weeks.
Blue catfish are spawning right now in the Way North region of the Chesapeake Bay. Some anglers have reported that it has been harder to locate them in the tidal rivers, but that may just be because they are less focused on feeding and more focused on spawning. The blue cats tend to move into shallower water this time of year, so it may be worth soaking some fresh cut bait in depths of five to 15 feet of water. Channel edges near Turkey Point, Perry Point, the mouth of the Bohemia, North East, and Sassafras River tend to be productive zones. Any meaty bait can work, such as shrimp, hot dogs, chicken, or worms, but fresh cut gizzard shad, bunker, and eel tend to be best. Or, you can avoid the mess and try out the new Fishbites catfish baits.If you want to catch channel catfish, try searching for them further up the creeks and rivers near cover such as fallen trees and other submerged structures. Flathead catfish and big blue catfish can be caught at the Conowingo Dam and rocky areas just below the dam. Flatheads often prefer live bait or artificial lures, so throwing jigs and soft plastics can be very effective for them.
Way North Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, June 4 Update:
Opening week of Maryland’s striped bass season produced plenty of action in the Way North region, with anglers finding success trolling, casting soft plastics, and working the Susquehanna Flats. Smallmouth bass fishing above Conowingo Dam has also improved as water levels recede and clarity increases, while blue catfish remain abundant throughout the region’s tidal rivers. Anglers targeting a mixed bag of species are finding plenty of opportunities as summer fishing patterns begin to settle in.
Striped bass season is now open in all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, which means that the Way North region is now open for anglers to start targeting them. This region has been off limits to targeting since April, so there’s no doubt anglers have been eagerly waiting for the season to open. Luckily, we had good conditions this week for folks to get out on the water. We heard several successful reports from anglers and also heard that opening day was crowded, which was to be expected. A kayak angler reported a Shadow Rap and Flicker Shad produced while trolling. Topwater did not produce any bites nor did they see other anglers who were casting hook up. Other anglers fishing in the lower Susquehanna River found success this week throwing swim shads and other soft plastics around the rock islands in the river. North of the Conowingo Dam, the smallmouth bite has been good now that the water levels are receding, and the water clarity is improving. Jerkbaits, poppers, and ned rigs have all been noted as effective recently.
Rich Leadbeater of Rhythm Of The Tides guide service reports that he and a friend had an excellent opening day of rockfish season on the Susquehanna Flats. They caught their two keepers plus several other fish in 10 to 15 feet of water. Rich also reports that the bass bite is still good on the flats in the shallow waters over the grass beds. Rich just launched his guide service and is offering trips on the Susquehanna Flats and nearby rivers for several species, including largemouth bass, striped bass, catfish and perch. He is a local expert for this region.
The Conowingo Dam pool is a hotspot for the Way North region. The area will be crowded now that rockfish season is open, but that is because it is usually a productive area. Those looking to catch rockfish should use large surf casting rods with three-way rigs or jigs and soft plastics to cast into the wash. The rockfish usually hang out close to the outflow pipes, so casting close and jigging through the water column is how most folks target them. Big blue catfish and flathead catfish have also been in the area, but the action for the big blues has slowed down as they are spawning right now. The smaller blue catfish in the five-to-20-pound range are biting just about everywhere in the region’s tidal rivers. Fresh cut gizzard shad and eel are two baits that typically work very well. There have also been a few reports of catfish being caught on crankbaits and jerkbaits. Both blue catfish and flatheads are known to hit artificial lures, and it is a very fun way to catch them.
