Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle — Baltimore, MD
The Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Fishing Report is written by Tochterman’s team member, Kevin Trupia.
The rain has effected the lower Susquehanna as far as the shad run goes; the Conowingo Dam has been good for hickory and American shad with tandem rigs of shad darts and small spoons. There are also snakeheads being caught at the Conowingo Dam. Chatter baits, spinners, and flukes or paddle tails have been good choices. There are still plenty of catfish being caught throughout the bay and its tributaries, with cut bait being the best choice. May 1st opened for trophy striped bass season with some rough conditions for anglers that went out; the regulations allow for 1 fish 35 inches or bigger in areas south of the Brewerton Channel.
The Tochterman’s Fishing Tackle Fishing Report is written by Tochterman’s team member, Kevin Trupia.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
Last week’s heavy rain will affect the lower Susquehanna, Deer Creek, and Octoraro Creek for several days at least. If the waters of the creeks warm up, it is possible that the increased flows may spur a spawning run of hickory shad. At the Conowingo Dam pool, anglers are catching and releasing a mix of hickory and American shad on shad darts and small silver spoons rigged in tandem. Snakeheads are holding in the dam pool and anglers are catching them on paddletails.
A mix of flathead, channel, and blue catfish make up the largest portion of what anglers are targeting and catching. The flatheads are holding in the dam pool below the power turbines, looking for lunch to come through the turbine blades. The blue catfish and channel catfish can be found in the lower Susquehanna River and the upper Bay’s other tidal rivers.
White perch are still being found in the lower Susquehanna River this week, but high water flows may make fishing difficult. White perch in the upper Bay’s tidal rivers and creeks are now being found in the lower parts of the rivers, and fishing with grass shrimp and pieces of bloodworm on bottom rigs remains popular. Anglers are beginning to report white perch holding near docks, prominent points, and structure along shorelines, casting small jigs and spinners are becoming more productive and will continue to do so through the month of May.
Anglers looking to fish for striped bass opening day were treated to rough conditions. The waters south of the Brewerton Channel are open to striped bass fishing, with a limit of one fish per day and a minimum size of 35 inches. The steep channel edges of the Craighill shipping channel near Sandy Point will be a popular place to troll, and the approach channel below the Triple Buoys near the mouth of the Sassafras may also be worth a look. The waters of the upper Bay are a bit stained from last week’s rain so chartreuse parachutes, bucktails, and sassy shads might be a good choice for colors.
Middle Bay
Fishing for trophy-sized striped bass will be front and center for many middle Bay anglers this week. At many of the traditional steep edges of the shipping channel, boats will be trolling a mix of large parachutes and bucktails dressed with large sassy shads and rigged in tandem. The steep channel edge off the Brick House Bar, Gum Thickets, Thomas Point, Bloody Point, Buoy 83, Breezy Point, the Choptank CP Buoy, and off Calvert Cliffs are just a few of the places to troll. Others may try their luck at chumming and chunking at the outside edge of Hacketts or Thomas points. Anglers are reminded that the striped bass limit is one fish per day per angler with a 35-inch minimum. The Choptank River is closed to striped bass fishing, and others only allow catch and release. A map on the Department of Natural Resources website can help clarify boundary lines.
There are plenty of catfish to be caught in the Choptank River for anglers fishing from shore or from small boats. Channel catfish tend to be everywhere and the best blue catfish reports are still coming from below Denton. A mix of blue and channel catfish can also have a habit of showing up out in the Bay if you are chunking or chumming for striped bass this month. The Miles, Wye, and Severn rivers also have substantial populations of channel catfish and increasing numbers of blue catfish.
White perch are now beginning to be found in their typical summer habitat areas at the lower sections of tidal rivers and creeks. Grass shrimp on a simple one hook bottom rig or small jig head worked close to structure is a proven tactic. Pieces of bloodworm can fill in if you can’t catch your own grass shrimp. In the evenings, white perch will start to show up along shoreline structures such as rocky points, breakwaters, or sunken wood. Casting small spinners, spinnerbaits or small soft plastic jigs are a great way to fish for them.
Lower Bay
Striped bass anglers will become more prevalent this week as winds hopefully diminish. The steep channel edges of the shipping channel in front of Cove Point. Cedar Point, Buoy 76 south to the HS Buoy, Point Lookout, Smith Point, and the steep channel edges of the lower Potomac River will be targeted.
Trolling with large parachutes and bucktails rigged in tandem along the various depths of the steeper channel edges is a good tactic. Chumming, chunking, and light-tackle jigging are fun and productive alternatives to trolling. The Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge is always attractive to light-tackle anglers hoping to entice a trophy-size striped bass to take a soft plastic jig, and if the fish fail to meet the 35-inch minimum length, the catch-and-release is always a lot of fun.
There are reports of spot showing up where anglers are fishing for white perch in the lower Patuxent River this week. White perch are arriving at the lower sections of the region’s tidal rivers and can be caught on grass shrimp, bloodworms, or small jigs.
Fishing for a mix of channel and blue catfish is very good in the tidal Potomac from the Wilson Bridge south to the Route 301 Bridge, in the Patuxent River from Benedict to Jug Bay, and in the Nanticoke near Sharpstown. More and more anglers are targeting blue catfish once they find out how much fun they are to catch and how good they can taste.
Although the fishery is showing signs of slowing down, hickory shad and American shad are still being caught in the uppermost section of the tidal Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek. Shad darts rigged in tandem with small silver spoons is the best rig to use.
May is traditionally a very good month for snakehead fishing. The current chilly weather has probably slowed things down a bit this week, but once the sun comes out and warms things up fishing should be very good. Although they can begin to spawn as early as April, most Maryland snakeheads spawn in June and July. That said, snakeheads will be aggressively feeding when they are in a pre-spawn mode, and they have not yet retreated to the thick shallow grass. White paddletails are perhaps one of the most popular lures to use. Large minnows under a bobber are an excellent way to fish and buzzbaits and frogs are a proven tactic when snakeheads are holding in thick shallow grass.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
The Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area has been alive with striped bass for the past week and this should continue this week. Anglers are casting soft plastic jigs along the jetty rocks, bulkheads, and bridge piers. The Route 90 and Route 611 bridge piers are also holding striped bass.
Tautog are being found along the jetty rocks, bulkheads, and bridge piers in the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area. Most are coming up a little short of the 16-inch minimum but persistent anglers can come home with dinner. Sand fleas are the most popular bait.
Along the beaches of Ocean City and Assateague Island, anglers are enjoying fishing for striped bass. Large striped bass are moving north along the Maryland coast, and some are close enough to the beaches for surfcasters to reach them. Cut bait in the form of menhaden has been the preferred bait.
Water clarity has been a bit of a problem this week due to strong winds churning up water already discolored from recent rain. Flounder fishing has been best at the channels leading away from the inlet, with the Thorofare getting a gold star from anglers.
The boats headed out to the offshore wreck and reef sites continue to find good tautog fishing for their anglers. Some of the tautog being caught are very large, which is a thrill for any angler. White-legger crabs are the preferred bait.
Freshwater Opportunities
Although spring stocking has ended for put-and-take trout waters, there are still plenty of trout to be found. Trout tend to spread out after a while and casting small spinners, spoons, and jerkbaits are a great way to cover plenty of water in rivers, streams, and community ponds. The trout areas restricted to delayed harvest, catch-and-release and specific tackle restrictions will offer plenty of fun fishing for the next couple of months and those in the western mountains will offer good trout fishing all summer.
Water levels in the upper Potomac River are at flood stage currently and it is advised to stay off the river until waters recede. Most likely the river will remain stained for a time. Deep Creek Lake is open for business with good fishing for a variety of coldwater species.
Largemouth bass fishing in most Maryland tidal and nontidal waters is good this week. In most areas the largemouth bass are in a post-spawn mode of behavior, and with water temperatures much to their liking they can be found in a variety of habitats. Structure will continue to be a key as grass beds become established, sunken wood and drop-offs are all good places to look for largemouth bass. Casting spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and lipless crankbaits in open water areas on the outside edges of grass beds and transition areas between shallow and deeper waters can be a good tactic. Targeting grass with wacky rigged soft plastics or stick worms will entice largemouth bass holding there. Structure in the form of sunken wood and dock piers can be fished with grubs, soft plastic craw jigs, and wacky rigged stick worms. In tidal waters, the outside edges of spatterdock fields are a great place to work spinnerbaits and jerkbaits on a low ebb tide.
Fishing for crappie continues to be very good this week in the non-tidal ponds and reservoirs as well as tidal waters. Casting small lures from shore near submerged structures is a good way to catch them. Sunken brush, fallen treetops, docks and bridge piers all fit the bill for crappie to congregate. Fishing small marabou jigs or minnows under a slip bobber is also a very popular and productive way to fish. In tidal waters such as the Potomac, there is a type of crappie fishing where several fiberglass or graphite poles are spread out in an array with rod holders.
No fishing reel is involved – this is much like cane pole fishing, only with high-tech poles; small minnows are rigged under a slip bobber. Many call this spider fishing and when a boat is slowly moved along shorelines that contain structure, it can be deadly for crappie. This type of fishing is very popular in the tidal Potomac and especially on the northeast side of the Wilson Bridge at a location called the Spoils.
Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Angler’s Sport Center Video Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Angler’s Sport Center fishing report is compiled and written by Anglers Team Member, A.J. Lewis.
Hello again fellow anglers! We’re back with this week’s fishing report!
Upper and Middle Bay
Blue and channel catfish are a majority of what’s being caught at the moment. Places like Sandy Point and Matapeake are hotspots for cats, with rockfish here and there mixed in! People are reporting 50 pounders out of both those locations caught on anything from bunker and softcrabs to jigs! White perch are still currently being found deeper in the channels with only small amounts being caught near docks. Heavier weighted lures or bottom rigs are going to be your best friend for getting deep! The rockfish bite is heating up! Most of the trophy sized ones will be found towards the middle of the bay, and best caught through trolling. Just remember, in order to keep your Striped Bass, it must be 35 inches medium, and you may only keep one per day! South of the Brewerton Channel, and the channel edges of the Craighill shipping channel are fantstic places to troll through to get yourself a trophy rockfish!
South Bay
The shad run in the Potomac has definitely slowed down, however they’re still being caught. Little spoons and smaller tandems are your best bet, they’re always a fun catch and release experience! Catfish, especially blue catfish, are always in large numbers towards the lower Potomac! Places like the 301 Bridge, Jug Bay, and the Nanticoke River are big time hot spots if you’re trying to get on some big ones. Sea trout are still hesitant on moving into the South Bay, especially now with the dip in temperature these past few days, but as the water warms up, they should start being seen more and more. The white perch are still passing through the channels, using them as underwater highways into the rivers that house their normal summer spots. Chesapeake Sabiki Rigs tipped with bloodworms, razor clams or lugworms will net you TONS of perch!
Crabbing
Crabbing is still slow, especially with the rain cooling the water down a bit. There are lots of reports of crabs being caught around Solomons Island. Most of your crabs are currently going to be found further south and as the water warms up, you’ll start to see more and more up north.
Additional Info.
Trophy Fishing Season is live! Any Rockfish 35 inches and over can be kept! However you may only keep 1 per day. We have a great selection of trolling combos, planer boards, umbrella rigs, tandems rigs, and so much more. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are here to help you select the best equipment and bait to fit your specific fishing needs.
The Angler’s Sport Center fishing report is compiled and written by Anglers Team Member, A.J. Lewis.
Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report Summary – Annapolis, MD
The Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report is written and compiled by writer and media professional, James Houck. Find the full report here, at reelchesapeake.com.
Striped bass are the target of many anglers’ with Maryland’s trophy season having kicked off on Monday, May 1st. Reports from those trolling the channel edges of the middle Chesapeake Bay—between Love Point, the bridge, and Buoy 83—claimed a tougher bite and catches in the mid-20s to low 30-inch range—shy of the 35” minimum keeper size (Reel Chesapeake advocates catch-and-release of breeder size fish).
Several charters and rec anglers also got on a jig bite, bouncing 1–2oz heads fitted with BKDs or paddletails just off the channel. Locating feeding fish by electronics was key. One angler reported throwing white/gold Clouser flies for schoolies between spits of rain in the Magothy River vicinity and doing quite well. Most of these fish were also in the mid-20s. Overall, this week has been a bit challenging with cold air temps, daily rain, wave action, and wind predictions at 20-plus knots, keeping many anglers docked. By Friday, the weather will turn for the better and we expect to see a flood of boats plying the Bay for the prized species this weekend (there are several tournaments taking place, too).
We’re also keeping an eye on Maryland Department of Natural Resources for guidance on this week’s Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission emergency decision to create a 31-inch upper slot limit for all striped bass recreational fisheries (effective immediately, and full implementation by all Atlantic states by July 2nd). Maryland’s trophy season through May 15th is exempt this year.
Stripers’ cousin, the white perch, are starting to please anglers willing to try for them. We’re already seeing them in the upper Severn River—a good indicator that they’ve fully distributed throughout the rivers and creeks. Small 1/4 to 1/16oz offerings, like Kastmasters, perch pounders, and beetlespins around deepwater docks, bridge pilings, and oyster beds work well. Bloodworms sent to the bottom on a hook will also get bites.
Anadromous shad are still making their spawning runs in favored rivers, including the Potomac, Patuxent, Occoquan, and Rappahannock. Last Friday, we experienced a dynamite morning, in a cold downpour nonetheless, on the upper Patuxent hooking into American shad (see photo). They hit a 1/16oz stump-jumper jig again and again. Our advice—try to hook into them before the run finishes any day/week this month.
Blue catfish continue to hit just about any hook purposely baited for them. Popular shore fishing spots include Sandy Point, Fort Smallwood, Matapeake Beach, and access points along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Those on boat have lingered around Podickory Point at the mouth of the Magothy, the lower Choptank River, and further north within the Bush River—though just about every tributary has blues (and channel catfish!).
Speaking of blue, coastal anglers are reporting the first bluefish of the season showing up at Assateague. And good size fish too, in the high-20-inch range. Most have been caught by anglers trying to hook into the last fish of the black drum run. A good sign that bluefish are on the move. If you’re angling along the coastal beaches right now, you have shot at a trifecta of black drum, striped bass, and bluefish. Try sand fleas paired with Fishbites (sand flea, clam, bloodworm) on high-low and fish-finder rigs. Good luck!
View the full Reel Chesapeake Fishing Report, written and compiled by writer and media professional James Houck, at reelchesapeake.com.