Maryland & Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Team Member & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Spring is in the air and the fishing is in full swing in the Chesapeake region! We got a break from the rain and enjoyed some good weather for the eclipse, and some warmer weather to start the week with temperatures in the lower 70s. Snakehead fishing on both the eastern shore and western shore picked up with the warmer temperatures. Black Water Refuge had some nice snakeheads being caught too, with some up to 12-pounds. Inline spinnerbaits and weedless swimbaits were the ticket, especially white-colored baits. The shallow flats of the upper Bay rivers were also producing some snakehead in areas like the Bush River, Middle River and Gunpowder River.
The blue catfish bite is still going strong in the middle to upper Bay area. We had some runoff because of the rain, but it did not slow down the bite at all; the mouth of the Magothy River is still one of the hot spots, fishing anywhere from 10 to 30 feet of water. Most blue cats are in the 3- to 10-pound range with a few in the 25- to 30-pound range. Once again, fresh bunker chunks on the bottom and having a moving tide were the two most important factors.
Shad fishing picked up right where it left off before the rain with more hickories and some American shad moving up the Patuxent River, Mattawoman Creek and Potomac River. Black and orange-colored shad darts or plastics were preferred colors this past week. There is still a good amount of smaller white perch in the Patuxent River, and most anglers are using grass shrimp on a bottom rig to target them.
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The Angler’s Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Team Member & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Freshwater
Many rivers and creeks were experiencing high flows last week, making for some difficult trout fishing. The good news is the high flows helped spread the stocked trout over wider areas so anglers could find some elbow room in the recently stocked put-and-take waters. Conditions are improving in most waters, setting the stage for good trout fishing this week. Anglers often encounter other species of fish when fishing for trout. Recently Blake Cronk caught a fallfish in the North Branch of the Potomac that set a new state record for the species at 3.2-pounds, breaking the previous record of 3-pounds.
Stocking crews are out this week replenishing many put-and-take waters and these stockings will continue. Check the DNR website for trout stockings near you.
A good number of the put-and-take trout stockings are taking place in community ponds, which make for easy and safe fishing opportunities for families and small children. A simple bobber and worm or PowerBait rig are all that is needed to entice the stocked trout or resident sunfish to bite. There are also a few trout management waters set aside for our younger anglers. The fishing rodeo season is upon us and events are being scheduled near you. Check the DNR website for the 2024 schedule of fishing rodeo events.
Largemouth bass are in a pre-spawn mode of activity and are aggressively seeking out food items in a wide variety of water depths. Grass beds are beginning to emerge and can be a magnet for largemouth bass looking for baitfish or crayfish. Water temperatures are about ideal for largemouth bass so they will be found feeding throughout the day. Cover such as fallen treetops or sunken wood in moderate depth water will also beckon to largemouth bass. In the shallow and moderate water depths, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and paddletails can be good choices. When working close to grass beds and structure, stick worms and soft plastics can work well. In deeper waters near structure, crankbaits and craw jigs can entice a largemouth to strike. Male largemouth bass are beginning to explore the spawning shallows, and some are even forming spawning beds to attract females.
Northern snakeheads are becoming more active, and the largest ones are the most prone to be feeding. Water temperatures are still a little cool to their liking, so sunny afternoons are a good time to find them in the shallower waters on the sunny side of tidal creeks. White paddletails tend to be the most popular lure to use at this time but chatterbaits may work also. Fishing large minnows under a bobber is a time proven method to fish for snakeheads when waters are cool and grass beds are yet to fill out.
Cooler water temperatures are much to the liking of chain pickerel this week. The grass beds where they enjoy lurking have yet to fill out so these ambush predators can be found holding near any type of structure – sunken wood usually fits the bill. Casting spinners, spoons, jerkbaits, or paddletails rigged with single inline hooks makes releasing fish easier and reduces harm to the fish.
There is hardly a better time of the year to fish for crappie than March and April; water temperatures are at an ideal time for the fish to be feeding near structure that is not too deep. Marina docks, old piers, fallen treetops, sunken wood or brush, and bridge piers are all good places to look for crappie. Small minnows under a slip bobber are hard to beat. Small soft plastic curly-tail jigs or marabou jigs are very popular lures to use for casting with a slow retrieve.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Surf anglers on Assateague Island are starting to catch black drum this week. Clams and cut bait are two of the most popular baits. Tautog are being caught at the Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 Bridge area in good numbers this week by anglers using sand fleas or pieces of green crab. Striped bass are also entertaining anglers casting soft plastic jigs. Many of the striped bass are a little shy of the required 28-inch minimum but offer catch-and-release action.
The boats and captains heading out to the wreck and reef sites are finding good fishing for tautog this week for their anglers. Quite a few of the tautog are weighing in at the double-digit category. Anglers are releasing many of the larger tautog in the name of conservation and filling out their four-fish limits with smaller fish.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.