Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
Anglers are making the most of the last few days of the migratory striper season before the temporary closure from April 1 to May 15. Big bass are still feeding on adult bunker in pockets of warmer water. While much of the bay is still seeing water temps in the high 40s, some areas, such as mud flats, are warming quickly and the striped bass are responding positively. Where schools of bunker clash with 50-degree water temps, there’s usually some good fishing to be had. Keep in mind it is strictly catch and release fishing for the next four days before the no-target closure.
The white perch spawning run is full force in lower Bay tidal rivers, where anglers are catching large specimens in good numbers with shad darts and bottom rigs tipped with bloodworms. Just downstream of those white perch in the upper and lower bay rivers, spawned-out yellow perch are being caught on live minnows close to bottom. Meanwhile, in the Potomac River, hickory shad are beginning to fill in, providing a fun and reliable fishing opportunity on light tackle.
The coastal bays and marshes are seeing hit or miss striped bass fishing, and short tautog are being caught with some regularity around the Ocean City inlet. Striper season may be winding down for now, but there are more than enough opportunities to wet a line in Maryland and the Chesapeake region this week.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported no major changes in the striper bite this week with backwater temperatures still hovering in the low 50s. Most fish are still being caught on soft plastics and small swimming plugs like X-Raps in shallow, muddy marshes and around bridge lights and pilings after dark. Bakke also said more tautog are being caught at the inlet—they haven’t seen any keepers just yet, but it’s good to see them biting. In addition to tautog, they’ll be looking for speckled trout in the coming weeks, as well as black drum and striped bass in the ocean surf. Check out their website and YouTube channel for detailed local fishing reports, videos, and more!
Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters has been striper fishing around large schools of full-size menhaden holding lower in the water column, which has required jigging with big, skirted soft plastics in order to replicate the deep-bodied profiles of adult bunker. Water temperatures are hovering right around 50 degrees, which is generally comfortable enough for stripers to feed more recklessly. These are the final days of striper fishing before the temporary closure, so the skipper will be taking some time off in April. He is currently booking chartered trips for red drum in July and August around Hooper’s Island. Head to ES Light Tackle Charters Facebook page for contact info to inquire about available dates!
Anglers Sport Center Fishing Report – Annapolis, MD
The Anglers Sport Center fishing report is written by Anglers Fishing Manager & OTW Columnist, Alex Gallardo-Perez.
We are down to the last few days of our winter/migratory striped bass season. The season closes April 1 and it won’t open back up for us in Maryland until May 15, for our summer season. The striped bass bite picked up over the past few days around Eastern Bay and down to Chesapeake Beach around the shipping channels from 30 to 70 feet of water. Most anglers are fishing 1- to 2-ounce jigs paired with 5- to 7-inch paddletails.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland striped bass project is reaching out to anglers to help collect data on anglers catches of our state fish, including catch-and-release fishing or the required release of striped bass below or above the slot sizes. If you have been fishing for striped bass, please consider participating in our Mobile Volunteer Angler Survey found on the DNR website.
Upper Bay
Anglers at the Susquehanna Flats are seeing more opportunities to enjoy some catch-and-release action with striped bass. The size of the fish being encountered has improved as large female striped bass move into the area. Casting large soft plastic jigs, jerkbaits, and crankbaits have been some of the more popular lures being used.
Catch and release of striped bass is currently allowed below a line between Abbey Point to Worton Point, and south to the Virginia state line, including Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The DNR website contains a map of Maryland’s striped bass fishing areas and seasons.
Anglers are encouraged to beef up their fishing outfits to heavy tackle to lessen the fight time for the striped bass. The striped bass are already under stress from moving to higher salinity waters to freshwater. Release fish quickly and if the fish must come into the boat for a quick picture, use a rubber mesh landing net to lessen slime removal and have someone ready to take a quick picture. These fish represent the future of your striped bass fishing in Maryland so treat them well. Catch and release guidance can be found on the Maryland DNR website.
Anglers are catching post-spawn yellow perch this week near the town of North East and other rivers in the upper Bay region. Lipped hooked minnows fished close to the bottom are the most popular method of targeting the yellow perch below the spawning reaches. White perch are showing up in big numbers this week in many of the region’s tidal rivers. Many of these white perch are small so the throwback ratio is high, so if you’re fishing with bloodworms, bring plenty of bait. A good way to fish is casting shad darts tipped with a piece of minnow or some of the scented artificial baits that help enhance the attractiveness of your shad dart or jig.
Blue catfish are on the move as water temperatures warm. They can be found in the channels or on the edges of channels in the lower Susquehanna River, the mouth of the Elk, the Chester River and generally throughout the upper Bay. The largest blue catfish tend to be roaming as far south as the Bay Bridge. Anglers fishing with lures in the Susquehanna Flats area report they will chase down a crankbait or other lures, but fishing with bait is the best way to target them.
Lower Bay
The striped bass catch-and-release season in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay will be open until April 1, so this weekend will be the last hurrah. The Patuxent and Nanticoke rivers are closed to the targeting of striped bass, including catch and release, since they are spawning rivers. The Potomac River mainstem is open to catch and release from January 1 through May 15. However, please note that the tributaries on the Maryland side of the Potomac River are closed as of April 1.
Jigging along the main channel edges with medium-heavy tackle and large soft plastic jigs is what it will take to get into the game. Marking schools of menhaden deep within the channels will up the odds greatly. The Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge will be an attraction to both striped bass and anglers.
White perch spawning runs are in full swing this week in many of the lower Bay tidal rivers. The tributaries along the Maryland side of the Potomac River as well as the upper Patuxent, Nanticoke, and Wicomico rivers are all excellent places to fish. Bloodworms have always been very popular when fished on a bottom rig in the deeper channel waters. At the spawning sites where waters tend to be narrow, casting shad darts is an excellent way to fish.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Striped bass are providing plenty of entertainment at the Ocean City Inlet area and the back bay waters this week. Anglers are using soft plastic jigs and paddletails with good success. Many of the striped bass caught are coming up a little short of the required 28 inches, but legal-sized striped bass are being caught.
Tautog are the primary draw offshore and the boats headed out to the wreck and reef sites are finding quality tautog for their anglers onboard. Limit catches are not uncommon aboard some of the charter boats.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Use this weekend to get in on the last of the striped bass action. Temperatures are forecasted to be unseasonably warm—in the low to high 70s—from Saturday through Monday. You can bet striped bass will respond to that drastic change, especially in shallow areas where the water temps warm up quickly.
Worst case scenario, if the stripers are uncooperative, there are plenty of white perch to be caught in the Bay’s many tidal rivers on both the Eastern Shore and mainland side. And if those little panfish don’t satisfy your hankering for a good tug on the line, consider keeping a handful for bait and try chunking for blue catfish. These formidable and surprisingly tasty predators are widely available, especially in the Upper Bay, from the Susquehanna River down to the Bay Bridge and beyond.
Anglers can also get in on some early shad run action by heading toward Fletcher’s Landing on the Potomac, where hickory shad have been trickling in over the past week and a half.
There’s plenty of good freshwater fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, too, and they should be fired up and feeding during the upcoming warm front. The pre-spawn bite is underway, and this is one of the best times of the year to pursue a new personal best.