Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report
With the Chesapeake striped bass fishery now closed (even to catch and release) until May 16, anglers are looking elsewhere to put a good bend in the rod. In the coastal bays around Ocean City, which are not included in the Chesapeake closure, anglers are finding good fishing for striped bass from the marshes to the inlet. They’re being caught on 4- to 7-inch soft plastics and jigs, twitchbaits, small topwaters, and jerkbaits and minnow plugs like X-Raps. Keeper-size tautog are also chewing well near the OC inlet, which has excited inshore anglers looking to take a fish or two home for the table. Meanwhile, off the beaches, surf fishermen are enjoying a good black drum bite.
Back in the Bay and its tributaries, the shad run is well underway after a few weeks of spotty numbers trickling in. Hickory shad are showing up in small waves in the upper reaches of the Choptank River, with better numbers in Mattawoman Creek and the Potomac River as far up as Fletcher’s Cove. And, like the flip of a switch, American shad have also begun to show up in droves around Fletcher’s this week.
To add to the excitement of the shad run, the white perch spawning run continues with large specimens being caught in Eastern Shore tribs like the Choptank and Nanticoke, as well as the Patuxent and Potomac rivers. Spawned-out yellow perch are being caught in lower reaches of the Choptank, but the fishing is tricky—they’ve shown a preference for live minnows.
Of course, if you’re looking for some larger gamefish to fill the void of striped bass, blue catfish are an approachable target and are available in just about every major river system feeding the Bay. Cut gizzard shad and white perch are two great bait choices for blue cats when added to a Fishfinder rig.
From Ocean City, Taylor Bakke of Always Bent Fishing OC reported: “Water temps are heating up and everything is coming to life! There are a lot of big black drum being caught in the surf, some keeper tautog have been caught inside the inlet, and the striper bite is getting better with some bigger bass in the mix near the inlet. There are plenty of 20- to 27-inch fish in the back bays too, with the occasional slot fish mixed in. High winds have made it tough to get out at times, but the guys who have persisted through the tough conditions are catching! Despite the good striper bite, the big news is all the black drum arriving in the surf, which is an awesome sign of spring. Usually, our other fisheries pick up shortly after the drum run, from speckled trout and weakfish to flounder—they should all be showing up in the near future. For now, we are enjoying the striper bite in the back bays, but the local tog guys are happy to be catching inshore keepers again, and surf fishermen are very content with the black drum bite over the last week or so!”
As mentioned in last week’s report, Captain Jamie Clough of Eastern Shore Light Tackle Charters has put charters on hold during the striped bass fishing closure in the Bay. The skipper is planning to sail out of Kent Island for topwater striped bass immediately following the reopening of the bay fishery on May 16. However, 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.
It’s officially that time of the year when our striped bass season shuts down for just over a month, and anglers in the region look for other opportunities.
The white perch run is still going on in most of the state, with the larger rivers like the Potomac just getting their first wave of perch. Most of the Eastern Shore creeks and rivers have been receiving waves of spawning white perch and are now starting to see some hickory shad, as well. A couple productive areas on the Eastern Shore have been Red Ridges on the upper Choptank River, and the Pocomoke River. Some anglers have also been targeting largemouth bass and are catching beautiful pre-spawn fish off the lower Potomac River and Eastern Shore mill ponds.
The shad run is getting better, but low water conditions have made it tougher for anglers in the region because of slower current in most of the rivers and creeks. Catfishing is also getting better with warmer weather and water temperatures—there are plenty of blue catfish in the area, especially in the Upper Bay from the Patapsco River to the Susquehanna River.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Recent warm and sunny weather was all it took to encourage families and friends to be outside and enjoy the Maryland outdoors. The traditional opening day of trout season brought out anglers young and old this past weekend as well as other places to fish in Maryland.
Middle Bay
All striped bass fishing is now closed for all Maryland waters through May 15. Prior to the April 1 closure of striped bass, anglers enjoyed a great weekend of catch-and-release fishing in the Eastern Bay area; large skirted soft plastic jigs were a popular lure choice. The striped bass began to spawn in earnest this week on the upper Choptank River when water temperatures reached 59 degrees, and it is hoped that this is the first of several spawns during the month of April. The striped bass fishing regulation maps can give you oversight as seasons and openings progress.
The white perch spawning run in the Choptank River is still running strong with anglers catching them at Denton, Goldsboro, and Red Bridges. Casting shad darts and small jigs tipped with small, scented baits is a popular way to target them, especially in the spawning areas. Post-spawn yellow perch are being caught by anglers fishing in the deeper channels below the spawning sites with dropper rigs baited with lip-hooked minnows or small soft plastic jigs.
A few hickory shad are showing up at Red Bridges and anglers fishing shad darts for white perch are catching and releasing them. If hickory shad are your target, a small silver spoon is hard to beat for getting their attention.
A mix of channel and blue catfish can be found in the Choptank River from the Dover Bridge area up past the town of Denton. Almost any kind of cut bait will work, with gizzard shad and menhaden giving out a distinct scent trail for catfish to follow to the bait. White perch are easy to obtain at this time and blue catfish are feasting on them so white perch would also make an excellent bait.
Lower Bay
Although the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay is now closed to all fishing for striped bass, the Potomac River mainstem is open to catch-and-release through May 15. However, please note that the tributaries on the Maryland side of the Potomac River are closed. The striped bass should be spawning now in the spawning reaches of the Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers.
Hickory shad are being caught in Mattawoman Creek and the Potomac River in the District of Columbia at Fletchers Landing to below Little Falls. American shad are now being caught at Fletchers in excellent numbers, and some exceed 4 pounds or more. Casting shad darts for American shad and small silver spoons for hickory shad are favored lures to use.
Blue catfish are very active now in the region’s tidal rivers; they can be found in every tidal river of the lower bay region. The Potomac from the Route 301 Bridge to the Wilson Bridge are good areas to fish along channel edges. The Upper Patuxent from Benedict to Jug Bay also holds great numbers of blue catfish. The Nanticoke River near Sharptown is one of the best places to fish for blue catfish on the Eastern Shore.
Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays
Anglers should see some black drum in the surf this week or next, it is that time of the year. The most exciting fishing action this week is the striped bass fishing in and around the inlet and in the coastal bays near the Route 90 Bridge. Most of the striped bass being caught are coming up short of the 28-inch minimum but are providing plenty of fun catch-and-release action with the possibility of being able to take a legal-sized fish home. Casting a mix of soft plastic jigs, paddletails and jerkbaits are good lures to use. Any day now the first summer flounder will be reported to be caught in the coastal bays behind Ocean City.
Fishing for tautog in the inlet and Route 50 Bridge can be a worthwhile endeavor for shore bound anglers or those drifting in boats. There are enough legal-sized tautog to keep it interesting, anglers are reminded the minimum size is 16 inches and a creel limit of four per day.
Anglers who are heading offshore on charter or party boats are finding good fishing for tautog at times. Captains report the bite can be finicky at times, causing moves to alternate wreck or reef sites but the rewards are there. Some of the tautog coming over the rails are weighing in the double-digit size category. Large fish, especially females, are often released and smaller sized tautog are kept for eating.
Maryland DNR Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood, fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Forecast
Expect good fishing for hickory and American shad to continue in the Potomac River and middle to upper Bay tribs as they continue their run. The white perch spawning run has reached, or at least neared its peak in most areas, but there are still plenty to be caught before they begin to move out of the rivers and transition to schooling in slightly deeper environs.
There has also been a fantastic striped bass bite near Ocean City inlet, with fish to around 28 inches being caught on just about anything anglers are throwing at them—from shallow-diving minnow plugs and twitchbaits to soft plastics and bucktails. Get in on the action while the getting is good!
And while you’re out there, consider bringing some heavier surf gear down to the beach to soak clams or crab baits for black drum, which are already beginning to show up in force near Ocean City.