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Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Blue Cats, Perch, and Snakeheads Bite in Spring
Fishing Report for Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore/Washington D.C. – April 2, 2025
Today’s fishing around the Chesapeake Bay presents a mix of opportunities and seasonal challenges. The striped bass season in Maryland waters is temporarily closed from April 1 to May 15, but anglers can still target other exciting species.
The weather is looking pleasant with sunrise at 6:48 AM and sunset at 7:28 PM. The tides are moderate, with a low tide at 6:08 AM and a high tide around 12:10 PM, making the middle of the day a good time to fish near channels and estuaries.
**What’s Biting:**
Blue catfish are thriving in the upper parts of the Bay, especially around the Susquehanna Flats and upper tributaries like the Potomac River. These fish, ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, are actively biting on cut bait such as bunker or gizzard shad. The white perch spawning run is in full swing in the Choptank and Patuxent Rivers, with grass shrimp and bloodworms being the go-to baits for these tasty panfish. Additionally, hickory and American shad have begun their runs in the Potomac River, and speckled trout and puppy drum have been reported in the lower Chesapeake Bay near grass flats and marsh edges.
**Recent Catches:**
Reports show anglers landing blue catfish up to 20 pounds consistently in tidal rivers. Mixed bags of white perch and yellow perch were caught near shoreline structures earlier this week. Snakehead activity is increasing in areas like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where chatterbaits and white soft plastics have yielded 10-13 pound fish.
**Best Baits and Lures:**
For blue catfish, cut bait such as bunker, gizzard shad, or even chicken livers work effectively. For perch, live grass shrimp and bloodworms are preferred. Snakeheads are hitting on chatterbaits and white-colored lures, while speckled trout and puppy drum are responding to 3-to-4-inch paddletails or popping cork rigs around grass flats. Jigging with soft plastics remains popular for shad and other species.
**Hot Spots:**
- *Upper Bay:* Susquehanna Flats (blue catfish) and Hackett’s Point.
- *Middle Bay:* Blackwater area for snakeheads and Choptank River for white perch.
- *Lower Bay:* Tangier Sound for speckled trout and puppy drum.
Despite the closure for striped bass in Maryland, April offers excellent alternatives, from spawning runs of perch and shad to the always-exciting pursuit of snakeheads and catfish. Anchor your lines near structure or edges with moving water, and you’re set for success. Tight lines!
Today’s fishing around the Chesapeake Bay presents a mix of opportunities and seasonal challenges. The striped bass season in Maryland waters is temporarily closed from April 1 to May 15, but anglers can still target other exciting species.
The weather is looking pleasant with sunrise at 6:48 AM and sunset at 7:28 PM. The tides are moderate, with a low tide at 6:08 AM and a high tide around 12:10 PM, making the middle of the day a good time to fish near channels and estuaries.
**What’s Biting:**
Blue catfish are thriving in the upper parts of the Bay, especially around the Susquehanna Flats and upper tributaries like the Potomac River. These fish, ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, are actively biting on cut bait such as bunker or gizzard shad. The white perch spawning run is in full swing in the Choptank and Patuxent Rivers, with grass shrimp and bloodworms being the go-to baits for these tasty panfish. Additionally, hickory and American shad have begun their runs in the Potomac River, and speckled trout and puppy drum have been reported in the lower Chesapeake Bay near grass flats and marsh edges.
**Recent Catches:**
Reports show anglers landing blue catfish up to 20 pounds consistently in tidal rivers. Mixed bags of white perch and yellow perch were caught near shoreline structures earlier this week. Snakehead activity is increasing in areas like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where chatterbaits and white soft plastics have yielded 10-13 pound fish.
**Best Baits and Lures:**
For blue catfish, cut bait such as bunker, gizzard shad, or even chicken livers work effectively. For perch, live grass shrimp and bloodworms are preferred. Snakeheads are hitting on chatterbaits and white-colored lures, while speckled trout and puppy drum are responding to 3-to-4-inch paddletails or popping cork rigs around grass flats. Jigging with soft plastics remains popular for shad and other species.
**Hot Spots:**
- *Upper Bay:* Susquehanna Flats (blue catfish) and Hackett’s Point.
- *Middle Bay:* Blackwater area for snakeheads and Choptank River for white perch.
- *Lower Bay:* Tangier Sound for speckled trout and puppy drum.
Despite the closure for striped bass in Maryland, April offers excellent alternatives, from spawning runs of perch and shad to the always-exciting pursuit of snakeheads and catfish. Anchor your lines near structure or edges with moving water, and you’re set for success. Tight lines!
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By Quiet. PleaseFishing Report for Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore/Washington D.C. – April 2, 2025
Today’s fishing around the Chesapeake Bay presents a mix of opportunities and seasonal challenges. The striped bass season in Maryland waters is temporarily closed from April 1 to May 15, but anglers can still target other exciting species.
The weather is looking pleasant with sunrise at 6:48 AM and sunset at 7:28 PM. The tides are moderate, with a low tide at 6:08 AM and a high tide around 12:10 PM, making the middle of the day a good time to fish near channels and estuaries.
**What’s Biting:**
Blue catfish are thriving in the upper parts of the Bay, especially around the Susquehanna Flats and upper tributaries like the Potomac River. These fish, ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, are actively biting on cut bait such as bunker or gizzard shad. The white perch spawning run is in full swing in the Choptank and Patuxent Rivers, with grass shrimp and bloodworms being the go-to baits for these tasty panfish. Additionally, hickory and American shad have begun their runs in the Potomac River, and speckled trout and puppy drum have been reported in the lower Chesapeake Bay near grass flats and marsh edges.
**Recent Catches:**
Reports show anglers landing blue catfish up to 20 pounds consistently in tidal rivers. Mixed bags of white perch and yellow perch were caught near shoreline structures earlier this week. Snakehead activity is increasing in areas like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where chatterbaits and white soft plastics have yielded 10-13 pound fish.
**Best Baits and Lures:**
For blue catfish, cut bait such as bunker, gizzard shad, or even chicken livers work effectively. For perch, live grass shrimp and bloodworms are preferred. Snakeheads are hitting on chatterbaits and white-colored lures, while speckled trout and puppy drum are responding to 3-to-4-inch paddletails or popping cork rigs around grass flats. Jigging with soft plastics remains popular for shad and other species.
**Hot Spots:**
- *Upper Bay:* Susquehanna Flats (blue catfish) and Hackett’s Point.
- *Middle Bay:* Blackwater area for snakeheads and Choptank River for white perch.
- *Lower Bay:* Tangier Sound for speckled trout and puppy drum.
Despite the closure for striped bass in Maryland, April offers excellent alternatives, from spawning runs of perch and shad to the always-exciting pursuit of snakeheads and catfish. Anchor your lines near structure or edges with moving water, and you’re set for success. Tight lines!
Today’s fishing around the Chesapeake Bay presents a mix of opportunities and seasonal challenges. The striped bass season in Maryland waters is temporarily closed from April 1 to May 15, but anglers can still target other exciting species.
The weather is looking pleasant with sunrise at 6:48 AM and sunset at 7:28 PM. The tides are moderate, with a low tide at 6:08 AM and a high tide around 12:10 PM, making the middle of the day a good time to fish near channels and estuaries.
**What’s Biting:**
Blue catfish are thriving in the upper parts of the Bay, especially around the Susquehanna Flats and upper tributaries like the Potomac River. These fish, ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, are actively biting on cut bait such as bunker or gizzard shad. The white perch spawning run is in full swing in the Choptank and Patuxent Rivers, with grass shrimp and bloodworms being the go-to baits for these tasty panfish. Additionally, hickory and American shad have begun their runs in the Potomac River, and speckled trout and puppy drum have been reported in the lower Chesapeake Bay near grass flats and marsh edges.
**Recent Catches:**
Reports show anglers landing blue catfish up to 20 pounds consistently in tidal rivers. Mixed bags of white perch and yellow perch were caught near shoreline structures earlier this week. Snakehead activity is increasing in areas like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where chatterbaits and white soft plastics have yielded 10-13 pound fish.
**Best Baits and Lures:**
For blue catfish, cut bait such as bunker, gizzard shad, or even chicken livers work effectively. For perch, live grass shrimp and bloodworms are preferred. Snakeheads are hitting on chatterbaits and white-colored lures, while speckled trout and puppy drum are responding to 3-to-4-inch paddletails or popping cork rigs around grass flats. Jigging with soft plastics remains popular for shad and other species.
**Hot Spots:**
- *Upper Bay:* Susquehanna Flats (blue catfish) and Hackett’s Point.
- *Middle Bay:* Blackwater area for snakeheads and Choptank River for white perch.
- *Lower Bay:* Tangier Sound for speckled trout and puppy drum.
Despite the closure for striped bass in Maryland, April offers excellent alternatives, from spawning runs of perch and shad to the always-exciting pursuit of snakeheads and catfish. Anchor your lines near structure or edges with moving water, and you’re set for success. Tight lines!