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Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Cats, Perch, and Shad Abound as Striper Season Waits
Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for April 21, right out of the Baltimore and DC region.
Sunrise came at 6:28 this morning, and sunset will light things up till 7:42 tonight. Weather’s been on the cool side, with daytime temps floating in the 60s and a light breeze, which has kept water temps in the main Bay hanging in the upper 50s to low 60s. We had a high tide pass through early at 4:03 am, expect a low around 11:21 am, and another high around 4:29 pm. Those moving tides should keep the fish biting, particularly for catfish and perch.
Striped bass are strictly off limits until May 16 in all Maryland Bay waters, so target something else for now. Blue catfish are the stars this week and the bite’s been strong north of the Bay Bridge—hard to beat the numbers and size showing up from Hart Miller Island down to Sandy Point, including hot spots like Tolchester, Rock Hall, and the mouth of the Magothy. Good hauls are being reported, with some cats over 30 pounds landed. Fresh cut gizzard shad is top bait on a fish finder rig for these trophy blues. Channel catfish are also stacked up at the river mouths, with solid catches at Lapidum and across the Susquehanna flats.
White perch are making their migration out of the tributaries, and now is the time to target them with small spinners, grass shrimp, or bloodworms. If you’re craving some variety, the shad run is hanging on in the upper tidal rivers, and folks in Fletcher’s Cove, the Washington Channel, and Mattawoman have been racking up numbers on dart and spoon tandems or light flies. Carp fishing’s been sneaky good too—hair rigs with pack bait or boilies are pulling up big bruisers and the occasional channel cat.
For snakehead fans, the action remains lively in the tidal backwaters, with white paddletails and live minnows under a bobber being your best bet. As always, check out the backwaters off the Potomac and Patuxent for your shot at a real toothy surprise.
Top hotspots to consider this week: the mouth of the Magothy River for big blue cats, Sandy Point for mixed bag bottom fishing, and Fletcher’s Cove or the Washington Channel for shad and panfish action.
Best baits: fresh cut shad for cats, grass shrimp or bloodworm for perch, white paddletails or live minnows for snakeheads. For shad, small spoons, darts, or lightweight flies will do the trick.
That wraps up your Chesapeake Bay fishing snapshot—tight lines and good luck out there.
Sunrise came at 6:28 this morning, and sunset will light things up till 7:42 tonight. Weather’s been on the cool side, with daytime temps floating in the 60s and a light breeze, which has kept water temps in the main Bay hanging in the upper 50s to low 60s. We had a high tide pass through early at 4:03 am, expect a low around 11:21 am, and another high around 4:29 pm. Those moving tides should keep the fish biting, particularly for catfish and perch.
Striped bass are strictly off limits until May 16 in all Maryland Bay waters, so target something else for now. Blue catfish are the stars this week and the bite’s been strong north of the Bay Bridge—hard to beat the numbers and size showing up from Hart Miller Island down to Sandy Point, including hot spots like Tolchester, Rock Hall, and the mouth of the Magothy. Good hauls are being reported, with some cats over 30 pounds landed. Fresh cut gizzard shad is top bait on a fish finder rig for these trophy blues. Channel catfish are also stacked up at the river mouths, with solid catches at Lapidum and across the Susquehanna flats.
White perch are making their migration out of the tributaries, and now is the time to target them with small spinners, grass shrimp, or bloodworms. If you’re craving some variety, the shad run is hanging on in the upper tidal rivers, and folks in Fletcher’s Cove, the Washington Channel, and Mattawoman have been racking up numbers on dart and spoon tandems or light flies. Carp fishing’s been sneaky good too—hair rigs with pack bait or boilies are pulling up big bruisers and the occasional channel cat.
For snakehead fans, the action remains lively in the tidal backwaters, with white paddletails and live minnows under a bobber being your best bet. As always, check out the backwaters off the Potomac and Patuxent for your shot at a real toothy surprise.
Top hotspots to consider this week: the mouth of the Magothy River for big blue cats, Sandy Point for mixed bag bottom fishing, and Fletcher’s Cove or the Washington Channel for shad and panfish action.
Best baits: fresh cut shad for cats, grass shrimp or bloodworm for perch, white paddletails or live minnows for snakeheads. For shad, small spoons, darts, or lightweight flies will do the trick.
That wraps up your Chesapeake Bay fishing snapshot—tight lines and good luck out there.
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By Quiet. PleaseArtificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for April 21, right out of the Baltimore and DC region.
Sunrise came at 6:28 this morning, and sunset will light things up till 7:42 tonight. Weather’s been on the cool side, with daytime temps floating in the 60s and a light breeze, which has kept water temps in the main Bay hanging in the upper 50s to low 60s. We had a high tide pass through early at 4:03 am, expect a low around 11:21 am, and another high around 4:29 pm. Those moving tides should keep the fish biting, particularly for catfish and perch.
Striped bass are strictly off limits until May 16 in all Maryland Bay waters, so target something else for now. Blue catfish are the stars this week and the bite’s been strong north of the Bay Bridge—hard to beat the numbers and size showing up from Hart Miller Island down to Sandy Point, including hot spots like Tolchester, Rock Hall, and the mouth of the Magothy. Good hauls are being reported, with some cats over 30 pounds landed. Fresh cut gizzard shad is top bait on a fish finder rig for these trophy blues. Channel catfish are also stacked up at the river mouths, with solid catches at Lapidum and across the Susquehanna flats.
White perch are making their migration out of the tributaries, and now is the time to target them with small spinners, grass shrimp, or bloodworms. If you’re craving some variety, the shad run is hanging on in the upper tidal rivers, and folks in Fletcher’s Cove, the Washington Channel, and Mattawoman have been racking up numbers on dart and spoon tandems or light flies. Carp fishing’s been sneaky good too—hair rigs with pack bait or boilies are pulling up big bruisers and the occasional channel cat.
For snakehead fans, the action remains lively in the tidal backwaters, with white paddletails and live minnows under a bobber being your best bet. As always, check out the backwaters off the Potomac and Patuxent for your shot at a real toothy surprise.
Top hotspots to consider this week: the mouth of the Magothy River for big blue cats, Sandy Point for mixed bag bottom fishing, and Fletcher’s Cove or the Washington Channel for shad and panfish action.
Best baits: fresh cut shad for cats, grass shrimp or bloodworm for perch, white paddletails or live minnows for snakeheads. For shad, small spoons, darts, or lightweight flies will do the trick.
That wraps up your Chesapeake Bay fishing snapshot—tight lines and good luck out there.
Sunrise came at 6:28 this morning, and sunset will light things up till 7:42 tonight. Weather’s been on the cool side, with daytime temps floating in the 60s and a light breeze, which has kept water temps in the main Bay hanging in the upper 50s to low 60s. We had a high tide pass through early at 4:03 am, expect a low around 11:21 am, and another high around 4:29 pm. Those moving tides should keep the fish biting, particularly for catfish and perch.
Striped bass are strictly off limits until May 16 in all Maryland Bay waters, so target something else for now. Blue catfish are the stars this week and the bite’s been strong north of the Bay Bridge—hard to beat the numbers and size showing up from Hart Miller Island down to Sandy Point, including hot spots like Tolchester, Rock Hall, and the mouth of the Magothy. Good hauls are being reported, with some cats over 30 pounds landed. Fresh cut gizzard shad is top bait on a fish finder rig for these trophy blues. Channel catfish are also stacked up at the river mouths, with solid catches at Lapidum and across the Susquehanna flats.
White perch are making their migration out of the tributaries, and now is the time to target them with small spinners, grass shrimp, or bloodworms. If you’re craving some variety, the shad run is hanging on in the upper tidal rivers, and folks in Fletcher’s Cove, the Washington Channel, and Mattawoman have been racking up numbers on dart and spoon tandems or light flies. Carp fishing’s been sneaky good too—hair rigs with pack bait or boilies are pulling up big bruisers and the occasional channel cat.
For snakehead fans, the action remains lively in the tidal backwaters, with white paddletails and live minnows under a bobber being your best bet. As always, check out the backwaters off the Potomac and Patuxent for your shot at a real toothy surprise.
Top hotspots to consider this week: the mouth of the Magothy River for big blue cats, Sandy Point for mixed bag bottom fishing, and Fletcher’s Cove or the Washington Channel for shad and panfish action.
Best baits: fresh cut shad for cats, grass shrimp or bloodworm for perch, white paddletails or live minnows for snakeheads. For shad, small spoons, darts, or lightweight flies will do the trick.
That wraps up your Chesapeake Bay fishing snapshot—tight lines and good luck out there.