Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Wednesday, April 23rd. If you’re gearing up to hit the water around Virginia’s stretch of the Bay, here’s what you need to know.

The weather’s been on the wild side lately, with erratic swings and a persistent breeze coming in off the Bay. We’ve had a fair bit of recent rain, which has left the water levels a touch high, but thankfully the water clarity isn’t too bad[1]. Today we’ll see cloud cover and temperatures in the low 50s trending upward through the day. Sunrise is at 6:18 AM and sunset comes at 7:48 PM, giving you a solid window for both dawn and dusk bites.

The tides are running strong this week. Early morning sees a high tide tapering off around midday, with the outgoing tide peaking in the afternoon, so plan your trips around those moving waters for the best chances.

Now, onto the fish. The shad bite has been nothing short of phenomenal this week, especially in the tributaries and tidal rivers. Anglers drifting dart and spoon tandems or working a fly rod are tallying up dozens of American and hickory shad. The upper reaches of the Potomac and Mattawoman Creek are hot right now—active retrieves and changing up your cadence is key to finding fish willing to bite[1][2].

White perch are starting to trickle into the salt ponds and shallow creeks. Grass shrimp or small shad darts under a bobber have been the ticket—just don’t let that bobber sit for too long, a slow pop and a short pause seems to trigger more bites[1].

Catfishing is a bit hit-or-miss at the moment. Colder weather and rain have slowed the blue catfish action north of the Bay Bridge, but there are still a few around, and catches of both blue cats and the occasional flathead have been reported in the lower Potomac and James Rivers. At night, big cut bait—think chunks of gizzard shad or scented flukes—has produced some real bruisers, including fish over 30 pounds[2]. The bite should heat up more as the water warms and river flows increase.

For best bait and lures, stick with shad darts and small spoons for the shad. Grass shrimp or bloodworms on small hooks work for perch. For the catfish, heavy jigheads with scented plastics, big flukes, and cut bait are all drawing strikes. Make sure to add scent if you’re using artificials—unscented jigs are getting ignored right now[2].

Hotspots this week include the mouth of the Rappahannock River for shad and perch, and the lower James River near Dutch Gap for big blue cats. Don’t overlook the tidal creeks off Mobjack Bay either—these spots are holding plenty of perch as we warm up.

That’s your report. Pack some layers, pick your tides, and stay safe on the water. Tight lines from Artificial Lure!

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI