Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for March 12, 2025. Let me tell ya, the fishing's starting to heat up as we move into spring!

First off, today's weather is looking mighty fine. We've got sunny skies and temps in the mid-60s, with light winds out of the southwest at 5-10 mph. Sunrise was at 6:23 AM and sunset will be at 7:12 PM. As for tides, we've got a high tide at 10:45 AM and a low tide at 5:17 PM in Baltimore.

Now, let's talk fish! The striped bass catch-and-release season is in full swing, and anglers have been having some good luck. Water temps are creeping up into the mid-40s, which has got those rockfish moving into shallower waters to feed. We're seeing a mix of sizes, with some real bruisers in the 30-40 inch range being caught.

Yellow perch are still running strong in the tributaries, and white perch are starting to show up too. Catfish action remains steady, with some big blues being pulled from the channel edges.

For lures, you can't go wrong with soft plastic jigs like BKDs or Z-Man paddletails in white or chartreuse. Rattletraps and jerkbaits are also producing well for stripers. For perch, small minnows or grass shrimp on a shad dart are the ticket.

If you're looking for some hot spots, I'd recommend trying the mouth of the Magothy River or the area around Podickory Point for stripers. For perch, head up to the Susquehanna Flats or try your luck in the Choptank River.

Remember, it's catch-and-release only for stripers right now, and some areas are closed to fishing entirely to protect spawning fish. Make sure you check the regs before heading out.

That's all for now, folks. Get out there and tight lines!