Fish Lines
Saturday is opening day of Maryland's striped bass season. The season runs through May 15, during which time anglers may catch and keep a single striper per day measuring 28 inches or longer. During a recent preseason scouting trip, local charter captain Sonny Forrest fished the bay's channel edges near Solomons, Md., with an array of lures ranging from umbrella rigs to tandem bucktails. He trolled the lures beneath a few gannets that were looking for an easy meal, which is a good indication of feeding activity just beneath the surface. His efforts were rewarded by catches of rockfish ranging from 32 to 42 inches in length, fish that were immediately released to fight another day.
The bay's upper reaches are still extremely muddy, which does not bode well for those fishing north of the Chesapeake Bay bridges at Sandy Point. Additionally, the waters are loaded with flotsam from recent flooding, creating boating hazards.
What's the Catch?
Washington & Vicinity
TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- The river has cleared somewhat, with water temperatures in the mid-50s. Scattered catches of tidewater largemouths were reported in Mattawoman Creek inside the no-wake area by anglers casting tube lures in the relatively warm shallows. Chickamuxen and Aquia creeks, where emerging aquatic grasses normally hold good numbers of bass, produced scanty catches despite relatively clear water conditions. Anglers who fished the pilings of Woodrow Wilson Bridge and nearby Spoils area had little action. The same was true for anglers hoping to catch bass in Washington Channel and Pentagon lagoon, but there were lots of big channel catfish available for those who dunked chunks of cut herring, chicken livers and night crawlers. Within the next two weeks, there should be good numbers of hickory shad and white perch available in the river near Fletcher's Landing and Washington Channel.
UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- The river's upper reaches are still a bit high and muddy but should be fishable if the weather remains relatively dry. Look for bronzebacks near Point of Rocks, Whites and Edwards ferries, and also from the heads of deeper pools near Lander, locations where live minnows, hellgrammites, small crayfish and tube lures should all be productive.
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA) -- The water is high and muddy, but slowly clearing near the Juniata River's mouth at Duncannon, where local anglers reported scattered catches of smallmouth bass, a few big walleye and even an occasional tiger muskie. Nearly all were taken on live minnows.
Maryland
TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Peter Schumacher of Laurel was casting a small jig in Triadelphia Reservoir when he hooked and landed a 6-pound 5-ounce walleye. Local angler Charles Hatcher caught and released a 22-inch largemouth bass at Triadelphia last week while casting a small jig as well. Scattered catches of channel catfish and crappie have been reported at Rocky Gorge, mainly from the upper reaches by anglers suspending live minnows beneath small floats. As water temperatures rise, action for both species will improve.
LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Anglers enjoyed the warm, sunny weekend fishing from the decks of Dulaney Valley Bridge, most dunking live minnows on hopes of hooking up with crappie. While the bite was at times spotty, there were a few exceptionally large fish caught near the impoundment's north shore, crappie measuring 15 inches and weighing nearly two pounds. Boating anglers managed to sink their hooks into a few chain pickerel, northern pike and largemouth bass while plug casting the shallows of Pierce's and Goetze's coves with shallow-running crankbaits. Water temperatures are still a bit too chilly for solid, shallow-water action.
MARYLAND TROUT STREAMS -- Fair catches of rainbows have been reported at nearly all put-and-take streams, mostly on baits such as night crawlers, garden worms, scented salmon eggs, pea-size balls of Velveeta cheese and Power Baits. Most measured 10 to 12 inches in length, but there were a few 18- to 22-inch fish reportedly caught from Gunpowder River near Harford Road, Deer Creek in Rocks State Park and the Patapsco River's lower reaches in Patapsco State Park.
Virginia
LAKE ANNA -- Largemouth bass are beginning to migrate into the shallows to spawn, especially in the impoundment's lower reaches. The runts have been lurking around stumps and docks for nearly two weeks, but larger fish, some weighing five or more pounds, continue to hide in somewhat deeper water. Deep-diving crankbaits, pig-and-jig combinations and spinnerbaits have all proven effective along the lake's drop-offs early and late in the day. Local angler Jerry Jackson sunk his hooks into an 8-pound 2-ounce largemouth last weekend. Dwight Carter of Fredericksburg lured a 6-pound 8-ouncer, and Danny Marshall of Louisa, Va., bagged one that tipped the scales at six pounds. Striper fishing has been excellent since the water began clearing. Sturgeon Creek, the mouths of Contrary and Pigeon creeks and The Splits, especially around Rose Valley are just a few of the hot locations. Concentrate your efforts in the main lake, primarily fishing with Sassy Shad, Sea Shad, Storm Wild Eye Shad, and three-quarter-ounce spoons. Live bait is also working well. Sam Balthazar of Spotsylvania nailed a 20-pound 7-ouncer last week. Crappie have really come on strong beneath the bridges and locations adjacent to deepwater brush piles. Slabsides to 14 inches were taken on two-inch grubs rigged to one-eighth-ounce leadheads, tiny shad darts and live minnows, all of which were suspended about six to eight feet beneath the surface with a small float.
KERR RESERVOIR -- Crappie action was good in the lake's major coves where slabsides to 12 inches smacked live minnows fished close to submerged brush piles and willow stands. Muddy water hampered striped bass and largemouth bass action.
SHENANDOAH RIVER -- The river is finally settled, water temperatures are in the low 50s and smallmouth bass action was described as fair near Bentonville Bridge by anglers rafting the river last weekend. Another five-degree rise in water temperature should trigger good to excellent action from smallmouth bass and panfish.
Chesapeake Bay
UPPER BAY -- While the upper bay is still a bit murky, the North East, lower Susquehanna, Sassafras and Bohemia rivers seem to be clearing. Anglers fishing the North East River's lower reaches and adjacent Susquehanna Flats with live shad hooked and released stripers to 37 inches during the past week. Most were taken from the river's channel edges near Red Point, Rocky Point and Carpenter Point, where depths ranged from 10 to 15 feet. White perch to 10 inches smacked bottom-fished bloodworms at Turkey Point, the mouth of Elk River, lower Susquehanna River near I-95 bridge and some of the deeper pools just east of Lapidum Landing. White perch measuring 12 to 14 inches caught near Welch's Point and in the C&D Canal. White perch action was red-hot in the Chester River's upper reaches near Millington early in the week, but slowed dramatically toward week's end when most of the larger females had completed their spawning cycle.
BAY BRIDGES AREA -- Beechwood Park, in the Magothy River's upper reaches, is still producing good catches of big white perch, some to 12 inches. While most were taken on live minnows and bloodworms, some of the largest fish were caught on tiny shad darts suspended beneath tiny floats and slowly retrieved. While rockfish season will be open in this area on Saturday, water quality is still extremely poor, which will likely keep the fish south of the mud line, which has now extended to the southern tip of Kent Island.
