Fishing Report
Chesapeake Bay (lower), VA
Summary: Anglers are enjoying catch and release fishing with the influx of striped bass headed up the Bay towards the spawning rivers. Most anglers are exploring the deep edges of the main channel looking for schools of menhaden and striped bass. Anglers are interested in targeting the largest female striped bass so they’re jigging with large soft plastic jigs of 10 inches or more. Remember to handle the striped bass as carefully as possible. Take any pictures quickly and be sure to cradle the fish horizontally to support their internal organs and egg burden. The DNR website offers information on responsible catch and release techniques with striped bass. The Patuxent and Nanticoke rivers are closed to the targeting of striped bass since they are spawning rivers, so no catch and release of striped bass is permitted. The Potomac River mainstem is open to catch and release from January 1 through May 15. However, please note that the tributaries on the Maryland side of the Potomac River are closed. Blue catfish are ready and willing to entertain anglers this month and it is an excellent idea to target them in the middle to upper sections of the region’s tidal rivers. The Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke currently hold the greatest numbers of blue catfish. The blue catfish are hitting the yellow perch, white perch and river herring hard as these species move up the tidal rivers to spawn. It is not unusual to find several adult fish weighing five pounds or more in the stomach of blue catfish. As blue catfish become larger, they have an exceedingly large appetite for spring spawning fish. Yellow perch are moving up several of the lower Bay tidal rivers that support spawning areas, and they are moving into creeks and the upper reaches of the tidal rivers. Lip-hooked small minnows and 1-inch to 1.5-inch soft plastic bodied jigs and blade jigs are excellent ways to fish for them. Online you can find a map of traditional yellow perch fishing locations. White perch are being found this week in the lower Marshyhope Creek, and moving up the Nanticoke, Wicomico, Patuxent,and Pocomoke rivers. Anglers are enjoying good fishing by casting small grubs and crappie lures, shad darts, or fishing with grass shrimp and bloodworms. The only limiting thing about fishing with bait is that it is easy to run out. DNR has announced the 2025 cobia season will run from June 15 through September 20. The creel limit will be one cobia per angler per day and a two cobia limit per vessel containing two or more anglers. The minimum length for cobia is 43 inches total length.