Fishing Report
Chesapeake Bay (lower), VA
Summary: 3/26/26 - The lower Bay offers some of the best opportunities for striped bass catch-and-release fishing this week. Trolling will be popular as will jigging. Hooks on lures must be barbless when trolling, no stinger hooks and no more than six lines can be deployed at any one time. If fishing with bait, no-offset circle hooks are mandatory. Some exciting news has come from the District of Columbia waters this week – the first hickory shad were caught at Fletchers Landing. The hickory shad have moved into Mattawoman Creek and are providing fun catch-and-release fishing opportunities. Small flashy spoons, shad darts and colorful flies are good choices for lures. The white perch movement up the spawning rivers is creating a lot of exciting fishing opportunities this week. The Little Choptank, Nanticoke, Wicomico, Pocomoke, Patuxent and Potomac are major standouts. Grass shrimp, small minnows or pieces of bloodworm are the most popular baits with white perch. They can be presented on a small jig head, under a bobber or a bottom rig, all dependent on the water depth. Crappie are also in play this week whether you are fishing for white perch with small minnows or targeting them directly. They can be found holding near structure in non-tidal ponds and reservoirs or tidal rivers. Fallen treetops, sunken brush or wood, bridge piers, and marina docks all attract crappie. Fishing for blue catfish offers exciting action this week in the tidal Potomac, Patuxent, and Nanticoke rivers this week. The blue catfish have become very active, and the channel areas provide the best place to fish for them. Gizzard shad is the most popular cut bait, but menhaden, white perch, chicken liver and a variety of scented baits work well. An 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook on a sliding sinker rig is a popular way to fish for them.