Cover Image: Left: Dan Davis caught this massive Crappie measuring between 15-16 inches using our minnows in Kettering Pond in PG county! Right: Austin Meadows caught several catfish, including this monster, at Sandy Point using bloodworms & alewife!
Snakehead: Snakehead fishing was really picking up prior to this cold snap, and we expect that it will pick up again in the coming week. We are going to have a very low tide this weekend which may contribute to difficult fishing, but it should improve just in time for our Monster Snakehead Hunt to start on Monday! Stop by our Snakehead Kickoff Event this Saturday and Sunday to get prepared! We have found that in this cooler weather, Snakehead are biting on smaller profile lures such as mepps spinners and small paddletails and that a slower retrieve is key. Live minnows are also working well!
Catfish: The catfish bite is still great all over the main bay and rivers. Sandy Point and Matapeake are great places to catch them from shore in the main bay, or you can try inside of the rivers such as the Severn, Matapeake, Patapsco or Chester which have been producing as well! Use cut bait such as fresh alewife, spot or herring. Fresh shrimp has been working well too. A simple fish finder rig is all you need!
Perch: White perch and yellow perch are both now in post spawn, which means that for the most part they are no longer in the headwaters of the rivers and the creeks. Instead work your way toward the mouths of the rivers to catch them on the way out! While live minnows certainly still work, you might want to consider transitioning to spinners (it’s time to break out the perch pounders!) and small paddletails. Speed up your retrieve a little bit as well. If using a minnow, simply speed up the rate that you are bouncing it back.
Trout: Freshwater trout stocking is happening all over the place! Check the DNR website for a list of the places that have been stocked! When fish are newly stocked, we typically use power bait trout dough on a small treble hook, but if you are searching for “left over” trout in an area that was stocked a little while ago, try using small spinners instead.
Pickerel/Large Mouth Bass: Both of these fun freshwater fish are in pre-spawn right now, which means that they are feeding more aggressively and you will want to use more reaction style baits such as chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. Check out the upper parts of any of the rivers, Tuckahoe, and any of the eastern shore mill ponds for a good bite!
Shad: Shad fishing was excellent last week, then this cold snap killed the bite. We definitely expect it to pick back up very soon though, so keep an eye on those typical areas in the Potomac and Patuxent, and we will keep you posted!