Report/worrisome findings

[yakscientist]

Trolled from Carr's wharf to Thomas point and back, and all around really yesterday from 545 am to 230pm. Caught only 2 small schoolies then 2 cownose rays. 0 fish from fishing worms on the bottom. Redfish said he also couldn't find any fish while bottom fishing.

Is everyone else having similar difficulties finding white perch or other bottom fish in mid bay? Usually in years past I would be catching them trolling, using bait, casting, any technique really. But this year I haven't caught any white perch, but will try harder over the next couple months. Maybe I'm just in the wrong spots.

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[toadfinger]

it's early yet. give it a couple weeks and for the water to clear and warm up some more.

[Big Mike]

While not mid-bay we’ve noticed that everything down south seems a little bit behind this year. There are some perch in usual haunts but not thick yet. No specks on our side but reports from the eastern shore are encouraging. The stripers are hit or miss, been almost skunked last two outings but 20+ in the prior one. Apparently the croaker are in but I rarely fish for them. People catching them as far as the Nice bridge on the Potomac.

[ronaultmtd]

This time last year I was strictly C&R fishing...filled my freezer and was just having fun...Redfish and Speckled Trout had been caught...white perch were thick...we are a solid month or more behind...like Big Mike...takes everything to find and then coax a bite...got some real quality fish but it has been a struggle...very difficult fishing. One trick up my sleeve is my side imaging Humingbird unit...once you learn how to tweak the settings, slow down the speed to less than 3 mph display and cut the distance settings to fifty feet on each side...play with the sensitivity settings...it is a real tool in the toolbox...even knowing exactly where the fish are...coaxing them to eat is another story..

[rugbyfish]

I caught a bunch of white perch in shallow water on small spinners in a Patapsco tributary on Friday. Most were small, but there were a few bigger ones mixed in. I’m hoping to get out and fish for stripers on the eastern shore one day soon and report back.

[yakscientist]

Yeah I agree everything still seems to be a few weeks behind. By late June perch fishing should really pick up, hopefully. Water clarity was definitely an issue yesterday. Thanks everyone for posting your findings. It'll be good to see what the next few weeks will bring.



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[Jesserkirk]

We trolled for hours on Friday all around Chesapeake Beach and didn’t catch a thing .


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[Jesserkirk]

We trolled for hours on Friday all around Chesapeake Beach and didn’t catch a thing .


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[Mark]

Although I have caught fish from a kayak each month this year, the best day I've had thus far in 2018 was a 60 degree day in a Delaware pond in February. Pickerel and bass were active and aggressive on that abnormally warm day. I think it was a case of pent up demand from them for food. All of my other trips this year have thus far been less entertaining. I've caught more fish on some outings since that February day, but even on those occasions, my catches have not hit my lures as hard. I've had to finesse the bite. Even my topwater hits have been subtle.

I believe our cold April has definitely set back fishing a few weeks. Many April nights had lows in the 30s and highs during the day 10 degrees lower than the normal high. This month I believe heavy rains concentrated over a few days have significantly stained our tidal waters more than in other recent springs.

Mother Nature has not been kind to us in 2018. Let's hope she treats us better soon.

[ski357]

Fishing has been a bit tough down here in the lower slower. In regards to white perch, I just spoke with a local crabber out of Ridge, with pots in the Potomac, who stated last week his pots were filled with white perch. Personally, I've only boated some schoolies this year and seen some CNR. We had a pod of dolphins in the area a week ago, so definitely a strange year so far.

[bignose]

We have had a very slow trophy season on the Charter Boat. We caught a few fish chumming, but nothing of keeping size.
I spoke with a couple of charter captains, and they seemed to think that things were gradually getting better in the Chesapeake Beach area.

Then came all of that rain to dirty up the water, and reports of a mahogany tide in the Bay Bridge area. Not good.

My only decent fishing, so far, has been in the small ponds that didn't suffer the effects of all of the run off.
I had one fair day fishing at Fletcher's, but did not do well several other times.

[Slough Sleigher]

We have had a very slow trophy season on the Charter Boat. We caught a few fish chumming, but nothing of keeping size.
I spoke with a couple of charter captains, and they seemed to think that things were gradually getting better in the Chesapeake Beach area.

Then came all of that rain to dirty up the water, and reports of a mahogany tide in the Bay Bridge area. Not good.

My only decent fishing, so far, has been in the small ponds that didn't suffer the effects of all of the run off.
I had one fair day fishing at Fletcher's, but did not do well several other times.

Agreed Bignose. The big toilet flushed again and will continue to muck up the fishing until this crazy weather pattern we are stuck in clears out -hopefully after Alberto. In the meantime folks, I'm headed South to the upper Grand Strand for the next couple weeks. I'll send y'all some post cards with the reports. Hope to find some clear water and good action on the coast. Time to put the sleigh back in the slough!

[Shady]

In years past I've had my first crabs of the year and nice hauls of perch from the severn by now but lack luster reports have kept me fishing fresh water. I'm not complaining, its been really good.... Tied PB Largy and PB white catfish in last two trips and lost my PB snakehead...

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[kevinfry]

Anyone know how this year's salinity compares to last or past years? My friend saw a catfish hauled in at Elms beach...that's a first for me.....the "taste test" today at Piney Point...significantly less salty than a Clamato juice! Low salinity could change the usual pattern i assume.

Water looked like winter water...huge visibility, I could clearly see the bottom in 8-10 ft of water...that's feb or march visibility

todays salinity at Pt Lookout buoy was 8+......the mean average of spring salinity from 1985-2006 was 10-13 at that spot. Annapolis was 3.8.....traditional average(spring) is 5-8. Some of the old guys likely know more about how this would impact fishing than me.

Caught lots of schoolies in St Mary's river Sunday......was a desert a PP today though a few perch were caught by bridge piling

[mike o]

Very poor year for me so far. The little luck I have had was in fresh water.