Report/worrisome findings

[BarefootPetr]

Shady, I agree. Freshwater has been the ticket so far this year for me. Lots of good bass fishing and the panfish bite on ultralight and fly is heating up. I'm also determined to finally get a snakehead this year.

I've had a couple trips out for perch and almost all of the perch I caught were in open water. A few under docks, but they haven't settled yet. I've noticed everything is about 2 weeks late this year

[Fishtank]

A lot of schoolies way up the Potomac in the flats across from Oldtown Alexandria. Water quality was mostly mud although the outflow from Blue Plains filtered a sizable area. Caught a 20” walleye there as well but overall (Speaking for myself only as I don’t know what other guys have seen), its void of the larger fish and quantity that you usually get a shot at.

[jhoss]

I'm hearing some good reports of sizable post spawn perch out of the Susquehanna...so I'm figuring we are still a little behind on temperatures for the perch to find their summer haunts. I'd expect things to be "back to normal" in about two weeks, lol

[TomyTek]

I fished further south near CB and got a big ole skunk. I didn't mark much either. A buddy of mine cleaned up on perch the week before, but then the disappeared this past weekend. It's definitely been an off year.

I'm with you Shady. I fished freshwater all of the trophy season. Blue cats are fun to catch and quite tasty. I still have yet to catch my first snek. I had some blow ups, but no hook ups. They seen to have really bad aim.

[moc]

I am with Shady and Tommy, while the fishing has been slow in the salts, I have been fishing more water of the less salty variety for some pullage. Blue Cats have been my favorite right now. I have been catching many in the mid twenties to the occasional 30+ inches. I also tried the CB area and caught a cow nose ray, two white perch, and one small schoolie rock. That is it for that area. We have a lot of things delaying the better fishing that I had last year. First of all, the rain has lowered the salinity level for the salt water loving species, and the water has been stained from the Dams up north that had to open releasing sediment and other stuff into the bay. Not counting all of the run off that occurred during the heavy rains. These things lower the oxygen level which chases the marine life away. Cooler water temps to start off the year did not help. My best guess is that we are a month behind schedule as everyone has suggested.

[yakscientist]

Got another not so positive report...fished the Severn today and got my first skunk on that river in many months. Saw lots of bait balls which is always good, but so far as I could tell, nothing was feeding on them. The only confirmed large fish activity I saw was spawning carp. Man those things put on quite a show in the shallow salt marsh edges. Threw a couple baits their way to see if they'd hit but they were preoccupied with being morons. Or wait, maybe I'm the moron. Either way...0 fish caught.

The water was very brown, almost red in some places. Has there been an algal bloom nearby? It was probably from the major rain events lately but I'm just curious.

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[kevinfry]

I am with Shady and Tommy, while the fishing has been slow in the salts, I have been fishing more water of the less salty variety for some pullage. Blue Cats have been my favorite right now. I have been catching many in the mid twenties to the occasional 30+ inches. I also tried the CB area and caught a cow nose ray, two white perch, and one small schoolie rock. That is it for that area. We have a lot of things delaying the better fishing that I had last year. First of all, the rain has lowered the salinity level for the salt water loving species, and the water has been stained from the Dams up north that had to open releasing sediment and other stuff into the bay. Not counting all of the run off that occurred during the heavy rains. These things lower the oxygen level which chases the marine life away. Cooler water temps to start off the year did not help. My best guess is that we are a month behind schedule as everyone has suggested.

come try my new spot....more eating size cats but the VOLUME is amazing

[ronaultmtd]

Kevin, my older Sister Sherrie has her home directly across the Wicomico from your new spot on Mitchell Creek (Neal Sound)...when I launch from her house there is a spot about a mile out loaded with blue cats...can’t miss, guarantee fish...but this time of year I am white perch, speckled trout, Redfish and early morning/late evening top water fishing for striped bass...I especially like Light tackle fishing for white perch...a big white perch of 11(+) inches is the target species...my tackle is adequate if I hook bigger fish (which happens every trip) but still light and fun with white perch...2500 CI4(+) Stradic with 10# braid on St Croix Mojo Inshore medium light 7’ spinning rod...that outfit caught two citation speckled trout last year and a 25 inch Redfish while I was fishing for white perch...

[J.A. Veil]

The water was very brown, almost red in some places. Has there been an algal bloom nearby? It was probably from the major rain events lately but I'm just curious.

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Much of the water in the mid-Severn has been reddish brown for several weeks. I believe this is due to an algal bloom.

For those of you who enjoy fishing on the Severn, consider joining the Severn River Rod and Keg Club (SRRKC). This is a group of folks who fish frequently in the Severn or who live in Severn area communities. They have a private Facebook page. Meetings are held at various local watering holes around Annapolis on the first Wed of each month (next meeting is at 6:30 pm on June 6 at the West End Grill). I bring this up here because one of the long-term members is John Page Williams, chief naturalist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He has been making depth-specific water quality measurements at Winchester Lump for several years. This spring he started posting the results on the SRRKC Facebook page.