What is going on with 2018?

[ronaultmtd]

I know that climate change is unpredictable and is all about extremes...but what is with the really lousy fishing? Overall this year has been really off...kept thinking it would get better later in the year...don’t get me wrong..I have caught a good number of legal keepers, but there has been a lot of blank spots in between...and the overall resource seems in trouble...maybe I am being “chicken little” yelling the sky is falling, but...looking at even the reliable white perch fishery being less reliable...the fishing is not what it should be...a handful of speckled trout...a few croakers.. a Redfish or two...reports of cobia at Target ships...all seem seasonal, EXCEPT for the numbers...very low volume of fish...lots of bait should equate to lots of fish...Big Mike and I got into nice fat Stripers twice this season...20-25 inch fish cast after cast...but it was a tease...got a 30 inch fish early in the season...and our normal hot top water action has only produced a few fish...the normal honey holes have very low populations of fish...they are there and you can get a legal fish or two if you are persistent and keep experimenting to find something they will hit, but if you are not on your “A” game, you may not get a single hit all day...you really have to work hard to score a fish...

[DanMarino]

With all of the rain, is the salinity down in the bay and lower Potomac?

I have not been able to kayak fish the Upper Potomac yet this year due to the rains and high river levels not aligning when I am available to fish. My fishing has been ponds and local small streams/rivers in Central MD.

[yakscientist]

Yeah I think salinity has a lot to do with it. The low salinities in portions of tributaries where we typically fish (and catch a lot of fish) are pushing the fish into the deeper parts of the main stem. So powerboaters def have the advantage right now. Like you Ron, I hope this is just the case of a temporary lull, and not a drastic sign of bad things to come.

[rugbyfish]

I’m with you guys, let’s hope it’s temporary. I’m afraid a good number of specks were killed off by the cold this winter, but I hope I’m wrong.

[Fishtank]

Ron, agreed. Way off from previous yrs.

[brianisoutside]

There has been an abnormally large school for weeks in one area of the bay. Usually this time of year the mainstem of the bay has a dead zone and algae blooms. I haven’t really heard of that this year.


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[captmikestarrett]

I find all saltwater to be a feast or famine. Based on the huge amount of water available to the salty ones. Freshwater especially tidal fresh water is very predictable with four periods of feeding each day and structure. This year the pesky LGMouth have been bigger and more of them but in new spots. Not the same spots as last year..The year has been good but not great. I will fish the saltwater starting Sept thru Dec and hope I do not find the issues you guys sight.

Capt Mike

[bluefishnc]

All the rain early season really goofed up the mid potomac. Early season before the rain it was ok. From May to June in a word it stunk (unless you like catching blue cats). I've been out several times though in the last week and it is back to normal for the most part. Striper dinks and keepers where they are supposed to be along with lots of big aggressive white perch. I have not seen any CNR yet nor any spot or croaker but I don't target them much and I have seen more schools of bait that ever before. I think it was an EPIC spawn for baitfish like shad/menhaden etc... That or all the rain has protected them in the cloudy water because the past week is easily the most bait I've seen in the river in 10 years. Pods everywhere. This mirrors what I saw a month ago in the creeks during all the storms. I think that bodes well for later in the summer when the salinity comes back up some more.

My bottom line takeaway is things aren't that bad at all. Fish have just not been where they normally are due to all the rain and patterns are only just now getting back to normal. Save that vacation time for August/Sept. because I get the feeling it's gonna be fun.

[bunnielab]

I am mostly a freshwater guy and it has been off this year as well. I think the very cold and long spring might be to blame, it seemed like the LMB pre-spawn and spawn period was super short. I did observe a few freshwater fish kills during the few weeks of 20f temps, but I hope it was not enough to really effect anything.