Winter fishing?

[chex]

What kind of fishing is there to do during the winter around here? Can you still catch rockfish in the coldest months?

[moc]

I am looking forward to. Fishing for yellow perch in late January on the susky...

[DanMarino]

I'm going to try...

fishing for smallmouth bass on the Upper Potomac this winter. I've never tried to fish year around, so this will be my first attempt. From what I hear, the carp, catfish, and bass all congregate in deep areas with less current.

[Shady]

Good fishing to be had at powerplant discharges. I fish for flathead catfish in the winter at the peach bottom power plant discharge on the susky reservoir, but this is usually by boat. I caught some nice Stripers this year in February (C&R of course) by the CP Crane Powerplant in Salt Peter Creek from my yak. Other popular discharges are Brandon Shores on the patapsco, and calvert cliffs on the lower chesapeake bay. I believe there is also a discharge on the upper potomac, but I can't remember the name of it.

Yes, and the Yellow perch fishing is hot in the coldest months of the year!

[chex]

I believe there is also a discharge on the upper potomac, but I can't remember the name of it.

Dickerson?

[Shady]

Dickerson?

Thats it... I've never fished there before, but I've heard its kind of hit or miss..

[moc]

The discharge in the upper Potomac is by the Dickerson Powerplant. I have caught Catfish, bass, sunfish, and Carp. You can handcart a kayak alittle south of the powerplant or you can fish from shore after a 20 minute hike. The last time I was there, parking was free and you can fish all night.

[Yak Fish]

like MOC said, perch fishing on the susquehanna flats. We met up with a few other folks and had a great time. One you find the school and get the pattern down, you will catch your limit fast. Late January and into Feb are the months.

You can catch rockfish in the cold months but you'll need to find a warm water discharge. At water temps below 40F they pretty much shut off.

[Redfish12]

We started a challenge last year to catch a fish every month... so far I'm 11 for 11! There were a couple of close calls in there during the spring skunking but there are definitely fishing opportunities out there. I plan on hitting the susky and lake anna this winter for sure.

[moc]

I too am 11 for 11......

[medicyaker]

I"m one of those warm water discharge winter fisherman. I also like to hit the Yellow Perch from shore anywhere on the CB Tributaries. Also a hot fishing spot from shore is the SPSP Beach Surf Fishing for the big Stripers. I had a lot of luck freezing my butt off but caught a few NICE BIG Stripers from the beach. An angler next to me last year caught a 47" Federally Tagged striper last year. Theres a good time to be had pretty much anywhere in the area if you're willing to brave the elements.

[J.A. Veil]

I too am 11 for 11......

Nice job on the 11 for 11. Last year I went 10 for 12. I missed Feb and Dec.

This year I missed Jan and Feb (I tried but could not get a pickerel bite, then on March 1 I caught a bunch of pickerel), so the best I can hope for is 10 for 12 again.

Maybe next year.

[DanMarino]

Pickerel and Rockfish

I've never caught a pickerel before, so I need to knock that off my list soon.

I've also never caught a rockfish that was bigger than 8 inches long. I caught a couple from shore at a local reservoir last fall. But I've never caught a rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in a tidal tributary.

So I'm going to need some help and suggestions from you guys on how I can accomplish both of those before it gets too cold.

13

[ictalurus]

I'm 11 for 11 this year. In December, I'm thinking about hitting the Mattawoman or the Piscataway area on the Potomac for some catfish action. The Wicomico and the area around the 301 bridge might work, too. There are a couple spots on the Patuxent that aren't too bad for small to medium channels. I need to find a source of fresh (not frozen) bait in the winter, though.

I like perch and pickerel fishing in the winter the best of all, and I want to hit the Severn this year. My local lake usually coughs up a few small bass in the winter, which is good enough to keep the skunk off and to get some pullage. The fish sometimes move into shallow water on the third sunny day in a row and will hit small grubs and the like.

[Shady]

So far, I'm 10/11 this year because I didn't make it out in January, but its been one of my best years of fishing ever with over 30 species and several that I've never caught before. Not too many really big fish other than some nice White Perch, but the number of fish for me has been really good.