Has anyone been to the flats recently?

[MDSmith370]

I was thinking of going to the flats and was just wondering if there's any point in even entertaining the thought of a keeper striper still being there.

[echo5oscar]

...

Hey I have just started fishing this year and am located in Joppa. I was thinking of taking my yak up to the dam and trying to hook some of those big flat heads. Let me know.

[Yak Fish]

I wanted to take a trip to the flats at some point just do to a little "research." With the weather being so warm I haven't really gone fishing lately. It seems that the flats would hold high temps which would probably push the stripers to the deeper river...that's my assumption anyway but I'd still like to test the theory. My July weekends are pretty booked though and it's getting close to crabbin' time! If anyone goes I'd be interested in their reports. Largemouth fishing should be ok up there right now along the weeds at the shorelines.

[MDSmith370]

After years of debate in my own head I went ahead and got a trolling motor. There are just too many places I want to fish that are too far from the dock to paddle to. I was thinking of taking it on its maiden voyage tomorrow at dawn just as a test run to see if I need a counterbalance. I can't decide whether to go to the flats and jig or troll the deep water bridge pilings and channel edges or not. There are always plenty of largemouths around the downed trees in the lower section of the river on the western shore. However, the Otter Point public ramp is only about 5 minutes from me so if I decide to just get out and catch some largemouths I will probably just go there.

Echo, they are hammering the cats at the dam. I prefer to fish from shore there though. The strong current is a pain.

[Yak Fish]

Ha! I put in at the dam one time and swiftly got swept downstream. I pedaled like hell to get back. There were a lot of gates open so I'm not sure if it'd be different when less are running, but I had no chance. I fished from shore that day.

[echo5oscar]

That's what a couple guys are saying at work. As long as they aren't dumping water, it should be doable. At least to get to the other side and walk up from there, and hope I can shoot across and make the ramp on the way back.

Any word on what the flatheads are hitting at the dam?

[MDSmith370]

I have no idea what they are using but I would just get some nightcrawlers or chicken livers and put them on a bottom rig.

[Yak Fish]

If you have never fished Conowingo, you must first understand that it is hard to fish because of all the rocks. Be prepared to lose a LOT of tackle. If you are fishing from shore and casting towards the center, the current will swiftly wrap your line around a rock if it gets anywhere near bottom. If you can get directly downsteam, like on a boat or something and cast upstream, the likelihood of snagging will be less. I've seen guys buy frozen shrimp at walmart and fish up there for catfish...they do very well. I've caught nice catfish on cut bait as well. I don't think they're picky. The guys will throw the line out and pretty much rely on a fish coming by to unsnag them...it's the damnedest thing to know you're going to snag but have no problem with it because it's pretty certain to eventually get a fish.

[Yak Fish]

Also, live bait works well up there...a cast net should be able to get you some baby bluegills which make some good bait.
I'm not much for bait and all, but I will occasionally use it because in some situations it's all that will work.

[echo5oscar]

My buddy and I went to the damn this morning. I had high hopes of nailing a couple big flatheads. We launched right there at the down stream end of the island and paddled around and beached on the rocks pretty much at the top of the island. We soon realized there were some nice channels in there and they were hitting crank baits. Highly aggressive. We'd drift down just casting as if for bass, then paddle back up. I caught a nice channel and a flathead that I kept. My partner caught a pair with the biggest being 24". Didn't weigh any of them.

What a good way to start the day!

[Yak Fish]

My buddy and I went to the damn this morning. I had high hopes of nailing a couple big flatheads. We launched right there at the down stream end of the island and paddled around and beached on the rocks pretty much at the top of the island. We soon realized there were some nice channels in there and they were hitting crank baits. Highly aggressive. We'd drift down just casting as if for bass, then paddle back up. I caught a nice channel and a flathead that I kept. My partner caught a pair with the biggest being 24". Didn't weigh any of them.

Cool man. Good info. So no issue with the moving water? Do you know how many gates were running?
What a good way to start the day!

[echo5oscar]

There wasn't much moving water. Not sure how many gates were open. We were able to paddle up the back side of that island really easy. I think most of the current goes down the shoreline where everyone fishes from. We paddled up that side once and decided that was enough. Not terrible, but more than we felt like doing after several trips up the backside. I want to hit it up again as the sun comes up. As the heat started to get some what hot, the bite slowed.

[Memory Maker]

might want to fish the flats ............. if the grass beds are there you can catch a bunch of nice bass ......... use frogs and white topwater spinnerbaits ........... launch at tydings in havre de grace

[TopWaterLover]

Hey Guys, the dam has a generation schedule hotline that tells you the amount of water they are running. 888-457-4076. it's updated every day at 5pm for the next day. Anything over 4 small units, stay off the river, the current is way too strong. I have been rolled out of a canoe twice in high water. Wear you PFD's up there! Be safe.