Weekend fishing report

What a great weekend this will be. In the rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean, there will be action galore. One reason is a rise in the water temperature that, in the case of species that come from the South, has encouraged migration.

It begins with tremendous numbers of Atlantic croakers that are invading the Chesapeake Bay like so many waterborne locusts. The croakers now have come up the tidal Potomac River as far as the bridge for U.S. Route 301, and they’re inside the Patuxent and Choptank rivers in Maryland. They’re also in Virginia’s York, James and Rappahannock rivers.

The trophy striper season begins Saturday in Virginia and continues through May15. One 32-inch-and-over rockfish a day is allowed. Maryland’s trophy striper season is already under way, and most of the private and charter boats that troll Sassy Shad-laden umbrella rigs or individual spoons and parachute bucktails on the Chesapeake are finding fine specimens.

If it’s huge black drum you’re wondering about — because they arrive here every year at this time — word has it that some are being caught around the Cape Charles, Va., portion of the Chesapeake. Many more will follow within the next week.

Bass catches can be made in nearly all the tidal rivers but it’s the Potomac that is best. Largemouths and occasional, unplanned hookups with stripers are seen from the Nanjemoy Creek to the Chicamuxen, including such areas as the Arkindale Flats and Wade’s Bay. The upper river toward the District also turns up bass action.

The Maryland DNR reports a change in flounder regulations: Effective immediately, the recreational 17-inch minimum size restriction and daily catch limit of eight summer flounder a person has been rescinded. The recreational summer flounder minimum size will be reduced to 17 inches, with a daily catch limit of three fish a person. The recreational summer flounder fishery will remain open year-round in the Atlantic Ocean, its coastal bays and tributaries and the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

(Ratings key: = excellent fishing; = Good; =Fair; = Poor.)

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (***) — The water in the Fletcher’s Boat House stretch (off Canal Road, 202/244-0461) was on the rise at midweek because of upper river runoff but Ray Fletcher says, “With a little luck, it’ll be fishable by Saturday.” His area of the river continues to show large numbers of shad, some herring, perch, catfish and stripers. On Saturday, the District’s rockfish season begins. You’ll be able to keep two 18-to-36-inch fish an outing. Guide Andy Andrzejewski (301/932-1509) finds that many of the tidal water bass are on spawning beds now and require a little coaxing. They had been hanging around wood cover, but now find marsh edges and gravel bars suitable for spawning, some of it in the main stem of the river but even more in the feeder creeks. However, spinnerbaits will elicit strikes, as will Power Worms and various jigs and pork or plastic trailers. Local anglers Mark Coggins and youngster Colin Matthewson of Alexandria have been catching blue catfish in the Marshall Hall to Mount Vernon area. Matthewson had a 27-pounder the other day, and Coggins says, “We’re getting a lot of blue catfish in this range, mixed in with stripers.” Better make an appointment for a booking if you want to catch croakers down by the Route 301 bridge with pontoon boat captain Steve Riha (804/224-7062). More fish are arriving every day. The rental boats inside the Wicomico River, at Quade’s Store, are said to average 40 croakers an outing. The fishing can be spectacular.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (***) — Bass can be hooked on plastic worms, jig ‘n’ craws, spinnerbaits, even crankbaits if you work the spatterdock fields. Concentrate on the edges of the fields so your lure can be worked down into the drop that is normally found adjacent to the “lilies.” Expect quite a few spawning bass now, and many of them will be upstream past Slavin’s boat ramp on Mattingly Avenue in Indian Head.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (***) — Gilbert Run Park’s Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) will turn up sunfish and a few crappies. The bass are willing but must be released. Upper end of lake shows some spawning activity. In St. Mary’s Lake (Route 5 south of Leonardtown, on Camp Cosoma Road), the crappie and catch-and-release bass fishing has been quite good.

LITTLE SENECA LAKE: 30 miles (***) — Black Hill Regional Park (off Route 117, near Boyds, 301/972-9396) and nearby Seneca Creek Lake (Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, 301/924-2127) has been good for bass that like wacky-rigged plastic worms, as well as grubs or Texas-rigged worms. Small spinnerbaits and hard jerkbaits also will draw hits from bass. The sunfish are hungry, so take the kids and use a worm and bobber setup to catch a mess..

WSSC RESERVOIRS: 20-30 miles (***) — (Triadelphia, off Route 97, or Route 650, in Montgomery County; Rocky Gorge, off Route 29 in Montgomery County) Bass will be on their beds or about to go into spawning mode, so don’t expect great action, but walleyes are possible, as are crappies and sunfish.

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