Weekend Fishing Report

Local waters are slowly clearing and returning to normal. By the weekend, you should see decent fishing in most area lakes and rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

It begins with the bay, where, according to Lexington Park’s Ken Lamb, the water temperature has fallen 5 degrees in one week. That means various fish species begin to prepare for colder weather and will feed heavily. That’s good for fishermen. White perch, rockfish, spot, bluefish and Spanish mackerel all are likely to be more active.

Local bass guide Andy Andrzejewski says the fishing has been good throughout the river. Whether you fish the weed carpets of the tidal Potomac’s main stem or the fallen timber and grass beds in any number of creeks, the largemouth bass have been striking hard for soft jerkbaits, buzzbaits, poppers, some medium depth crankbaits and, of course, plastic worms.

The only waffling we will do concerns the upper mountain rivers, including the Potomac, James, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Susquehanna. As of Tuesday, many parts of western Maryland’s Potomac looked murky and swift. The same holds for the James River, but by the weekend a big change for the better is possible.

Remember that National Hunting and Fishing Day will be celebrated Saturday. Many Izaak Walton League chapters and fishing/hunting clubs are inviting the public to visit and see how they pursue their recreational activities. Want to help? Next time you see a hunter or angler, give him or her a hug and thank them for being true leaders in the conservation movement. America’s hunters and anglers spend plenty when it comes to preserving and enhancing wildlife and fisheries. Their license and user fees, plus special taxes levied on sporting equipment, account for a large share of what it takes to pay the bills.

(RATINGS KEY: ****=EXCELLENT FISHING; ***=GOOD; **=FAIR; *=POOR.)

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (***) — In the District, Danny at Fletcher’s Boat House (off Canal Road, 202/244-0461, fletchersboathouse.com) said, “It’s still a little muddy, but it will clear more by the weekend. Perhaps murky would be a better word by Saturday.” There you have it. Some catfish will be caught for sure. Bass and crappies are another story. They won’t be easy to find. However, the farther you get from the District, the more the fishing will improve. Main stem grasses, shoreline rocks and fall trees will offer some action during one tide or another. Guides Andy Andrzejewski (301/932-1509) and Dale Knupp (301/934-9062) say main stem grasses and those inside the creeks produce bass if you work with a variety of topwater lures or various soft or hard jerkbaits. Also, plastic worms and crankbaits can produce bass strikes and even occasional stripers. From the Route 301 bridge downstream to the Wicomico, St. Clements, Tall Timbers and Piney Point — as well as on the Virginia side, which looks similar to Maryland’s shoreline — you will find a mix of Norfolk spot, a few small flounder, rockfish and bluefish and even Spanish mackerel that were hooked as far up as Piney Point and St. George’s Island.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (***) — Bass will look at topwater lures of all kinds early in the day, then switch to soft plastics or even crankbaits. Stay along spatterdock fields that have a sharp dropoff nearby or look for sunken wood. Catfish are available, and once in a while bass anglers connect on school stripers down around the mouth.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (***) — Gilbert Run Park’s Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) soon will be stocked again with trout but in the meantime expect some decent sunfish and surprisingly nice looking bass that have been hanging around near the dam’s rockline. At St. Mary’s Lake (Route 5 south of Leonardtown, on Camp Cosoma Road), use 4-inch ribworms or small spinnerbaits to find bass in stickups and along the dam’s rip-rap. Small crankbaits also do well, especially if they are of a crawfish pattern.

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) should give up some decent bass that like Senko-style worms, shallow crankbaits and Rapala jerkbaits. Catfish enjoy a bottom rig loaded with a fillet (skin-on) of bluegill, perch or herring.

WSSC RESERVOIRS: 20-30 miles (***) — (Triadelphia, off Route 97 or Route 650 in Montgomery County; Rocky Gorge, off Route 29 in Montgomery County) Check lake points and any sunken wood with scented plastic worms, such as the Berkley Power Worm or the Zero Worm. If you fish early or under overcast skies, try a loud surface popping lure. Eventually, bass will be yours.

PATUXENT RIVER: 25-60 miles (***) — The upper river takes longer to clear than most tidal rivers, so the bass catches will be on hold, but catfish will cooperate whether you cast a bottom-fished liver or cut fish bait or a medium depth crankbait along spatterdock edges. In saltier water, spot, rockfish and blues can be yours. For example, spot like bloodworms in the mouth of the river, breaking rockfish are all over the Cedar Point Rip and snapper bluefish are everywhere. Some of the best rockfish catches, Ken Lamb says, come between 7p.m. and 10p.m. over the oyster bars near the mouth of Cuckolds Creek as bottom fishermen drift with pieces of peeler crab. Squid and freshly cut fish strips also work.

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