Weekend Fishing Report

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By Gene Mueller

The holiday weekend promises to be hot, steamy, and very good for fishing. It begins with ever-increasing numbers of Norfolk spot and croakers from the Northern Neck of Virginia clear up to and past the Chesapeake Bay bridges near Annapolis. Add to that widely scattered schools of stripers and bluefish that sometimes can be seen chasing baitfish to the surface. When it happens, have a spinning rod ready with a popping lure and begin casting and retrieving. The fish will do the rest.

Those who enjoy fishing for largemouth bass could not possibly pick a better venue than the Potomac River below the District. The bass are jumping on buzzbaits and loud popping lures very early in the day and when the sun warms the water you'd do well to start fishing the various creeks' marsh banks and sunken wood that sits near deep water, which might be as little as 5 feet. Remember, the best fishing usually occurs during a receding tide when baitfish flee the marshes, lest they be stranded. The bass know this and they'll be ready to feed.

If you're heading to the Atlantic Ocean, the offshore waters between Ocean City and Virginia promise a mixed bag of bluefish, tunas, maybe a few billfish and seabass, while inshore surf and bay fans will find flounder , snapper blues and small sand sharks.

Now here's this week's fishing outlook:

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

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (★★★★) — At Fletcher's Cove (Georgetown, off Canal Road; call 202/244-0461), Ray Fletcher said, We're in a summer pattern and the fishing can actually be pretty good. Fletcher said large catfish, including some blue cats over 30 pounds, have been biting well. There are also bass and a few leftover stripers. Downstream, bass are the main fare for boaters from the District south to the Wilson Bridge. All the feeder creeks hold good numbers of bass, many of them immature youngsters, but occasional whoppers are hooked on toopwater poppers, buzzbaits and grass rats, with plastic worms rigged wacky style turning up good numbers of fish when the tide drops around marsh banks and sunken wood. Catfish are everywhere, especially in the creek and main stem drops and channels. As you head downstream past the Route 301 river bridge in Charles County, begin looking for white perch, croakers and spot. The river between Swan Point and St. Clements has been productive, but you must locate a school on a good depth finder, then use fresh shrimp, peeler crab, or squid as bait. The Tackle Box's Ken Lamb said spot are very active at Piney Point, Kitts Point, Ragged Point, Cornfield Harbor and most anywhere else on the river. Rockfish in the 17- to 24-inch class can be taken on trolled bucktails between Ragged Point and Smith Point.

WICOMICO RIVER:55 miles (★★★) — The Bushwood area near Quade's Store (301/769-3903) sees croaker and spot catches from the lower end of the river up toward Chaptico Wharf.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (★★★) — The back of the creek, above the Slavin's area on Mattingly Road, can be very productive for plastic wormers and topwater lure casters, although some of the grass beds toward the mouth and in front of Sweden Point Marina have been good for largemouths and fat catfish.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (★★★) — Gilbert Run Park's Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) The bluegill fishing continues to hold up, but that's about it. At St. Mary's Lake (south on Route 5, past Leonardtown, to Camp Cosoma Road) the bass and pickerel fishing with small crankbaits or plastics has been fine, while fat bluegills are great for flyrodders and their popping bugs.