Weekend Fishing Report

The Independence Day weekend promises wonderful fishing, but we are sad to report that the waters of the tidal Mattawoman Creek around the Smallwood State Park’s launch ramps have been littered with dead largemouth bass for a number of days. These are bass that were part of the “live release” program by the FLW tournament group that conducted a large bass-fishing tournament last weekend.

There is no doubt that many of the bass that are caught in near 80-degree water, kept in confinement in a bass boat’s livewell, later weighed and then released, may look like they’re fine after being turned loose, but there is such a thing as delayed mortality. Many of the fish have been severely stressed and within a day or two succumb.

In the Chesapeake Bay’s feeder rivers, the Norfolk spot and white perch are thick as fleas. Check out the lower parts of the Potomac, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke, South, West and Magothy rivers in Maryland and also the Coan, Great Wicomico, Rappahannock and James rivers in Virginia. The number of croakers in these waterways is steadily increasing, but the best “hardhead” catches continue to be made after sundown in the main Chesapeake Bay, around the lower Maryland buoys and various underwater humps, channels and ditches, such as those found on the Middle grounds.

Rockfish are hooked by trollers, chummers and lure casters from as far up as the Chester River south to the Point Lookout area of the lower Potomac. Bluefish and slowly increasing numbers of Spanish mackerel make their presence felt in southern Maryland and Northern Neck Virginia waters. Surfacing stripers that boaters can cast a topwater popper to have been noted at sunrise from Little Cove Point north to Cove Point, also at the Gas Docks north to the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant.

The largemouth bass fishing will be fine in the upper tidal Potomac, and if it’s smallmouth bass you’re after, with a little luck and no heavy thunderstorms, you’ll score in the mountain parts of the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James rivers, as well as Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna.

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

AREA 1: D.C. AND VICINITY

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: 0-35 miles (***) — At Fletcher’s Cove (Georgetown, off Canal Road; call 202/244-0461) bottom-fished cut baits will attract big, fat blue catfish — and we mean big and tough “cats.” The waters from the District down to western Charles County deliver bass in good numbers. Work the grass carpets in the creeks and the main stem with weedless topwater lures, soft plastic baits and weedless swim baits. Many shoreline pockets that contain sunken wood also will produce. From the mouth of the Wicomico down to Point Lookout you’ll have a chance of hooking at least small croakers, Norfolk spot, some stripers and flounder, but the farther south you fish the better the catches. Check out St. Clements Island, Piney Point, St. George’s Island, Tall Timbers, Cornfield Harbor, Virginia’s Coan River and river ditches and channels throughout.

WICOMICO RIVER: 55 miles (**) — The croaker picture is improving, especially in the lower portions of the river around Bushwood. White perch are along all bulkheads, duck blinds and grass-bed edges.

MATTAWOMAN CREEK: 40 miles (***) — The waters adjacent to the Smallwood State Park’s boat launching ramps have been filled with the stench of dead bass that died after being released during last week’s FLW tournament. It’s not a pretty sight, but as you fish the various grass bed away from the facility (and hold your nose) you can find bass that go after topwater poppers in the morning or plastic baits after sunup.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND LAKES: 40-50 miles (***) — Gilbert Run Park’s Wheatley Lake (Route 6, east of La Plata) is always good for bluegills and a bass here and there, but if you want really good bass fishing launch your johnboat or walk the shores of St. Mary’s Lake (south on Route 5, past Leonardtown, to Camp Cosoma Road) where 4-inch plastic worms, small crankbaits and poppers have done well.

LITTLE SENECA LAKE: 30 miles (***) — Black Hill Regional Park (off Route 117 near Boyds, 301/972-9396) and the nearby Seneca Creek Lake (Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, 301/924-2127). Early hours are good for topwater lures around obstructions or grassy edges. Both lakes are home to good-sized largemouths and catfish or bluegills are in excellent supply.

WSSC RESERVOIRS: 20-30 miles (***) — (Triadelphia, off Route 97, or Route 650, in Montgomery County; Rocky Gorge, off Route 29 in Montgomery County.) Even shoreline walkers can score at either lake, but johnboaters have the luxury of being able to quickly move to other locations. Bass are active in early hours and various topwater lures, soft plastics and jerkbaits can score nicely in deepwater coves and various lake points and sunken wood or brush. To people who sometimes wonder where all the bass are, let me remind you of a remark a fisheries biologist once made regarding these reservoirs. “There are bass in here that are dying of old age,” he said. Go after them before they do. Crappies have been tough to find this week, but bluegills and catfish are willing.

BALTIMORE AREA RESERVOIRS: 50-75 miles (***) — Prettyboy Lake is on Route 137; Liberty is on Oakland Road in Eldersburg, Carroll County.) Liberty and Prettyboy have turned up decent numbers of smallmouth bass, especially for those who fished with live crawfish, light line, and no more weight than a splitshot or two. Cast the bait around the sides of jutting lake points and watch what happens. Largemouth bass like jerkbaits and poppers, also spinnerbaits, early in the day.

PATUXENT RIVER: 25-60 miles (***) — The Tackle Box in Lexington Park reports: “The spot are thick everywhere in the lower river as far up as Benedict.” Moving tides are required if you want Norfolk spot from the mouth of Cuckold’s Creek, Helen’s Bar, Town Creek, Green Holly, Sandy Point, Kingston Hollow, the fishing reef off the “O Club,” the 3-legged buoy, Second Beach and other areas. Most of them are small, but occasional jumbos are caught. Ken Lamb said the croaker catches are good for bottom fishermen using bloodworm, peeler, squid or shrimp baits in the river during the afternoon hours. Rockfish tend to hang around the Cedar Point lighthouse base before the sun rises.

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