Chances are good for croakers, shad

Local angler Brian Lassiter caught what is believed to be the first croaker of the year. The 17-inch “hardhead,” as Marylanders refer to Atlantic croakers, was checked into Lexington Park’s Tackle Box on Friday. It was caught from the North Beach fishing pier in Calvert County.

So it begins for Northern Neck Virginians and Southern Marylanders. Pound netters are seeing slowly increasing numbers of the tasty croakers — even a few Norfolk spot — every day. With warm temperatures coming into the Washington area, the croaker fishing should get good quickly.

Next comes word that hickory and white shad are caught in the Potomac River around the area of Fletcher’s Boat House and Chain Bridge. Ray Fletcher (202/244-0461) said a surprising number of the bigger white shad are in, along with plenty of hickories and spawning white perch. Rockfish are up toward Fletcher’s Cove as well, but you won’t be able to keep any until May 16, when two stripers measuring from 18 to 28 inches can be kept.

Hickory shad, perch and some herring are available in the Fredericksburg sector of the Rappahannock River, as well as in the upper Chesapeake Bay’s Susquehanna River and its Deer Creek tributary.

Those of us who await the start of Maryland rockfish season April 19 aren’t surprised that a steady string of whoppers is being hooked and released by boaters, but who would think that one of the seven rockfish landed by Calvert County pier anglers measured 45 inches and might have weighed 40 pounds?

River bass are active — We’ve been out on the tidal Potomac, and all I can see is “Get going.” The largemouths are hanging out on main-stem and creek flats where submersed vegetation is steadily growing. Any kind of lipless rattle bait can do the job. The one we’ve been using is the Red Eye Shad from Strike King. The official color name is Red Craw/Chartreuse. Baby 1-Minus lures and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits also work.

White perch record — John Williams of Pasadena, Md., fished for crappies at Loch Raven Reservoir last week when he hooked a fat white perch that he wanted to toss into a frying pan. Good sense prevailed, and it was measured and weighed. It turned out to be a state record white perch, weighing 1.61 pounds. The old mark stood at 1.50 pounds, and it also came from the same Baltimore area reservoir.

Occoquan Reservoir action — Smokey Davis, the park ranger at Occoquan Reservoir’s Fountainhead Park, says now is the time to go after trophy bass.

“Several bass over six pounds were weighed in this past week, and a 7½-pound female largemouth was caught, weighed and released,” he said.

Spinnerbaits do well, as will jig’n’pig combos and shad-color swim baits.

“With warmer weather on the way the bass will soon begin to head into coves to spawn,” Davis added. “Crappies are starting to bite well and can be found around brush piles and beaver dams.”

Shenandoah bass in shallows — Smallmouth bass are beginning to spread out and enter shallow spawning areas on the Shenandoah River.

“We’re catching smallmouths in shallow areas that haven’t produced all winter,” Front Royal’s Dick Fox said.

Lower bay shows flounder catches — From Virginia Beach, Julie Ball reports that windy weather is still keeping most boats inside the marinas, but flounder fishermen are scoring all over the lower Chesapeake.

“When boats are able, [bait] drifters are finding limits of respectable flatfish over the 19-inch minimum size requirement,” she said.

Squid and minnow combinations do especially well at the third island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Maryland ocean too windy — The DNR’s Keith Lockwood says surf water temperatures are around 46 degrees and the backwaters of Ocean City are as high as 56 degrees. Good tautog catches come from the Route 50 inlet area at low tide. Use sand fleas and pieces of green crab. The ocean waters are windblown.

• Look for Gene Mueller’s Outdoors column Sunday and Wednesday and his Fishing Report on Thursday, only in The Washington Times. E-mail: gmueller@washingtontimes.com.