April 17, 2019 - We Have Catfish!

The fish were not cooperative as a rule, but there were some trophies taken, some at the 50 inch mark weighing 50 pounds. The Tackle Box had two fish brought in by late Sunday, one from the Potomac and one from the bay. Charter captains were catching a hand full on their trips trolling for the big ones. Umbrella and tandem rigs with huge lures were successful. There were better stories from the Potomac than the bay proper. The next few days promise good conditions and results will improve.

The white perch are now active in the rivers and on the bay shore. Several good catches were photographed this week at The Tackle Box including a 12 inch white perch which leads the newly instituted monthly big perch contest for April. Micheal Proctor caught the big perch fishing from the bay shore on bloodworms in Spring Ridge.

Catfish continue to be caught from most every body of water in southern Maryland. Catfish were caught off the public fishing pier in Solomons at the boat ramp on Saturday morning. I observed a cooler full of blue catfish that were caught on the rising tide there before 10am. The afternoon crowd was not catching, and were waiting for the tide change to trigger the bite.

There are rumors of croaker being caught in the Potomac near Bushwood, but we have not confirmed them yet. There was a croaker bite reported in the Rappahannock last week. They are heading our way.

Fresh water fishing for crappie, bass, bluegill, and pickerel is excellent at St. Mary's Lake and in local ponds.

Craig Melvin landed this 37-pound, 42-inch Rockfish in the Potomac off Stewart's Pier using a trolled tandem rig

John Betchel trolle in the bay just near Ragged Point in the Potomac and this 40-pound, 47.5 inch rockfish took his tandem rig

Steve Neal landed this 11 and one half inch perch at Greenwell State Park in the Patuxent on a bit of bloodworm