Catfish are biting!

Blue catfish are all up and down the Patuxent River eager to take cut bait.

Dallas Croce and Zack Romer went to the Public Park at Myrtle Point on Sunday afternoon and caught eight hefty catfish. The biggest of their eight fish was 20 lbs. 10 oz, and put up a great fight. They ended up with nearly 60 pounds of beautiful snow white catfish filets. This kind of shore fishing, making long casts from the beach provides plenty of fun and food!

Dallas Croce and Zack Romer with a catch of Catfish from Sunday afternoon on cut alewife at Myrtle Point in the Patuxent.

Dexter McClendon brought one in from the Patuxent also that weighed 18 lbs. 10 oz. One of many that took his fresh alewife bait.

The catfish are in the shallows and the deep. Boaters fishing the deep holes in the middle of the Patuxent between the mouth of St. Leonard Creek and Sotterley Point are doing very well. The fish are in the 60 to 70 feet trench and can range up to 40 pounds! The terminal tackle that works best in the deeper water is a Santee Rig that has a torpedo float which keeps the bait up off the bottom.

Dexter McClendon with catfish from the Patuxent

The Potomac has catfish too, both in the shallows and deep. The cats are ranging all the way down the mouth of Smith Creek. There may be some at Point Lookout for surf casters.

The cold for the past two weeks has kept our summer fish on hold. But, with the temperatures soaring into the low 80's by mid week, the perch, crabs, and trout should come on strong. The black drum should be booming at Cape Charles and Tangier sound.

It has been a long, cold winter; and it is over.

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