Catfish Heaven

There are plenty of catfish ready to take your bait in both the Potomac and Patuxent.

There were catfish caught in Cuckold Creek off the Patuxent this week on cut alewife. The catfish bit just at dusk and were in the two-to-four-pound range off a private pier. Many are unaware that these tasty, hard-fighting fish are in the creeks in the lower Patuxent. Further up the Patuxent at Benedict, specifically at Harrowing Point, there were bigger fish in the five-to-twelve-pound range. These fish were caught at the public beach next to the boat ramp behind the old DNR building on the Calvert County side. A total of eighteen were caught by a couple of shore fishermen in a couple of hours last Friday. Here again, the fish wanted fresh-cut alewife.

Julian Tsai and Potomac catfish.

The Potomac is loaded with catfish in the deeper holes from Swann Point to the District. The end and beginning of the tide flow is best as rapidly moving water makes holding the bottom difficult. The cats seem to bite better on slack tides.

Eric Packard with blue cat from upper Potomac.

Perch are in the early stages of returning to summertime locations as the water warms.

The Spring Striped Bass season begins May 1 in both the Bay and Potomac River, with a minimum size of 35 inches and one allowed per day per person.

Fresh water fishing is excellent in ponds and lakes with all species hitting lures and bait. There were good sized crappie caught in the upper regions of St. Mary's Lake on cast marabou jigs in four to eight feet of water. Shore fishermen can find crappie eager to take live minnows fished under a bobber. Throw out the bobber and minnow as far as possible and reel in slowly.

Steve Helmrick landed this 17-inch speckled trout Tuesday on the flats behind Hooper's Island.

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