It is still early spring
Winter does not seem to know that it is no longer welcome.
Lawrence Chase holds a big rockfish caught last Saturday. The hook and release season is open in the Bay and Potomac.
We have to duck and cover during wind and rainstorms and then shiver or sweat as temperatures sink and soar. Early April in southern Maryland. There are fish that are biting, but they can play hide and seek in the extremes of mother nature.
White perch are just beginning to take lures in the shallows.
White perch are coming to the shallows on warm days. Several were reported on both bait and lures this week, but there are not good numbers yet.
The American shad and blue backed herring are running in the upper Potomac and in the Rappahannock. This fishery has been very good in 2026. The blue backs are few but show promise as a recovering specie. All the shad and herring are protected in Maryland and the Potomac, and are catch and release only.
Lure casters at night find spawning run stripers off the bay shore. They love big swimming crank baits.
Catfish are very active in the upper Potomac and Patuxent. They are working their way south towards the bay and could be available at Bushwood Wharf, and Breton Bay in the Potomac anytime. The Patuxent will have good catfishing at Benedict.
The big stripers are still in our area, and the catch and release fishermen are landing 35 to 40 inch fish on the bay shore. Common wisdom says these fish should be up the spawning rivers by now. But we either have a lot of late arriving rockfish from the ocean, or some reluctant spawners. The cold water may be a factor, slowing up the process.
Big bass are active in the upper Patuxent.
We got our first reports of alewife captured by pound netters this week. The bait fish are good sized and seem plentiful. This is a good sign for the health of the bay. The 2025 alewife catch in our area was almost non existent, and what was caught was tiny - not good bait for crab pots or fishing.
Erick Packard reports a good shad run at Mason Springs, and some blueback herring. He and his nephew, Wyatt did well Sunday, April 5th.
Fresh water fishing in the lakes and ponds is excellent now. There is a good crappie run in St. Mary's Lake.
We have good, warm weather forecast for late this week and there will be fun days on the water.