Cold March, Hot Catfish

The water temperature in the mouth of the Bay is 48.7 degrees. The average for this time of year is 45.5. The cold winter and cool spring has river and creek fishing on hold until we get some 70 degree days with nighttime temps above 55 degrees. Those conditions are forecast for this weekend.

Miss Susie Charter Boats are catching plenty of huge catfish daily.

In the meantime, the catfishing is excellent in the northern regions of the Patuxent and Potomac. Many of these fish are in the one-to-three-pound range, perfect eating size. The fish around the Benedict Bridge in the Patuxent and at Bushwood Wharf in the Potomac are in the hefty three to ten pound range, with some monster-sized fish in the mix.

Catfish are plentiful at Wayson's Corner and kings Landing in the Patuxent.

The big ones are concentrated from the 301 bridge all the way to the District with 20-to-40 pounders common, and some are 60-to-80 pounds!

There have been reports of catches of spawning white perch in the rivers and creeks, but it's too cold for good action yet.

There are big stripers (35 to 50 pounders) gathered in spawning areas in the rivers and skilled lure throwers have caught them in good numbers. These are relentless fishermen who do most of their fishing at night under the lights of piers and shoreline. This is all catch-and-release fishing. The catch-and-release ends in Maryland waters on March 31. There is no targeting of stripers in Maryland from April 1 to May 15. The Potomac does not limit catch-and-release fishing in the spring.

Alex is scoring on huge rockfish in the catch and release season in the Patuxent and Potomac.

Shad fishing in upper regions of the Potomac can be very good now, casting shad darts and tiny spoons. Freshwater fishing is starting strong with bass and crappie biting spinner baits and tiny jigs.

To quote Shelley: "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"