Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report - 3/12/13 (DE, NJ, MD, PA)

Freshwater:

With the warm weather over the weekend many anglers found success in their local ponds and lakes on pickeral, crappies and bass. I fished a southern Delaware pond on Sunday and while I didn't light the world on fire I did manage to catch a few bass and pickeral along with a couple of crappies. As the weather warms up the fishing should get better and better.

The region's trout seasons are fast approaching (DE already has a season open for the stocked ponds downstate). Look for more and more reports to start coming in once the streams in the Mid-Atlantic region are opened for fishing.

Chesapeake Bay:

Perch anglers fishing the Sassafras found good success on yellow perch last week. There were also reports of yellow perch coming from the Choptank. White perch fisherman are finding success on white perch stacked up in the rivers connecting to the Chesapeake. They should start making their run up the streams and tributaries soon once the conditions are right.

Catch and release striped bass reports should start coming in soon from the upper Chesapeake. There have been some reports of fish being caught further south towards the Choptank. Reports from the Flats should be heating up as the warm weather continues.

Delaware Bay:

Anglers fishing for Striped Bass reported moderate success the last two weeks in the Delaware Bay. Some anglers have had success catching stripers on clams and bloodworms throughout the bay. Others are catching stripers in the back bays of New Jersey on artificials.

Some anglers are finding success fishing for stripers in the Delaware River. There were a few reports of keeper fish caught at Augustine Beach in Delaware.


Inshore Ocean:

The only game in town right now is Tog. When the weather has cooperated some boats are finding success on Tog on inshore and midshore wrecks. Whiteleggers and Green Crabs are the best baits for Togging. As the weather warms and the water clears more anglers will find success on Tog of the inlet rock piles as well.

Striped Bass fishing "out front" should get better in the next few weeks up and down the coast. Anglers fishing the inlets and jetties have reported slow fishing, but look for that to improve as the water temps rise a few degrees.

It wont be too long until some boats venture out looking for Thresher Sharks. Some anglers have found success catching Threshers as early as the first week of April. I would expect to see some Threshers caught by the middle of April.


If you have any fishing reports and pictures, please email them to dt_masporstman@yahoo.com and I will post them up!

Tight Lines,

Dave