Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Stripers, Perch, and Catfish Bites Heating Up for Spring

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for March 23, 2025. Let me tell you, spring has sprung and the fishing's heating up faster than a crab pot at a summer cookout! First off, let's talk tides. We've got a low tide at 2:41 AM coming in at 0.55 feet, followed by a high at 8:46 AM hitting 1.78 feet. Another low rolls in at 3:41 PM at 0.68 feet, with the day's final high at 9:05 PM reaching 1.47 feet. Sun's up at 7:02 AM and sets at 7:18 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to wet our lines. Weather-wise, it's shaping up to be a beautiful day with temps in the mid-60s and a light breeze from the southeast. Perfect conditions for getting out on the water! Now, let's get to the good stuff - the fish! Striped bass are still the talk of the town, with some real bruisers being caught and released. Remember, it's catch and release only until the end of the month, so handle those rockfish with care. Anglers are having luck jigging with soft plastics and throwing topwater lures in the shallows, especially early morning and late evening. White perch are running strong in the tributaries. Grass shrimp under a bobber or small jigs tipped with bloodworms are bringing them in by the dozen. Yellow perch action is still decent, especially up in the Mattaponi and Rappahannock. For you catfish enthusiasts, the blue cats are biting like crazy. Cut bait like bunker or white perch is working wonders, especially in the deeper channels. Lure-wise, I've been having a blast with 4-inch paddletails in pearl or chartreuse for the stripers. Don't forget to pack some topwater poppers for those early morning blitzes. For the perch, 1/16 oz shad darts in white or chartreuse are my go-to. As for hot spots, I'd recommend trying your luck around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The pilings are holding some nice stripers. If you're after perch, head up to the Mattaponi River near Aylett - they've been pulling in some citation-sized yellows there. That's all for now, folks. Remember, a bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work. Tight lines and see you on the water! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.