Do you think this will be a good year for the flats?

[Ele]

So, Lily, you are not only our weather expert but now you know when the Rockfish will leave the bay aftere spawning?

Ele

[rla69]

Ele,It might be a biblical spring on the flats,than again maybe not.Predicting the weather or the flats season is tough so i quess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Wild Bill]

The huge elephant in the room that no one is considering is that there are far fewer fish since 2005. Even if we have ideal fishing conditions, I suspect the flats will be tough. Many believe the extreme reaches of the migration suffer first and the most. That may be why Maine has practically no stripers now. The Susky Flats is not the extreme reach of migration for the entire coast but is about as far as stripers can go on the Chesapeake. The C & D Canal does allow some to continue north, but I suspect most spawn first. It would be a miracle if we have a number of large schools of fish in various locations in the flats like some of us have experienced.

I will most likely put my boat in a slip down there, give it a strong effort and hope for the best. After crashing around in the ocean this winter, it will be nice to spend some time in protected waters. It is hard to believe it will not be better than 2011. It is best to start out positive. No one knows until we see the conditions and give it a try.

[shaddart2004]

It will be interesting to see how the herring ban shakes out. A lot of folks I know who use the live herring are not big internet users, and I have to wonder if they are getting the word. Since they typically catch their own bait, they will not get the word at the bait shops. As a matter of fact, most, if not all the folks I know that use herring are pretty heavily invested in it, with substantial cages moored under the boat in the slip. Might be worth the State investing a few grand in flyers and handbills to be posted at popular shore fishing spots and boat ramps. Hate to see anybody get busted for being unaware. Other than that, I hope to catch a fish or 2 on the flats this season, I haven't done well at all since 2001-2004 or so. Good times those years on topwater, recently, not so much.
Pat in Joppa

Pat that is a great point a new group of rec poachers the holy crowd can gripe about on here.Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[Hook House]

It will be interesting to see how the herring ban shakes out.

I think DNR will be on top of the ban. They have been on top of the YP fishery this winter with SWAT like sweeps in the river.

I agree things may start earlier this year with water temps about 10 degrees or about a month ahead of normal.
Found 48 degrees Thursday.

[blue lou]

Still catching tog, no cod to speak of, LMBs checking out bed sites, loud frogs in the creek, Its about to be on....

Have bunker, will travel, very curious to see how this season will unfold all around.

[monman11]

The susquehanna river at safe harbor and the conestoga river is by far the clearest I've seen it in 30 years! The water temp is 42.5 which is also the warmest in feburary that i have seen in years. you could easily see 5 feet into the water. Driving over the norman wood bridge below holtwood is like driving over a bridge in the keys! Us lure fisherman might have to be careful what we wish for! Might need lighter leaders or the fish will spook... Long casts it might be like bonefishing this year!!

[drewzim]

Us lure fisherman might have to be careful what we wish for! Might need lighter leaders or the fish will spook... Long casts it might be like bonefishing this year!!

Sure as heck beats fishing on ice cold chocolate milk. I'll take long casts any day

And to look at this in the bigger picture this really could be a boon for water quality for the entire upper bay. It never really recover 100% from last springs torrential rain.

[blkzoe]

Water clarity on the Flats during late waterfowl season was very good, especially considering the silt that washed down from PA during the Aug-Sep rains. The SUV was slow to die-off this year and it captured a lot. Will be interested to see how well the SUV recovers in the Spring. Considering the live SUV I saw in January, I feeling good about this years crop of eel grass and milfoil.

[johnrogers]

I think DNR will be on top of the ban. They have been on top of the YP fishery this winter with SWAT like sweeps in the river.

I agree things may start earlier this year with water temps about 10 degrees or about a month ahead of normal.
Found 48 degrees Thursday.

What river are you fishing? I didnt see them one time this winter