It’s a great time to be a blue catfish angler
Although it might not be a good time to be a catfish, particularly a blue catfish, it is a great time to be a catfish angler.
Because all rockfishing has been shut down in Maryland until mid-May, many anglers are training their efforts on catfish, particularly in the upper Chesapeake Bay tributaries.
Not sure where to start? No worries. There is plenty of help to get you locked into figuring out where and how to land one of these whiskered fish.
First, a little background. Likely you’ve read or heard about how the Chesapeake’s blue cat population is out of control. Introduced in the 1970s to the James River system as sport fish, the numbers have sky-rocketed and now are in just about every tributary of the bay.
Flathead and Northern snakehead are also considered invasive species that also disrupt the Chesapeake’s already fragile ecosystem.
To get a handle on the blue catfish population, one could argue it’s currently an all-handson-deck situation. The Chesapeake Bay Program has an Invasive Catfish Workgroup and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has extensive plans to monitor and reduce the blue catfish population in bay waters. Conservation groups such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Coastal Conservation Association-Maryland are also getting into the act.
They engage with state and federal legislators and natural resource agencies to try and curb the growth of these prolific eaters. Blue cats in particular will maw down on native critters crucial to a healthy bay ecosystem, including blue crabs, young herrings and menhaden and likely juvenile stripers.
Experts say the most effective way to stem what otherwise would be an unfettered expansion is to catch and eat them. A lot of them, as in as many as you want. Luckily for area anglers, the James to Susquehanna rivers as well as all tidal tributaries in between are chock-a-block full of catfish.
Above the Bay Bridge, such spots as Podickory Point, Snake Reef and Belvidere Shoal all hold meaty catfish. If you run out of Annapolis, then certainly wet a line at Hackett’s, Tolley’s or Thomas Point Bar.
Across the bay, the Chester River, Eastern Bay and lower Choptank River hold good numbers of catfish.
Further south, Holland Point bar and Cedar Point get their share of action. Potomac River, of course, is a worldclass body of water to go after monster blue cats. Best of all, you do not need a boat. You can also catch catfish off a kayak, pier, from the shore or from a bridge.
If you need some more inspiration, Lenny Rudow and his crew at FishTalk magazine have teamed up with Fish & Hunt Maryland to offer a photo contest in which the top picture pick (see what I did there?) gets the honor of being FishTalk’s “Invasive Catfish Cover” for the November 2024 issue.
Here’s how the contest works: Now through Sept. 15, submit your favorite photo of flathead or blue catfish caught while fishing on the Chesapeake or its tributaries.
Make sure your young angler is properly wearing a life jacket, or it’ll summarily be ruled out as a possible contender. Bonus prizes will also be awarded to first-, second- and third-place photos.
If you’re not familiar with Fish & Hunt Maryland, it is a Maryland Tourism initiative that celebrates many aspects of, well, as the name says, hunting and fishing in Maryland.
One of their newer marketing efforts is the Maryland Catfish Trail, which rallies anglers to catch more invasive fishes threatening native species.
The site offers prime fishing spots, expert tips, and tournaments to help you land in more big catfish while doing your part to help protect the Chesapeake Bay.
But let’s pump the brakes a bit. As much as I agree with the premise that invasive fish are likely impacting the survival of juvenile fish and crabs including stripers, how much of an impact is still very much an open question.
And even if these non-native fish are brought into check, the pre-existing challenges facing the Bay and its fish and crabs — poor water quality and degraded habitats — remain.