Spring Bass on the Upper Bay
By Tim Sherman

At right: Big bass like these can be caught with traps and crankbaits in Middle river and other upper Chesapeake tributaries.

My contention about the upper Chesapeake largemouth bass fishery is that it can stack up against some of the best in the country. To clarify what I believe are the boundaries of the upper bay fishery, point to the area from Middle River and its tributaries to the south north to the Bush River and its creeks and coves. Sure, if you look on a map, the eastern shore rivers being the Chester, Sassafras, and Elk are in the northern reaches of the Chesapeake. So, too, are the Susquehanna Flats and the mighty river that feeds it. While these bodies of water are in the in the northern section of the bay, I consider each section these fisheries of their own.

Captain Jerry Sersen of Reel Perfection Charters grew up fishing upper Chesapeake bay waters for a number of fish. He logged in decades of tournament fishing before entering into the career of a fishing guide. Sersen believes that spring is a great time to target bass in the upper bay. Locations on where to find them, and what you want to cast for them, are predictable. In April, bass are feeding to store energy for the spawn. Weather patterns and, thus, water temperatures will dictate when bass will move to shallow spawning grounds. Until then, Captain Jerry’s plan is to target deeper water near points when water temperatures are in the upper 40s and low 50s.

Middle River is the best river for spring bass. There are plenty of points with deep water access nearby. Channel edges and other structural depressions will also hold bass. Captain Jerry says that riprap banks will also hold good numbers of bass provided there is deep water access nearby. Bass are near these rocky banks because the sun heats the riprap, which in turn, warms the surrounding waters. Warmer water draws baitfish and the bass that feed on them.

Frog Mortar Creek has a long tapered point on the left as you enter from the main stem of Middle River. You will also find the back end of the runway at Glen L. Martin State Airport. Here you’ll notice a section of concrete bank that used to be a seaplane ramp. Sersen asserts, “From the water line the ramp tapers down into 5 feet of water, then drops straight down into 12 feet.” Riprap is plentiful in Middle River. Baltimore and Eastern Yacht Clubs are lined with it. The back end of Dark Head Creek also has rock lined banks with adjacent deep water.

Middle River is not the only area where you will find bass in the upper Chesapeake complex. Seneca Creek is also a good choice. Captain Jerry works the channel edge that leads up to the coal pier at the Carroll Island power plant. The power plant’s steel wall is also a good target. Like riprap it acts as a conductor of heat for the water. Farther into Seneca Creek, you will find some riprap banks, though most do not have deep water access. Finding the rock banks that do have a good drop nearby can lead you to a treasure chest of bass.

One thing is for certain in all of these areas -- the bass of spring are hungry. They have had a slow metabolism all winter. As a cold blooded creature surviving in water, warming water picks up their metabolic rate. With water temps warming into the 50 degree range, bass are already actively feeding. Sersen casts rattling baits and crankbaits to entice eager bass. His favorite spring bait is the Mann’s Pogo Shad. Whether it is, this, his favorite lure or other crankbaits, he feels that yellow perch patterns work best.

The aggressive bite is predictable until an adverse weather pattern enters the picture. Bass tend to go off of the feed while a front rolls through. Where bass were on the top side of a structural edge, they will retreat to the deeper water nearby. Cast a crankbait or rattle trap and it will likely be ignored. Captain Jerry takes a slower approach and tempts bass with a 4-inch grub. In spring he prefers either smoke or junebug for the grub’s hue.

In late April, many areas in the upper bay will start to show new growth of underwater vegetation. Bass will gravitate to as if they were being pulled there by a magnet. Rattle traps worked over the fresh green grasses will draw strikes, but a perennial spring grass plug is the Mann’s 1-Minus shallow tracking crankbait. It runs about 12 inches under the surface with a wide wobble, a motion that bass seem to favor. In clear to stained water, natural hues will do well. If runoff from spring rains muddy upper Chesapeake tributaries, dark hues and matte finish chartreuse patterns will work best.

Spring is one of the best times to catch aggressively feeding bass. The upper bay complex – Middle River in particular – has a great fishery. Here you will find long points with deep water and abundant riprap banks. When spring underwater vegetation blooms, you can count on Dundee, Saltpeter, and Seneca Creeks to be havens for hot bass catching action. There are launch facilities throughout the upper bay that will have you to your favorite bass grounds in no time flat. Captain Jerry Sersen knows how to catch them. Try some of his tips to land the best bass the upper bay has to offer.