Mid Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay - colony Bch Condo

Well we rented a 4 br condo in colony bch for 3 months starting March 1. What kind of fishing goes on up there never been out on the water no nothing about the area infact never been there.
We got the place as we will be working up in Dalghren for the time? any fishing advice would be great.

Have fun, usually good fishing in the area.

Chesapeake Bay Navionics chart provides a good picture of the Potomac.

For Rockfish, the further south you go on the river when the season opens the better, but there are plenty of resident rockfish from Colonial Beach south. They like the lumps and craters out in the channel that Dahlgren created testing their guns. Most troll with either double bucktails or umbrella rigs, but Stretch 25's will work as well. Other fish - croaker will be making their run by mid April or so, I used to catch them on the MD side of the river east of Marker 6 in 15-25' of water. The two yellow bouys off Colonial Beach also usually hold them. Shrimp from Safeway work, as does cut squid and sometimes night crawlers. They can get up to 19" and fight like hell. Even more fun if you catch two at once.

Further north as the river gets less brackish you have lots of nice channel cats and blue cats. Nanjemoy creek has yellow perch and bass. Mattawoman creek by Indian Head has bass and cats. Port Tobacco creek does not have good fishing for some reason, probably from all the skiers, but Goose Bay Marina is a good place to keep a boat or launch from.

Smaller boats are good on the Rappahanock, there is a ramp maybe 10 miles from Colonial Beach. Has smaller cats (white and channel).

Basically you are a little early for anything but yellow perch and crappie now, but before June everything but bluefish will be biting. When they come in in mid summer the croaker leave. Actually, the way winter has been going up there, it may take until April before you can safely and comfortably get on the water. You might try some fishing off the Colonial Beach pier as well.

Get a PRFC boat license if you brought your boat, covers everyone on board on the Potomac south of DC and in the bay.

Don't forget to hit all the crab houses. Capt Johns is good, but the ones in MD off Popes Creek are a little more fun.

There is a large charter boat/head boat that works out of Colonial Beach, might be worth taking it for a day when striper season opens up, they have been there a long time and have lots of good lumps marked.

I also knew a guy named Jeff, his board name was Bodeen on the old Potomac River Anglers Club. He started a charter business as well on a 35' Evans. He definitely knows what he is doing as far as chasing stripers. I believe he runs out of Cobb Island.

Anyway, the Potomac is a great fishery. Make sure you have all your licenses and boat in order though, it is not uncommon to be stopped by Coast Guard, MD or VA Game Warden, Federal Police if near Indian Head or Dahlgren, or the Dahlgren Range Boats, depending on where you are, how bored they are, and how many other boats are on the river. VHF Channel 68 is the main one on the river for fishing reports, and occassionally 72.

Don't be surprised if you catch some ocean fish. Flounder come up the Potomac, as do bluefish, lots of cow nosed rays, and the occasional total oddball like porpoise or shark.

Wow great intel many thanks!

Happy to help, you might join the PRAC board while up there, it should start getting local reports soon: http://prac.proboards.com/index.cgi?

Also keep an eye on Tidalfish.com for the region. It's the board under the Chesapeake board

Have you had a chance to try the fishing yet? I have a friend that fished at Fort Belvoir on the Potomac over the weekend and got some nice yellow perch, so they should be in the Nansemond by now. Could be a few croaker in the area in the next few weeks, will depend on it staying warmish for a while though.