Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and ESVA Fishing Report, May 10 Update:

The bayside has really come to life this week as water temperatures in the 60s and many fish have moved into the shallows. We are also starting to see some of the first softshell crabs of the year. As the Sea Hawk crew says, if the crabs are shed’n, it’s time to go fish’n. Speckled trout have moved into the grass beds along Maryland and Virginia’s eastern shore tributaries. Anglers have been catching them on soft plastic paddletails and suspending baits worked just over the top of the submerged grasses. Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters has had some really great trips recently targeting black drum in the Pocomoke Sound. He is catching these brutes by drifting crab chunks of fish finder rigs. One morning trip produced six black drum in deeper water before moving in shallow and finding a bull red and some speckled trout. The beautiful thing about this region is that you never know what you are going to catch, and there are a lot of species that will make our drags scream and have us smiling from ear to ear.

Seaside flounder fishing was good through April and continues to be good through the first part of May. The flatties are being caught from Ocean city down the coastline of Delmarva. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that they have had the best luck on baits displayed with pink teasers in water depths of 10 feet or less. They have even caught fish in as shallow as two feet of water. Chincoteague and Wachapreague have been very productive lately. A boat fishing out of Wachapregaue last Sunday caught their limit of flounder including a big fish measuring 26 inches and weighing just over 6 pounds. As always, clean water has been the number one factor for successful trips. After that, water temps play a big role, so fishing during the outgoing tide will typically lead to more action.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and ESVA Fishing Report, May 3 Update:

It was a beautiful week around the Chesapeake region, and the fish responded well to the summer like temperatures. The shallows are warming up quick with the warm weather and light tackle guide Pete Dahlberg of Four Seasons Guide Service reported that the speckled trout are showing up on the Eastern Shore. He was out a few times during the hot days this week and found multiple areas with specks. No huge fish or huge numbers of fish, but solid catching for this early in the year. The speck bite should only continue to improve through May. A reader report came in of a nice species mix while fishing in the Pocomoke early this week, including a gorgeous 26” speck, a redfish, and multiple white perch and stripers. Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters made the trek into Virginia waters in search of bull reds without any luck earlier in the week. Instead, him and his anglers caught over a dozen trophy-size striped bass up to 50 inches, which were all safely released. Although they weren’t the target species, I don’t think anyone would complain about that.

Many anglers went over to the sea side to target the flatties this week and good fishing was reported from Wachapreague up to Ocean City. A boat fishing behind Assateague landed three keeper flounder up to 21 inches during a mid-week trip. Anglers looking for a better chance at catching their limit should consider heading to Chincoteague and areas south as that zone has been a flounder hotspot. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know there have been a number of fish in the four-pound range caught in depths of less than 10 feet and some fish have even hit the six-pound mark. Fishing the outgoing tide is still best as water temperatures are on the cooler side. Flounder rigs with Gulp! baits and silversides have been the ticket with a heavy emphasis on pink and chartreuse teasers.