Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update 2/23/2018:
While the Sound itself isn't seeing much action, Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the Pocomoke and Snow Hill are packed full with crappie, yellow perch, and pickerel. Most anglers have been using little jig heads with minnow fished close to bottom to go after them, or minnow on bottom rigs. The Wicomico and Nanticoke have been hot spots as well, and are packed full of white perch. Most guys have been targeting them with blood worms, however Sea Hawk recommended keeping an eye on your worms, as water temperatures have been so cold many worms have been dying as soon as they hit the water and have been less effective than other baits such as grass shrimp (best for the whites) and bull minnow (best for the yellows and crappie).
Anglers looking for bigger game are heading to the sea-side, mostly to pursue tautog and sea bass. Check out the Coastal Report for a full run-down of the action.
Tangier area anglers: stay tuned for the April edition of FishTalk (hitting the streets the last week of March), which includes an article on finding big stripers in the shallows during the early spring. This is a fun catch-and-release fishery which can be surprisingly productive, and is a great way to get a serious bend in your rod.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update 2/15/2018:
Although the Sound has been dormant this winter, surrounding rivers such as the Nanticoke, Pocomoke, and Wicomico have been alive with crappie, yellow perch, and pickerel. Weather permitting, anglers should consider heading out to the oceanside to target late season flounder and tautog.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update 2/8/2018:
The Sound itself remains more or less in hibernation, with all the area action taking place way up its tributaries. The upper Wicomico, Nanticoke, and Pocomoke remain top options for crappie, perch, and pickerel for anglers suspending minnow on shad darts under bobbers.
On the sea-side, tautog and flounder are both possibilities when the weather allows the boats to get out into the ocean. Check out the Coastal reports, for more info.
February 2018 Tangier Sound Fishing Report Update
It probably won't shock anyone that the Tangier is essentially closed for business. Area anglers who want to encounter some action are instead heading up the rivers that feed it, with the Wicomico (all the way towards Salisbury), the Nanticoke, and the Pocomoke providing perch, crappie, and some pickerel. Minnow fished on shad darts and suspended under bobbers are the top choice.
Another option is to hit the millponds, which have been producing a few crappie and a better bite for pickerel. Anglers in the Tangier area who aren’t excited by the thought of pan-fishing have had one other option, and that’s to travel over to the sea-side. Coastal fishing for tog and even flounder has held up through the winter, and when weather allowed the boats to get out, generally speaking the catching has been pretty good. The trick is finding that weather window. Check out the Coastal report, though, because there's actually quite a bit of action going on out there right now and if the weather permits a trip it's well worth bundling up and hitting the water.