Tangier Sound Fishing Report, March 28, 2019 Update:
The hot news in this zone is still up the tributaries, where the perch run is winding down - but the snakehead bite is off the hook slightly to the north, in the Blackwater complex (see the Freshwater Report, for more info on that action). Still, however, area anglers are finding a few perch willing to bite and mixed in among them, a steady pick on crappie and pickerel. Also of interest right now is the catfish bite, which remains strong in just about all of the Sound’s tribs. Cut bait or chicken breast sitting on bottom remains the bets way to get at ‘em, and the Nanticoke below Sharptown was fingered as particularly hot for blue cats.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, March 22, 2019 Update:
Catfish and perch have been the target of choice for anglers local to the Tangier, with blues and channel cat packed in heavy. Sea Hawk Sports Center reported that most anglers have been using cut baits such as menhaden and chicken breast and gizzard for the cats. Most of those fish have been in muddy water, and haven’t seemed to have a preference as far as depth.
Anglers soaking minnow in the Nanticoke, Wicomico, and Pocomoke are finding that being a bit farther south has made a noticeable difference in the perch run, and the yellows are on their way out of town. Whites are still spawning and grass shrimp are the best way to tempt them. That said, fishing a minnow on a shad dart or marabou jig under a bobber is producing a nice mix of fish, including some perch, good numbers of crappie, and some pickerel and bass as well.
3/16/2019 Perch Run Update: Get out there and get ‘em quick, people!! Tuesday the yellow perch still had roe but today they were spawned out, and whites were visible spawning along the shoreline of the Tuckahoe from the railroad bridge up. It looks like the weather may have created conditions conducive to a rapid spawning run, so get out there fast!
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, March 15, 2019 Update:
PERCH ALERT: cool temps may have delayed the start, but the yellow perch are finally beginning to run for real and whites are already mixed in with them. In the Nanticoke the latest reports have them already up past Seaford, and though we haven’t heard of them from the spillways just yet, that could change any day as the waters continue to warm. In the Wicomico and Pocomoke, anglers soaking minnow are getting a mix of pickerel, crappie and yellow perch. Suspending them under a bobber on a dart or jig seems to be the best bet, though if you want to focus on the perch they had been holding a bit deeper and near bottom in the recent past, while waiting for the warm-up. As in the other reports, we note that the recent string of warm, sunny days could have those perch pulling the trigger and spawning big-time any day now, so don’t hesitate to move around and try different depths and tactics if you’re not catching. And if you need a refresher on yellow perch run basics, check out How to Fish For Yellow Perch During the Run, which we shot earlier this week.
We didn't hear from anyone pre-fishing in the open Sound, but reports from the Middle Bay were of increased catch and release fishing, so we'd expect that may be a possibility in this neck of the woods right about now, too... if you're willing to miss out on those tasty perch, that is!
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, March 8, 2019 Update:
For anglers looking to catch winter catfish, the tribs of the Tangier have been and continue to be a great place this winter. Both blues and channel cat are taking a variety of cut bait, including chicken breast, chicken gizzard, and menhaden. Yellow perch have been scattered throughout the rivers, however continuous cold weather has held off the run from happening for real. Crappie and pickerel have also been mixed in the catch for fishermen soaking live minnow on shad darts, either cast and slowly retrieved, fished under a bobber, or fished in holes on bottom rigs. The Pocomoke continues to be a top destination for a mix of all these species, especially between Pocomoke City and Snow Hill.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, March 1, 2019 Update:
The waters feeding the Tangier have been a haven for those looking to get in on the wintertime catfish bite. Channel cats are packed heavy and are taking a variety of baits. Chicken breast, gizzard, and cut baits have worked well recently. Yellow perch have been around as well, with the run appearing to start but start slowly and most fish caught with a minnow on a bottom rig or shad dart. The Pocomoke has been producing good catches with some crappie and pickerel mixed in. We didn't her from anyone fishing the Wicomico or Nanticoke in specific this week, but the bite in these rivers should be extremely similar. With all the recent precip most areas are running high and slightly off-color, but on the whole the lower Eastern Shore Rivers are actually in pretty good shape. Although the recent chill in the air may delay the strength of the run a bit longer, the fish should stay balled up in deeper holes until we get a warming trend and the fish can kick into high gear.
