Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 7/27/2018 Update:
Notice: Due to the torrential downpours and high winds, the fishing report may be a bit abbreviated this week. It was difficult to locate many people who were able to fish, much less those who have caught, within the past five days.
Torrential rain and massive amounts of runoff have made much of the nearby waters nearly unfishable, according to Sea Hawk Sports Center. In addition to the water being muddy, floating and submerged limbs and logs have been reported, a cause for concern for anglers cruising the water. Hopefully the croaker, spot, and white perch which had been keeping bottom fishermen using bloodworms occupied will still be biting, now that the rain has at least temporarily ended. Some flounder were also around before the weather set in, but since these fish are sight feeders, finding clear water will be important.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 7/19/2018 Update:
Sea Hawk tells us that right now in the Tangier sound area, bottom fishing has begun producing a nice mixed bag. Croaker, spot, and white perch have been very good. There have been reports of small bluefish being caught as well, plus a few flounder. Bloodworms are a top pick for bottom fishing but to have a better shot at the flounder, try using larger peeler crab baits or drop another rig with live minnow. Stripers aren’t doing much in the Sound recently, however, as most of those that have been swimming through have been small and as water temperatures have continue to rise in the Tangier it has driven this species out of the shallows and into deeper waters.
Although the speckled trout numbers still are not where we want them to be, if you are determined to land a few it’s not impossible as some are around. Using a bubble-gum colored pink soft plastic jig in the shallows might be your best bet. We still have no confirmed reports of cobia in the Sound, though, nor any recent word on reds.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 7/13/2018:
Fishing in the Tangier has been a little lackluster in recent weeks, as water temperatures have risen and driven fish out of the shallows and into deeper depths. The shoreline striped bass fishing that was so active earlier in the season seems to have died down, being replaced by what Sea Hawk described to be a lively community of crabs and crabbers alike. They reported that fresh razor clams are working better than chicken necks, and most crabs have been in about seven to 10 feet of water.
Few speckled trout are currently up in the shallows, however, if you’re bound and determined to target the species they suggested attempting to lure them out with six-inch BDKS in pink, chartreuse, or pearl. Bottom fishermen are encountering croaker, spot, and a few oddball flounder here and there. Bloodworms and peeler crab are the best baits.
Still no news on cobia; area anglers wishing to target them have been heading to Virginia's waters.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 7/6/2018:
We didn’t manage to reach Sea Hawk this week but guide Chris Karwacki let us know hat there are still plenty of smallish rockfish in the shallows with the occasional keeper mixed in. The day is sometimes punctuated with some speckled trout action. Fishing for specks in specific would still be best termed as “slow,” however, a few more have moved into the Sound's waters recently. Casting five to seven inch soft plastics in white, pink, and chartreuse on half-ounce jig heads is an excellent way to probe the shallows for these species; look for rips and points with good current, holes, and stump-fields.
Clydes mentioned that they had heard from some anglers fishing these parts who did well on croaker near Crisfield, a bite that seems to be on the up-swing, plus a few eating-sized spot are mixed in. Bloodworms or soft or peeler crab bits on bottom rigs are the best way to get ‘em, and every now and again a flounder is mixed in with the catch so it’s worth bringing an extra rod, putting a minnow on a Fluke Killer, and sitting it in a holder as you crank in the bottom fish.
Good news: Crabbing has picked up across the board, with the best catches coming during a moving tide. Bad news: still no word of cobia in the Sound.