4/29/2017 Update:
OFFSHORE ALERT!!! There's a strong temperature break near the triple-zeros, and Captain Jeremy Blunt on the Wrecker took advantage of it with the first serious haul we've heard of for the 2017 offshore season: three yellowfin, three mahi-mahi, a bluefin, and a 147-pound mako shark! Congrats, Captain Blunt!
Inshore anglers, see the below reports about bluefish from yesterday... and then look at this picture, taken just yesterday!
4/28/2017 Update:
The bluefish are in! They're being caught in the inlet, surf, and just off beaches on bottom rigs baited with finger mullet and menhaden. At the inlet and Route 50 Bridge, blues are being caught on menhaden or by casting lures. Most bluefish under the bridge and in the inlet have been decently sized, with the stripers mixed in being a bit smaller (sub-legal). Small rockfish and black drum are still being caught in the surf, too, and more and more flounder have been reported in the back bay areas.
The biggest impediment through the past week was the weather, according to Coastal Correspondent John Unkart. He did, however, note that the chopper blues have been biting in the Assateague surf when conditions allowed anglers to get out and give surf casting a shot. Offshore boats fishing wrecks and reefs have been catching good sized tautog on green crab, when they can get out.
Captain Esteppe of Y Knot Fishing Adventures says recent weather has cooled the waters back to the upper 50's to the low 60's but he flounder are still biting on the flats from Chincoteaque south to Wachapreaque. The flounder are spitting up small crabs, mantis shrimp, and mullet, and he expects this bite will only get better. Esteppe also confirmed the reports of some black drum and blues being caught in the surf, along with rockfish, but reminds everyone to please check Virginia regulation prior to keep any fish. Minimum size is 28 inches and one per person is the limit. He also mentioned hearing of red drum being caught in bayside out of Harborton, and although Esteppe says he hasn't seen himself the source is credible. On top of all that there are some tog being caught at the boxcars as well, and it shouldn't be long before croaker come into the mix!.
4/21/17 Update:
With the relatively lackluster striper bite on the Chesapeake the past week, many anglers may want to shift their focus to the coast - where there's some good action to enjoy. In Delaware, our coastal correspondent John Unkart reports that the news is of lots of rockfish, though mostly shorts, in and around Indian River Inlet and also being caught in the surf. There are still some tog on the near-shore wrecks and reefs, and there are also some flounder now in the bay and inlet. We've heard several reports of some big bluefish along the coast and in the mouth of Delaware Bay, where there's chatter of the first black drum being caught off Broadkill. The best bait is rumored to be sea clam. Be sure to check out the June edition of FishTalk, which will hit the streets in late May and has an article on tactics for targeting these big beasts.
The OC Fishing Center says people have steadily been catching rockfish and flounder in the bay. Bluefish have popped up in the surf in good numbers, a few black drum have been taken with cut bait cast beyond the breakers of Assateague, and Unkart noted that blues to nine pounds have been marauding the waters around the south inlet jetty in Ocean City. He also notes that flounder fishing is now in full swing, with lots of limit catches reported in all the coastal bays south of Ocean City. Wachapreague seems to hold the best bite overall; top baits include the classic minnow/squid combo and silversides but flounder sharpies are doing best jigging or slow-trolling with tandem bucktail rigs dressed with Gulp. Captain Brian Esteppe confirms the solid flounder bite, which he says is getting better day by day now that the water temps on the tidal flats is in the 60's. He also mentioned those drum in the surf, and said peeler crab and clam are the best baits.
On the Morning Star, tog are still the main target on inshore wrecks and reefs and the bite's held up so far.
4/14/17 Update
Fishing along the coast busted open this week for a number of species. John Unkart reports that on Wednesday, capt. John Prather of Ocean City Guide Service had a pair of 19.5" flounder from behind Assateague, and some anglers down in Wachapreage even managed to limit out on flatfish. As this weather continues to warm, Unkart says the flounder bite should continue to improve especially up on the flats and on an outgoing tide. Meanwhile, both the Route 90 bridge and the bridge to Assateague are giving up undersized stripers to anglers casting artificials. Capt. Monty on the Morning Star said the tog bite is picking up, and he's now taking reservations for the first sea bass trip on May 15th. Act fast to reserve a spot - remember that Morning Star limits the number of anglers on every trip, which means you get a lot more elbow room than on most party boats but also means you may not be able to get a spot if you don't book well in advance. Capt. Kane on the Fish Bound also reported strong tog catches out of Ocean City, MD.
Capt. Esteppe of Y Knot Fishing Adventures also reports good flounder action this week with a cool-off slowing things but then warmer water improving the bite. "White or chartreuse seem to be working with four inch twister tails or GULP to match," he said. Esteppe added that anglers should concentrate on flats in three to five feet of water for the best results, over the next few weeks.
4/9/17 Update
Things are developing quickly along the coast - yesterday evening, the first striper we've heard of came out of the Assateague surf on a chunk of bunker. Also reported was the first keeper flounder in Ocean City, a 20-incher hooked near the Rt 90 bridge.
4/6/17 Update
Captain Brian Esteppe, owner of Y Knot Fishing Adventures located in Chincoteague, Virginia, checked in today to let us know the first keeper flounder of the year was in the fishbox. "The last few days of warm weather have warmed the tidal flats in the Chincoteaque area to the 60° range. As of now the last several hours of the outgoing tide seems to be the ticket, but the pattern will change as warmer days persist," he said. "Flounder pounders should concentrate on the tidal flats. White and Chartreuse rigs tipped with 4" gulp or grubs should work with large minnow and shiners being the top bait. Happy fishing!"
FishTalk Magazine Coastal Correspondent John Unkart chimed in to say that the flounder action hasn't gotten off the ground in Ocean City just yet, but it should happen at any time. He also mentioned that there was a decent tog bite on the wrecks, and that anglers catch-and-release fishing from the Route 90 bridge north to Delaware were having a ball with undersized striped bass. John has news for shark fishermen, too: NOAA announced on Monday that recreational shark anglers with an HMS permit will be required to obtain a "shark endorsement" which requires completion of an online shark identification course. The idea here is to make sure people know what a dusky looks like (they must always be released) as part of the dusky rebuilding plan. The feds have also mandated the use of non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hooks when shark fishing except when fishing with flies or artificial lures. These rules go into effect on January 1, 2018.
4/1/17
If you've had a slow winter fishing coastal waters, get ready for an action-packed spring. Captain Brian Esteppe, owner of Y Knot Fishing Adventures located in Chincoteague, Virginia, attributed a slow start to the recent cold. However, as the water warms up, he said anglers should expect the return of flounder and stripers to the coast. Once the fish return, Capt. Esteppe recommended targeting flounder in the shallows, where water warms up the fastest. Flounder are currently being found from Chincoteague to Wachaprague. Flounder are responding well to large bull minnow and four-inch white or chartreuse twister-tails and Gulp. Stripers in warm water have been eating up cut bait, such as bunker. As the water warms up, anglers should find success using four inch plastics with a one and a half ounce head, in chartreuse or white.
