Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 26 Update:
Contributor Eric Packard reports good action on a range of fish in the lower Potomac, catching a mix of rockfish, redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and some small sea bass on chrome Gulp! paddletails on quarter-ounce heads. The Tackle Box backs up the report, saying the rock, reds, and specks are hitting plastics fished in the shallows of the tribs. They added that in the mainstem below the Target Ship bluefish are chewing on surgical hoses, and a few straggler cobia have been showing up in the same zone. We received some reader reports of B-I-G blues being caught in the past week, too, up into the 30” range, also in the vicinity of the Target Ship.
Bottom fishermen have been having plenty of action in the Lower Bay rivers, however, The Tackle Box noted that there are miniature spot and croaker all over the place and while bigger fish are around, you often have to weed through large numbers to find ‘em. An angler fishing the Rap near the Route 3 bridge reported fighting hard to get a half-dozen croaker big enough for the frying pan. We also had a reader report from Milford Haven of good action on small reds and specks, but all the reds were undersized and only two specks made the grade at 14” and 17”.
Editor’s Note: Our intrepid and awesome Reports Editor Dillon Waters is away on his honeymoon this week, and the reports were compiled by the staff in his absence. We send Dillon and his bride Layla our congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful future.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 19 Update:
Fall has arrived and we are entering arguably the best time of year to be fishing on the Chesapeake. Guide service Dog Days Fishing has been putting their anglers on plenty of fish recently with striped bass and puppy drum making up most of the catch. Covering lots of water using Humminbird side scan imaging has led to them to the fish. They are finding mostly small pockets of fish, but the ones they do find are willing to bite. They also mentioned there has been an excellent puppy drum bite in the shallows with several slot fish going in the box on recent trips. The Tackle Box reports that bluefish in the two-to-eight-pound range have been plentiful in the Bay and trollers are doing well in the area of the Target Ship. Most boats are using number one and two planers with surgical hoses. They are also catching a few bull red drum and cobia. A reader fishing on the Bay Pony out of Reedville reports great action on redfish, including both slots and over-slot fish. They also managed to reel in a nice cobia, though of course the season is now closed and cobia must be released.
An angler fishing around the Rappahannock found a good speckled trout bite catching seven. They also caught a handful of puppy drum, a few lizard fish, and a few striped bass. They also mentioned that there are a lot of mullet and peanut bunker around for fish to forage on. As water temperatures start to drop, the shallow water fishing should heat up. A few readers fishing Cabin Creek reported steady action on small stripers and decent white perch, along with a few speckled sea trout. Deeper water areas are still holding schools of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and cutlassfish. Trolling has been the most effective method to catch these fish using number one planers and small metal spoons. The mackerel will soon push south out of the Bay, but the bluefish and cutlassfish should be around for at least a few more weeks.
Anglers looking for a more relaxed style of fishing should know that bottom fishing has been excellent in the Lower Bay rivers with jumbo spot, keeper perch, and kingfish biting well. Bottom rigs tipped with a variety of baits including bloodworms, Fishbites, and peeler crab are working well.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 12 Update:
The shallows of Lower Bay tributaries were very productive this week for many of our favorite species. Kayak anglers hitting the lower Potomac are reporting some solid success on slot redfish while casting scented jigs and bouncing them slowly along bottom. The Tackle Box reports that after a slow bite last week, things are back in order and they had several accounts of slot red drum in the St. Mary’s around points and creek mouths. A pair of fly anglers fishing the Corrotoman had a great outing last weekend as they boxed a limit of puppy drum, filled a cooler with big white perch, and caught three carp. Another angler fishing out of Whitestone last weekend also found a good bite. They caught slot and over-slot puppy drum, speckled trout, rockfish, and a few flounder. Virginia anglers are anxiously awaiting the opening of the fall striped bass season which will run from October 4th through December 31st. The shallow water bite should only get better and there is plenty of bait around too that should lead to fish frenzies once Rocktober arrives.
There are only a few days left for anglers to box a cobia before the season will close in both Maryland and Virginia waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The season officially closes after September 15th but catch and release will still be allowed. Big bluefish, some Spanish mackerel, bull reds, and cobia are all still being found in open water along channel edges and shoal areas, though some of them are starting to push south. Cobia fishing has been tough in September as early cold fronts stunted the bite for a bit and has likely pushed some fish south. There were a few successful reports from around the Target Ship and Tangier Island by trollers pulling large surgical tubes. Mackerel are becoming less numerous and if water temperatures continue to drop rapidly, the remaining schools will push south soon. The general rule this week was that the better fishing for these species was being found in Virginia waters, but scattered schools can still be found inside the Potomac. The name of the game is still to cover lots of water and keep an eye out for signs of life on the water whether it be bird activity or boat activity. It looks like some nasty weather is going to blow in over the back half of the weekend, so get out and wet a line before the wind kicks up.
Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 5 Update:
The Lower Bay has been a hotspot this week as anglers aim to take advantage of the wide variety of fish that late summer offers. Creeks and tribs of the lower Potomac remain a highlight for those ISO slot redfish, with readers reporting rockfish, plus a few blues and speckled trout in the mix. A kayak angler on the Potomac had an exceptional day fishing the shallows last weekend as they caught over 50 fish. This included a mix of white perch, rockfish, and red drum. Most of the drum were undersized, but they did catch two slots at 24 and 26 inches. On the Rappahannock, a similar pattern is in place and we saw reports of reds as far north as Tappahannock. The early onset of fall-like temperatures will likely start heating up the action in the shallows as fish begin to feed to build up body reserves for the colder months ahead. Look for action around creek mouths, shoreline points, rip-rap, docks, and any other hard structure that can provide cover for predatory fish.
The Tackle Box reports that trollers are having the best luck when targeting mackerel, bluefish, cobia, and red drum. Surgical eels are catching big blues and cobia while small metal spoons have worked well for mackerel and smaller blues. Bull drum have been few and far between as cooler temperatures have likely started to push the larger schools south. Covering water has been the name of the game for these fish as they have been popping up anywhere from the mouth of the Potomac down to Deltaville. We did get multiple reports of big bluefish being caught in the vicinity of the target ship last weekend with some reaching the 28-inch mark. There have been a lot of boats on the water during calm days as many anglers are trying to take advantage of the last two weeks of cobia season, so be prepared for crowds, especially on weekends. Our late summer push of cobia started in mid-August and fish have made their way as far north as Poplar Island, but better concentrations have been reported around Point Lookout, the Target Ship, Tangier Island, Windmill Point, and York Spit. The northeast winds and cooler temperatures will likely send the fish south soon, but the action isn’t done just yet.