Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 29 Update:
It was a great “Fishmas” for many anglers this past week and we hope that you got some new fishing gear to try out in the New Year. The major buzz on the Chesapeake Bay has been the arrival of trophy ocean run stripers which are being caught from the mouth of the Bay up to the Bay Bridge with the highest concentration of big fish in the Middle Bay grounds. There is also plenty of “smaller” striped bass in the 20 to 30-inch range, you just might have to cover some ground to find feeding fish on certain days.
Captain C.L. Marshall of tangier Sound Charters has been staying on the fish and finding good success for his clients. He says that the recent rockfish bite has been one for the books and that casting artificial lures under diving birds has produced big fish on multiple recent trips. Captain C.L. has been fishing the Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds this week where getting away from the fleet has been key to steadily catching fish. He even found a good bite as far north as Hooperville this week with plenty of fat healthy fish up to 30 inches. Remember, it’s important to handle these fish with care; check out Dos and Don’ts of Catch and Release Fishing for a brush-up on how to handle them without doing harm. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that the Pocomoke River has been offering some great pan fishing this week with crappie, yellow perch, largemouth bass, and pickerel all willing to hit Beetle Spins. Throwing live minnows under a bobber is another very effective way to catch this fish during the colder months. Let’s get those last few casts in of 2023 as we look forward to 2024!
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 22 Update:
Winter has officially started, and colder water temperatures means that fishing opportunities are becoming limited in the Sounds. There is still the chance for catch and release fishing targeting rockfish in Maryland waters now that the season has closed. In Virginia, the season remains open until December 31st. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that the fish have moved out into the deeper channel edges. Some days they are schooled up tight and easy to find, while on other days, the fish seem to be scattered and harder to locate. Deep jigging and trolling have been the most productive for those still chasing rockfish. Some of the Sea Hawk crew got out this week and found success using Sea Hawk Jigging Rigs coupled with Jigfish and Lil Bunker spoons. If you are willing to cover some ground, you can usually find some fish willing to bite. It is a good idea to keep binoculars on the boat since bird action is still in play and they have been giving away the location of fish even in the colder weather.
Many area anglers have been pulled to the coast recently as the Atlantic has continued to provide more success with the unexpected arrival of blue fin tuna. Most of these fish have been caught by trolling ballyhoo or nine-inch Sassy Shads. Some very nice fish have been caught and put in the fishbox this week, but a lot of fish are over the 73-inch mark and have had to be released. Anglers have caught these fish as close as one mile off the beach, but the bulk of the fish seem to be from three to 10 miles out. Either way you look at it, anglers are getting to experience a rare opportunity to catch huge pelagic fish close to home. If you have the chance to fish for them, now is the time to go. On days where the tuna don’t want to cooperate, there have been some big ocean-run stripers hitting trolling gear which can be just as exciting. The forecast for this weekend looks very favorable, so make sure you get your last-minute Christmas shopping done before then so you can get out and try for some of the big fish that are around.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 15 Update:
Winter is less than a week away from officially starting and the cooler temperatures have limited the fishing opportunities on the lower Eastern Shore. Rockfish are still around, but it has usually taken some searching to find them. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters got out on a few trips this week and put his anglers on fish up to 30 inches. Though a few upper slot fish are around, most of their fish have been from schoolie sized up to the mid 20s. The evening bite has been best this week and on windy days, shorelines with protected waters have been holding fish. Captain C.L. says that pink ottertails have been the hot lick. Rockfish season is now closed in Maryland waters which means anglers may only catch and release. The season is open until December 31st in Virginia waters so there are still a few weeks for those wanted fresh fillets for dinner. Meanwhile, up the tribs...
In the tidal rivers that feed into the sounds, blue catfish are becoming a more and more popular winter target, especially in the Nanticoke River. The fish like to hold in deeper holes during the colder months, so using a depth finder to locate these areas is important. Once you do find a spot to fish, dropping down a variety of cut bait should get the cats biting if they are in the area.
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Maryland, Virginia, or the Potomac River, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 8 Update:
December has arrived and many anglers are putting together their Christmas wish list for new gear. While we wait for the holiday, there are still fish to be caught. Colder water temperatures mean that rockfish are the main offering in the Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds right now. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been staying on these fish. C.L. reported that on trips this week, he was able to catch them casting to shallow structure, trolling, and deep jigging. There are plenty of schoolies around and the keepers are mostly between 19 and 25 inches. Rockfish season ends in Maryland waters on December 10th but catch and release fishing will still be an option. The season is open in Virginia waters until the end of the month.
Southern portions of the ESVA are still seeing some specks and redfish. One reader checked in after a spectacular day of fishing the shallows for redfish somewhere north of Silver Beach. He had two days in a row of awesome sight fishing action with about 10 fish each day, some making the upper end of the slot.
The tidal rivers on the lower Eastern Shore will attract anglers looking for freshwater species like blue catfish and crappie. The Nanticoke is known for producing some huge blue catfish in the winter. The fish will be concentrated in the deeper holes where they can be caught using a variety of cut baits. The more prominent crappie fishing will also be in the Nanticoke along with the Pocomoke and Wicomico Rivers. A popular tactic is to slow troll for them with live minnows along the channels. Fishing shad darts, or minnows under a bobber near structure is also a good way to catch them.
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Maryland, Virginia, or the Potomac River, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 1 Update:
Water temperatures along the Eastern Shore are hovering between the upper 40s and low 50s which has pushed many fish to deeper water. There are still a few rockfish being caught in the pockets of warmer water in the shallows, but their numbers are thinning. Searching deeper water structure and along channel edges will be a safer bet moving forward when searching for stripers. Guide C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been working hard to stay on the fish as they go through this transition. A variety of soft plastics, including paddletails and straight tails, along with Crank style baits are working well. Most of the keeper rocks have been in the 20- to 26-inch range. The seaside action on the shore has also been steady with more rockfish moving into the coastal bays and tidal tributaries. Most of the rockfish are holding around creek mouths and bridge structures. The Tautog are also moving into areas with structure where they are being caught with bottom rigs as well as tog jigs tipped with sand fleas.
The Eastern Shore tidal rivers like the Nanticoke, Wicomico, Manokin, and Pocomoke are providing steady catfish action with the onset of the colder weather. Both blue catfish and channel catfish can be found in these rivers where they will be holding in the deeper holes. The Nanticoke is known for producing huge blue catfish that can weigh more than 50 pounds. Some of the largest blue catfish caught in Maryland come out of the Nanticoke in the winter. Freshwater species like crappie and pickerel are also very active despite the cold weather. On top of that, the mill ponds are home to a great pickerel fishery that many anglers are taking advantage of right now. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, and live minnows are all favorites of these toothy fish. If you are interested, the CCA Pickerel Championship is currently taking place. The tournament runs until the end of February, and it offers anglers a chance to compete in various divisions for cool prizes and bragging rights. Make sure to check it out!