Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 26 Update:
Most of the action on the Bay right now is for striped bass and we have had a major push of migratory fish into our waters over the past few weeks. Anglers are finding fish in depths ranging from 30’ to 70’ with most fish being found in 40’ to 50’. Recent catches have been reported off Tangier Island, Onancock, and Silver Beach. Birds have given away the location of these fish on occasion, but anglers shouldn’t solely rely on them to find fish. Side scan is a major advantage and will help you cover a larger area when searching out schools of fish. Light tackle jigging has been very effective and a few of the notable lures include BKD’s, Z-Man Diezel Minnowz, and FishLab Mad Eels. Jigheads ranging from one ounce to two ounces are best and the specific weight will depend on conditions such as water depth, wave conditions, and drift speed. Live Lining eels is another popular tactic and is very effective on the big migratory fish.
Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters decided to take a break from fishing the Bay and left out of Chincoteague for a change. He and fellow anglers caught trophy striped bass and some very nice tautog earlier in the week. C.L. will be running more trips on the Bay for migratory stripers soon, and if there is anyone who can find fish in the Tangier region, it is him. Pickerel are another species that are popular in the winter. The Pocomoke River and lower Eastern Shore Mill Ponds around the Salisbury area are popular locations to catch them. Jerkbaits and spinners are working well, but as water temperatures continue to drop, we can expect minnows to take over as their primary bait of choice. Crappie are also abundant in the Pocomoke River and are active throughout the winter months. Minnows are their preferred forage and can be jigged along the bottom or slow trolled. We encourage anglers to consider signing up for the CCA Pickerel Championship to compete for some great prizes. There are both pickerel and crappie divisions to enter fish for. The tournament runs through the end of February 2025.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 20 Update:
Many anglers are heading out on the Bay this week to try their hand at catching a trophy striped bass. There has been a decent push of migratory fish into the Bay over the past two weeks and we have seen several trophy sized fish landed. The channels and shoals along the Eastern Shore of Virginia has been where a lot of the action has been taking place. Boats have been doing well trolling and light tackle jigging, but one of the most productive tried and true methods is eeling. Boats have been catching the big fish on eels from Cape Charles to Silver Beach and up to Tangier Island. Birds have been giving away the location of fish at times, but when they don’t, searching channel edges, shoals, and deep-water structure can be productive. Maryland striped bass season is closed right now, but Virginia waters will remain open until the end of the year. Catch and release fishing is still permitted in Maryland waters and in Virginia the slot is still 19 to 24 inches, so the big fish must be released.
On the Pocomoke River, freshwater species such as pickerel, yellow perch, crappie, and largemouth bass have been active even in the cold weather. This river is a historically productive fishery in the winter months, especially for crappie. Trolling minnows or tipping them on jigheads and fishing them along bottom is a popular way to fill a stringer. Pickerel and bass are usually willing to hit spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and live minnows too. The section of river from Pocomoke City up to Snow Hill is generally a good area to fish.
Farther south along the lower Eastern Shore Contributor David Rudow reported some winter redfish are biting, but finding the fish was difficult and on a trip early this week between two kayaks they only managed a handful of slots. At one point a larger school of fish was spotted via drone but it evaporated before they could arrive.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 13 Update:
Between the wind and the cold weather, the conditions have not been great for fishing this week. That was reflected with the lack of reports from the Tangier region. Most of the action has been for striped bass, but we are still seeing a few puppy drum hanging around the waters of the Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters made it out a few times this week with one excellent trip and a few so-so trips. The best day produced several slot rockfish with his crew boxing their four keepers. They also caught around 20 puppy drum and took home three slot fish. Some fish are still in the shallows, but with colder water temperatures, fish are moving out to deeper depths near structure, shoals, and channel edges.
As the fishing on the Bay is winding down, freshwater opportunities in the Pocomoke River will be abundant throughout the winter. Many anglers fish the waters between Pocomoke City and Snow Hill where they can catch yellow perch, crappie, catfish, largemouth bass, and pickerel. Fishing with minnows is often the most effective, but small artificial jigs fished slow and close to bottom can also work well at times. The crappie bite has been hot there recently, so don’t let the cold and wind keep you from getting out and trying.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, December 6 Update:
It was cold and windy for most of the week as winter has started to knock on our doorstep. Weather windows were limited and not many anglers made it out on the water, so unfortunately, our reports were very slim. Water temperatures have dropped into the low 50s and upper 40s, so most of our warm water species have moved south. Striped bass and sea bass will make up most of the opportunities moving forward in the sounds and on the Bay. Stripers can be found in open water along main ledges and around deeper structure. Sea bass have also likely moved to deeper depths with the cold temperatures and will be found around wrecks and reef sites in the 40’ to 50’ range with some in even deeper depths.
The protected waters of the Pocomoke River are much more manageable to fish in the wind and it has been fishing well recently. The crappie bite has turned on and trolling minnows is working well to catch them. Casting jigs will also work to catch bass and pickerel in the river. The Eastern Shore mill ponds also have excellent pickerel fishing and are known for producing some of the bigger fish in the state. Anglers planning to fish for pickerel should consider signing up for the CCA Pickerel Championship. The tournament runs until the end of February 2025 and there are several divisions to compete in for great prizes.