Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, February 24 Update:
The continued mild weather has provided some great fishing opportunities in many of the freshwater locations located on the lower shore. The steady bites have been welcomed by many anglers as they wait for warmer water to revamp saltwater fishing opportunities in the sounds and ESVA. A report came in this week from the Pocomoke River above Snow Hill; the angler said the perch seem to have already headed upriver of the area, but the crappie bite was good, and some bass were hitting as well. The Marshyhope is warming up too, and bass provided a strong bite recently when the warm sunny conditions triggered some unusually strong February activity; one reader reported catching five while casting spinners during a quick afternoon of fishing.
Another angler fishing the Pocomoke reported catching a limit of crappie while slow trolling small live minnows on 1/32-ounce jigheads. Water temperatures in their fishing location were in the low 50s. Pickerel fishing is still providing great action, especially with the mild temperatures. Live minnows always work well for the pickerel, but they aren’t a necessity right now. Steadily retrieving spinners and quick-twitching jerkbaits has been working great especially with the mild temperatures. There are only a few days left in the CCA Pickerel Championship so anglers looking to move up in the rankings should hit the water asap.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, February 17 Update:
This past week consisted of significantly above average temperatures which has yellow perch anglers excited. For those waiting on the perch run: we had a report from early perch-searchers looking in the ESMD area who said that as of midweek said the fish hadn't yet left the deep holes downstream from spawning areas. That could change fast with the warm weather, which could make for a sudden burst of action - stay tuned. If you can locate the schools of perch in deeper water, live minnows have been working best to get them biting. Shad darts bounced along the bottom are another solid option if you can’t find live bait.
Sea Hawk Sports Center checked in with good reports from anglers in the Pocomoke who fished during the spring like weather this week. They used 1/16-ounce Old Skool and Rumblefish jigs tipped with small minnows in four to eight feet of water. Throughout the day they caught plenty of crappie, yellow perch, pickerel, and even a few largemouth to round out an awesome day on the water. They noted that the underspin style jig heads seemed to work best for the panfish. Another angler checked in from the Pocomoke and reported great crappie action, catching a limit between two anglers. Their fish were caught using small minnows on 1/32-ounce and 1/64-ounce jigheads. It seems like the warmer weather has really picked up the bite so make sure to take advantage of it.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, February 10 Update:
This month has been a roller coaster when it comes to weather but that’s nothing us Marylanders and Virginians aren’t used to. Fishing in the Tangier region has been mostly limited to freshwater efforts. The Pocomoke is providing decent bites for perch crappie, pickerel and bass, but it hasn’t been on fire. The crappie will become more active if the warm weather continues. They can be found near submerged structure like sunken wood and are usually willing to hit small jigs or live minnows.
Pickerel are always active this time of year and can be caught in the Eastern Shore mill ponds and in the Nanticoke. Angler Herb Floyd caught what we’re thinking is the fish of the winter, while fishing a minnow on Maryland’s portion of the Eastern Shore and participating in the 2022/2023 CCA Pickerel Championship. The mega-monster pickerel stretched the tape to 28.25 inches(!) “After a couple of slow trips and seeing fish hang deeper on my fishfinder I decided to try suspending a live minnow just off bottom,” he said. “Funny thing is, an 11-inch yellow perch ate the biggest minnow I had and the big pickerel actually hit a medium-sized minnow… that’s fishing!” The CCA Pickerel Championship is running until the end of the month so there is still time to enter if you think you can out-do Herb’s fish or compete in one of the categories other than single largest fish (there are many). Make sure to check out all the categories and great prizes that will be given away this year. Contributor Eric Packard hit Smithville Lake this week and also reported good action, catching eight pickerel and five bass. Most of his fish were caught on Rapala X-Rap twitch bait, with the others being caught on a four-inch Yo-zuri chrome jerkbait, Mepps number three, and a small spinner bait.
The yellow perch are a few weeks away from their spring spawning run which may kick off soon if the warm weather continues. As for right now, they are still staging in the deeper holes and channels. The perch can also be caught using small jigs and live minnows. Shad darts tipped with minnows and bounced along the bottom has been a proven tactic throughout the winter.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, February 3 Update:
Sea Hawks Sports Center reports that fishing on the Pocomoke has been up and down, but anglers are finding yellow perch, crappie, bass, and pickerel willing to bite. A few schoolie rockfish have been caught recently as well. The crappie will be schooled up close to submerged structure like submerged wood. The bass and pickerel also like hanging near deeper water structure. Live minnows almost always work best in the winter, especially when floated under a bobber. Small jigs and twisty tails can also be used to catch the crappie. Pickerel anglers have been doing well throwing jerkbaits, spinners, and paddletails. Adding an underspin to your soft plastic baits can help entice finicky pickerel to bite. Yellow perch are still holding in the deeper holes and channels, typically around six to ten feet. Tipping shad darts with live minnows and bouncing them along the bottom is working best for them.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources stocked a few locations with trout on January 31st which provides a good opportunity for anglers on the lower shore. Beaverdam Creek in Wicomico County was stocked with 500 rainbow trout and Shad Landing Pond in Worchester County was also stocked with 500 rainbow trout. Visit the Maryland trout stocking page to find up to date stockings and locations closest to you.