Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 30 Update:
Well folks, reports are slim again this week. The cold weather and ice has been taking a toll on our fishing opportunities, but the good news is that warmer weather this week has started to break up and thaw frozen areas. Rain should also help our situation and the forecast seems to be trending milder…hopefully. If the mill ponds surrounding Salisbury open up, pickerel fishing will be back on the table. Lures with flash work well to entice bites, so spinners, chatterbaits, and jerkbaits should all be in play. Live minnows are another bait that are very effective for pickerel. The CCA Pickerel Championship is also still running and will conclude at the end of February. Now will be a great time to get out and fish to make a push to place for some prizes. Milder weather should also make for good conditions to hit the Pocomoke River for some panfish and pickerel action. Crappie and yellow perch are abundant in the river and will offer reliable opportunities from now through spring.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 23 Update:
This winter weather is seriously putting a damper on fishing plans. The lower eastern shore along Delmarva got some more snow this week on top of the polar vortex that brought brutally cold temperatures. This has caused a lot of water to freeze up. Many creeks and rivers have ice on them and there is not a whole lot happening on the Bay to incentivize anglers to brave the elements. The eastern shore mill ponds that many anglers flock to for pickerel fishing this time of year have ice on them along with portions of the Pocomoke River. If you do manage to get out on the Pocomoke, crappie, yellow perch, bass, and pickerel are all on the table. This is the unfortunate reality of cold winters in our region. Winter fishing opportunities are limited, and we are patiently count down the days until spring.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 16 Update:
Is anyone else counting down the days until spring? This weather has been downright brutal recently with bitter cold and wind persisting. Ice is still covering many creeks and ponds and the striped bass bite on the Bay has been just about nonexistent. The saving grace to fishing in this region is the Pocomoke River. AS long as the water stays open, there will be opportunities for several freshwater species. Crappie and yellow perch have been the main targets for anglers braving the cold. We haven’t heard of any recent reports, but they were biting good at the start of the year. The stretch of river from Pocomoke City to Snow Hill is the general area where anglers find the best success. Panfish will be in the deeper holes and channels of the river, but should be willing to hit live minnows and artificial jigs. Trolling can also be very effective in the winter and is a good way to cover water and locate fish. The mill ponds around Salisbury are a popular destination for pickerel anglers, but ice has been making it very difficult to fish.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 9 Update:
Panfish are becoming the main focus as winter doldrums set in. We have been lucky with some fairly mild winters over the past few years, but it looks like we won’t be so lucky this year. A winter storm marched across the region earlier in the week dropping anywhere from six to 12 inches of snow followed by brutal wind and cold. That’s not ideal weather for fishing. Most people were busy shoveling snow and sheltering from the gusty winds instead of attempting to fish, and I don’t blame them. Low tides have also been a problem at boat ramps and marinas making to nearly impossible to get out on the Bay. Below freezing temperatures have also iced up most ponds, lakes, and smaller tidal creeks leaving very limited options for getting a line wet. The Pocomoke River still has open water if you are willing to brave the cold and it was fishing well before the snow moved in. Yellow perch, crappie, pickerel, largemouth bass, and catfish were all biting and should be available to catch through the winter as long as the ice doesn’t get too thick. If fishing in the cold isn’t your thing, take this time to organize and gear prep for spring.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 2 Update:
Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. The wind has been whipping this week which has kept most boats off the Bay. There are still migratory striped bass to be caught out there, but the Virginia recreational harvest season ended at the turn of the year. Anglers looking to catch striped bass during January in any waters of the Chesapeake Bay will only be allowed to catch and release. Last weekend, Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters got out on the water to chase down the trophies that are roaming around in the Bay. He headed further north than his usual stomping grounds but reported that fish were active along ledges with birds leading the way. C.L. said the VooDoo Ghost from Freedom Baitsusa and Big Sexy Baits jigheads was the hot combo. The forecast is calling for more wind and cold weather, so fishing windows for getting out on the Bay may be limited moving forward.
Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the panfish action on the Pocomoke has been hot and other freshwater species such as largemouth bass and pickerel are also very active. Sea Hawk staff have been out on the river and report that crappie and yellow perch are abundant and willing to hit live minnows and small artificial jigs. Several trips this week produced stringers of fish that will make for some delicious dinners. Bass and pickerel have been a common bycatch while fishing for panfish, but you can also target them directly if you want a little more tug on the end of your line. Plug style baits such as jerkbaits retrieved slowly can work well to entice these larger predatory fish to bite. They will be hanging around fallen wood and any structure in deeper waters of the river.