Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Eastern Shore Fishing Report, June 28 Update:
The shallow waters of the Tangier and Pocomoke sound are offering steady action for anglers. Speckled trout, puppy drum, and rockfish have all made a showing, although the persistent south winds have not made fishing easy recently and we were glad to finally see them slacking off… but they’re predicted to return for the weekend. Most boats have been restricted to protected shorelines and finding clean water has been more challenging than usual. Shoreline points with strong current flowing around them have attracted all three of these popular gamefish. The grass beds have seen fair numbers of pups and specks with the best bite happening in the low light hours. The slot for red drum in Maryland is 18 to 27 inches with a one fish per day limit, while in Virginia it is an 18-to-26-inch slot with a three fish limit. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters is still picking away at the bluefish scattered around the sounds. He has caught blues up to 35 inches and the bigger fish have been holding tight to isolated structure usually in the form of wrecks. Casting Rapala X-Raps and soft plastic paddletails are working well for these fish. Just make sure to have bite-proof or plenty of extras because their teeth are unforgiving.
Cobia fishing has been steady, but the hot bite to start the season has mellowed out a bit. Boats are still catching them in waters of 15 to 25 feet around lumpy bottom. The ledge near Tangier Sound Light is a popular spot for boats to anchor up and chum for fish moving up onto the flat. Trollers are having some luck with large surgical tubes and the bluefish in the area have also shown a willingness to bite these lures. Sight fishing has been difficult lately with the windy conditions that seem like they will never leave. If we ever get a calm day again, sight fishing the cobia on top will be a good option and allow you to cover a lot of water. If you find a pod of cow nose rays, get a closer look because cobia will often swim right along with them. Pitching out a large bucktail dressed with a soft plastic or a live eel in the vicinity of a fish on the surface usually leads to a bite.
The bull red drum bite is still available along rocky and shoal bottoms with fish tending to show up in the evening hours. Chunks of soft crab drifted on fish finder rigs have enticed these brutes into the boat.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Eastern Shore Fishing Report, June 21 Update:
The Chesapeake is firing off on all cylinders as we begin to move into the heat of summer. There are plenty of fish to catch from the serene shallows of the shore to the vast open water of the Bay. The Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds have been a very productive zone recently, likely due to the great water quality that can be found. Striped bass, speckled trout, and red drum are being caught in the shallows. Specks have been found in shallow grass beds and a fair number of puppy drum have been caught alongside them. Popping corks are working well to entice fish as they mimic baitfish splashing around on the surface. Stripers have been found on shoreline points with current and around stump fields. Heat waves are starting to set in and it has been a while since we have had a shot of rain which has led to water temperatures rising quickly. They have already moved into the low 80s in many places and we may soon start to see fish slide to slightly deeper water to find cooler water.
Big bluefish have made a strong showing so far this year and captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has run some great trips to isolated structure catching bluefish up to 36 inches. A 10-pound bluefish will give you a run for your money on light tackle. Schools of bluefish have also been sporadically popping up in open water areas near lumps and edges. Spanish mackerel have yet to make an appearance in this zone, but with rising water temperatures it likely won’t be long before we start to see them.
Sea Hawk Sports Center says that cobia are still making a good showing from Tangier Island and areas south. Most fish have been coerced into the net with chunks of bunker presented on 8/0 octopus circle hooks on fish finder rigs. The most successful settings for a breaching brown suit is around the shoals and sloughs in the 15’ to 25’ depth range. Bull red drum have been enticed to bite by chunks of peeler crab tossed to the edges of grass beds. The bite has been best in the evenings in areas where the shallows have deep water close by. Another welcomed sight has been the arrival of sheepshead to the isolated wrecks and reefs scattered around this region. Chunks of crab bait is usually required to entice these fish to bite. Fish over 10 pounds can be caught but are often elusive. Opportunities are endless in this beautiful region of the Bay, so make sure to take advantage of them.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Eastern Shore Fishing Report, June 14 Update:
Fishing has been good in this region of the Bay as summer has brought seemingly endless fishing opportunities. From big fish to small fish, there are a lot of options to try your hand at. Good reports have come in from the ESVA creeks off the Bay of redfish, both slots and under-slots. One angler reported catching seven with the biggest reaching 25”. Another reported catching three plus two specks on four-inch Electric Chicken paddletails. The speckled trout bite has also been picking up on the lower Eastern Shore. Topwater lures have been effective in the early morning hours over grass beds and along shoreline points. Shallow water in the two- to seven-foot range has been a good place to search for reds, specks, and rockfish alike. Structure is important this time of year, so focus your efforts grass, rip rap, and any submerged structure you can find. Bluefish up to 30 inches have made a showing into the sounds and are offering fun action on light tackle. Deeper water wrecks and reefs will be good places to search for the blues. Make sure you have a strong enough leader that can withstand their sharp teeth. Last year we saw plenty of blues in the three-to-five-pound range and it seems those fish are returning this year with some better size to them.
Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that cobia are kicking off in a big way just in time for the season to start. The catch and release fishing has been very good. Anglers soaking chunks of bunker on fish finder rigs have enticed these brutes into the net. Most bites have been coming in the 15- to 25-foot range from the Pocomoke Sound down to the CBBT. Sight fishing for cobia is also a popular tactic that requires calm conditions. Cruising around channel edges and drop offs can lead to spotting them on top. Have live eels or large soft plastics ready to cast to them to entice a bite. Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters has been getting in on the early cobia action along with big red and black drum near Watts Island. Recent trips have produced a little bit of everything including the previously mentioned fish plus slot stripers, speckled trout, and good size bluefish on deeper water structure. Cobia season will begin this Saturday, June 15th for both Maryland and Virginia. Anglers will be allowed to keep one cobia per person with a minimum size of 40 inches. Boats will be limited to two cobia per vessel, and in Virginia, only one of the fish kept on a vessel may be over 50 inches in length.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Eastern Shore Fishing Report, June 7 Update:
Spring is all but over as summer is bringing us longer days and lots of fish to catch in our beautiful home waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that water temperatures in the sounds are climbing fast as summer approaches, but that the grassy shallows are holding good numbers of speckled trout and rockfish. Puppy drum have also made the occasional showing in the shallows. All species are being caught on a variety of artificial baits including jerkbaits, paddletails, and popping corks. An impressive catch we saw this week was a 28.5-inch speckled trout caught in the shallows near Watts Island. That fish can be considered a gator. Another toothy fish has made their way back to our waters as well. Bluefish have returned to the Tangier and Pocomoke with blues cruising in the shallows and hanging out around deeper structures. There was a good class of bluefish in the Bay last year with a lot of three-to-five-pound fish caught and it would be great to see those fish return because they are a blast to catch on light tackle.
Cobia season will begin on June 15th and the fish are already moving into this zone of the Bay. Captain C.L. Marshall from Tangier Sound Charters has had multiple catch and releases on cobia this week with quite a few that would meet keeper qualifications if the season was in. Soaking chunks of peeler crab has led to quite a few bites for the man in the brown suit along with red drum up to 51 inches, and big black drum. While you can anchor up lumpy areas close to ledges for cobia, sight fishing is a popular tactic. It usually requires calm conditions, but if you have a tower, cruising around on it and keeping your eyes peeled for fish on the surface is an exciting way to fish. It often requires covering a lot of water, but the results can be well worth it. Live eels are like candy for cobia, but bucktails dressed with large soft plastics is a great artificial option to throw. The fishery in this section of the Bay is truly remarkable and it is only going to get better as summer arrives. For the upcoming cobia season, Anglers will be allowed to keep one fish per person per day and boats will be allowed to keep two fish per day if there are two or more people on the vessel. The minimum size for cobia is 40 inches and in Virginia, if there are two cobia on board, only one may be greater than 50 inches.