Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, March 12 Update:
Spring fishing is kicking off even though this week brought us a taste of each of the four seasons. We went from temperatures in the 80s earlier in the week to temperatures back into the 30s with some snow to end the week. Anglers took advantage of the warmer weather, and we had good reports from the Pocomoke, where the crappie bite has been very good. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the crappie action has been superb and one of their recent trips produced five different species. Slow-trolling two-inch tandem-rigged jigs tipped with small minnows tempted plenty of eater crappie. Largemouth bass, pickerel, yellow perch, and blue catfish were also in the mix. We had one report of a handful of white perch caught on the Pocomoke this week, so it looks like their spawning run is about to get underway. The Pocomoke, Nanticoke, and Wicomico are great rivers on the lower Eastern Shore to fish during the spring perch run. Minnows and bloodworms tipped on bottom rigs are a tried and true method for filling a cooler with delicious perch. Some anglers have reported coming across schools of striped bass on the shallow flats of the Eastern Shore, so it seems these fish are moving in to take advantage of the warmer temperatures. These fish can be difficult to entice this time of year as they are focused on moving towards their spawning grounds, but shallow diving plugs and jerkbaits have been effective to entice some fish to bite. Fishing for striped bass is still strictly catch and release, and there are certain areas that are off limits. It would be best to review the striped bass regulation maps on the Maryland DNR website to see where fishing for them is allowed.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, March 6 Update:
Spring peepers were singing their songs this week as the first signs of spring are starting to show themselves. FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars spent a couple of days at the Eastern Shore millponds in the Salisbury area last weekend, and said the fishing was surprisingly slow in multiple ponds. He had to work hard to catch a couple of bass and four pickerel up to 24” while fishing minnow on underspin jigs and Tin Man shad darts. X-raps, paddletails, and spinners garnered no bites. He spoke with several other anglers who had either skunked or caught just a fish or two. Water temps had actually dropped after a slight warmup last week, so a few warm days should hopefully turn that slow action around.
The Pocomoke River will be an excellent location to fish in the Tangier region this month. The yellow perch run has started slow, but the warm front forecasted to start this weekend should get them moving. The warmer weather should also get the white perch moving in the lower Eastern Shore tidal rivers such as the Pocomoke, Nanticoke, and Wicomico. Grass shrimp and minnows are key this year. You can fish them on bottom rigs, in deeper water, but when fishing shallow water, shad darts bounced on the bottom or suspended under a bobber is a sure-fire way to get the perch biting. Another popular fishery the Pocomoke provides is crappie fishing. As water temperatures warm up, the crappie will get more active. Water temperatures are in the low 40s, so fish are still schooled up, suspended near structures and in deeper holes in the river. When water temperatures approach 50 degrees, the crappie will move into slightly shallower water and stage in areas close to their spawning zones. Bass and pickerel will also be active in the river. Spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and jerkbaits are all excellent lures for these ambush predators. The bite will likely turn on during the warm front over the next few days.