Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, November 29 Update:
While the colder weather means that stripers often become the main target for anglers on the Bay, there are still some spot tails cruising around. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters was out several days this week and reports mixed results. He and his anglers caught both rockfish and redfish during outings this week. The rocks were caught anywhere from six to 15’ of water with an occasional red mixed in. Popping corks are working well in the shallower depths while paddletails and hard bodied lures are catching fish in deeper depths. Structure in the form of wrecks, reefs, eroded shorelines, and stump fields all seem to be holding fish. Water temperatures are in the low 50s and as more cold weather moves in, fish in the shallows will likely move to deeper water. Contributor David Rudow said that during a sunny afternoon this week temps in the shallows rose rapidly and he encountered a very large school of slot reds on the southern portion of the Shore. The fish hit soft topwater lures, but as soon as the sun went behind the clouds they immediately shifted to deeper water.
While fishing opportunities on the Bay slow down, the panfish and perch bite in the lower Eastern Shore rivers is turning on. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that yellow perch and crappie in the Pocomoke River are ready to play. They had a few anglers check in after finding success this week. A few of their staff members caught a mix of pickerel, bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie, and blue catfish. Trolling with two-inch twisty tails tipped with live minnows did the trick in short order. Their fish were found in relatively shallow water, tight to structure, and bit on a falling tide. The bite on the Pocomoke is usually very good during the colder months and panfish will present plenty of opportunities over the winter.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, November 22 Update:
Recent cold fronts have seriously dropped water temperatures in the Bay to a more seasonable level. Waters of the Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds are hovering in the low 50s which has finally triggered the mass exodus of fish from creeks and other tributaries. Some fish can still be found in marshes, creeks and rivers, but they will become increasingly sparse as we head into the final month of the year. Before the winds moved in this week, Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters was doing what he does best, catching fish. C.L. is still finding a few reds willing to take popping corks, along with plenty of rockfish in the shallow marshes. He did mention that the fish seem to be moving to deeper water with the most recent cold snap and that the open water bite should start to shape up by the end of the month.
The further south you go along the Eastern Shore, the better chance you will have at warm water species such as red drum and speckled trout. Down near Cape Charles we had a report from an angler fishing various bayside creeks that said he has been finding a hot puppy drum bite on recent outings, but speckled trout have been hard to come by on the east side. In deeper water, wreck and reef sites inside the Bay are holding sea bass. Structure in 20’ to 30’ of water should be productive right now. As water temperatures continue to drop, the sea bass will move to structure in the 30’ to 50’ range. You can view Maryland artificial reef sites at the DNR website and you can view Virginia artificial reef sites VMRC website.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, November 15 Update:
The open water bite has been lackluster thanks to a mild start to fall. We are finally seeing more seasonal weather move in and the fish are settling into a more typical pattern for this time of year. Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters says that open water structure and ledges in the sound have been holding fish, but that it has taken some hopping around on most days to locate fish willing to bite. Recent trips have produced a mix of stripers, reds, bluefish, and an assortment of other Bay dwellers. Warm water temperatures have kept a few schools of reds around, but they will likely push south towards the mouth of the Bay soon with colder temperatures returning.
Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the big news along the coastal beaches has been the return of bluefin tuna at times within 10 miles of the sand. There has been steady action out of Ocean City and the bite should be happening between there and down to Virginia Beach. The inshore wrecks and reefs have also been holding plenty of sea bass up to five pounds and flounder up to seven pounds. When weather windows allow, heading to the offshore grounds can be very fruitful this time of year. Sea bass can also be found inside the Bay at wreck and reef sites. Depths of 20’ to 50’ of water will be the zone you want to search for structure right now. There are a lot of juvenile fish around, but keepers are also in the mix and with enough work you can stack a few to take home for dinner. Both Maryland and Virginia have artificial reef sites that should be holding sea bass and other fish right now.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, November 8 Update:
It was another warm week across the region as fall is off to a slow start. Water temperatures are still in the low 60s which has fish still feeding in the shallows. The tricky part recently has been locating where these fish are as the bite has been inconsistent. Striped bass, redfish, and a few speckled trout are the main targets of anglers hitting the shallows. The stripers are pushed up into the marsh creeks and can also be found along shoreline points and areas with good current. The reds are hanging in similar places but have also been on shallow flats chasing bait. Any of the grass areas have a chance at holding a combination of these fish and will be the best places to find late season speckled trout. Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters has had to cover a lot of water this week with fish showing up and disappearing depending on the day. A midweek trip produced a dozen reds, but it was a grind with only small schools of fish at each stop throughout the day. Although there are still some reds in the shallows, they are also being found at deeper reef sites hanging close to structure. We should also see the stripers begin to school up and head to deeper ledges once water temps get below 60.
FishTalk contributor David Rudow says that some spots in the far lower Eastern Shore are teeming with puppy drum. The warmer temperatures recently have the fish pushed up into very skinny water and on several recent trips he has found them feeding in less than a foot of water. David says that the fish have been eager to hit topwater baits and are often chasing lures all the way up to the edge of his kayak.
In the tidal rivers, white perch are moving out of the smaller creeks and are starting to school up in deeper holes of the rivers. Areas with oyster bottom are a popular hangout for them this time of year. They can be caught by dropping down small metal jigs, or by using grass shrimp, minnows, bloodworms, or Fishbites. We need some rain and cold fronts soon, so everyone make sure to do your weather dance!
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, November 1 Update:
The weather has been up and down which hasn’t helped the fish make an easy transition to their fall patterns. They are being found scattered about in different areas as of late, and always seem to be on the move. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has battled the wind a few days this week and managed to make the most out of his opportunities. He reports that there have been plenty of stripers in the shallows and at isolated structure in open water. C.L. is also still catching some redfish and has even had opportunities to sight fish them in the shallows. The Tackle Box is also still getting some reports of redfish in the Tangier, though they note that these fish are on the move and have departed some of the west-side haunts. Some of these fish are showing up on the wrecks and reefs in 15’ to 25’ of water as they transition away from the shallows. White jigging spoons have been reported as one way to get them biting in the deeper waters and a reader mentioned that rigging a plastic shrimp in tandem above the spoon had proved effective on the reefs.
In the deeper waters sea bass are being found at the various reef sites scattered about on both sides of the Bay. Virginia has a successful artificial reef program that has deployed structure at various sites to create habitat for aquatic species. Many anglers enjoy fishing around them throughout the year for a variety of species. A map and more information on the reef sites can be found on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission website. The map gives coordinates and describes the type of material that was dropped on the bottom. Maryland also has numerous reef sites that will be good structure for sea bass and other fish in deeper water. The sites are listed on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website with a map and their coordinates. Sea bass should be prolific around these sites throughout the fall.