Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, September 10 Update:
We have confirmation of a Chesapeake tarpon! Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters had angler Justin Cable aboard and just 10 minutes into fishing, hooked up with the silver king. He said it took two hours to bring it up to the boat, where it was measured at 72”. Congrats, Justin and Captain C.L.! Meanwhile, the Sounds have plenty of bull redfish swimming around, and although the shallow water bite for specks and slot reds remains below par, in Maryland waters rockfish are making up for the gap.
In addition to the tarpon action, C.L. has been catching good numbers of bull redfish casting cut bait along the channel edges of the Sounds. The best move is to catch live spot and cut it on the scene, then fan-cast several lines on fishfinder rigs with enough lead to keep the rigs pinned firmly in place. Sea Hawk Sport Center is reporting the areas with shoals and drop-offs off Nassawadox Creek, Occohannock, and The Cell have been productive for the big reds. Low light especially right at sunset has been the best time to hook up. There are also bluefish, sharks, and even a cobia here and there showing up for those targeting the reds.
A few specks and smaller reds are popping up in the shallows, but as is par for 2026 the bite has been less than spectacular and many of the speckled trout that are around are small. Fortunately rockfish, including in the slot, are hitting topwater and paddletails mostly at dusk and dawn in the tributaries of the Sounds and at the salt marsh islands. A subscriber fishing up inside creeks off the Honga River reported he didn’t catch any specks or reds on a trip early this week, but he did find some rockfish that were well over the slot, pushing up into the 30” range. Five-inch white paddletails were the hot bait.
Bottom fishing over oyster bottom continues to be excellent and should remain a solid option for the foreseeable future. Keeper-sized croaker and spot are plentiful, and there are a lot more kingfish around than usual. A subscriber fishing bloodworms on bottom rigs reported getting five in the mix this week right outside of Crisfield. There are also lots of puffer fish around, although few are big enough for the frying pan. (Yes, the northern puffers are great eating! It’s the unusual smooth puffer, which is green/gray and doesn’t have the yellow and black coloration of northern puffers, which is dangerous to eat).
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, September 4 Update:
Bull red drum are the headline attraction along Virginia's Eastern Shore, with spawning fish holding around sloughs, shoals, and bottom structure. Cut or live spot, hardhead, and kingfish fished on heavy fish-finder rigs are the ticket, while some late-season cobia are mixed in. Spanish mackerel and bluefish remain active around channel edges and shoals throughout Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. The rockfish bite should also pick up this month with bait becoming increasingly concentrated around river mouths and deeper current lines as September progresses.
Striped bass season is now open in all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia waters of the Bay offer catch-and-release opportunities until the state's harvest season reopens October 4. This gives anglers plenty of opportunities to target rockfish as the transition toward fall gets underway. In the Tangier region, look for stripers around tidal creek mouths, shoreline points, grass edges, submerged structure, and shallow flats, particularly where moving water pushes baitfish out of the creeks. Early mornings and evenings should offer the best shallow-water action while temperatures remain warm, with topwaters, paddletails, jerkbaits, and other small baitfish imitations good choices for casting. There is also the chance to catch some speckled trout and puppy drum in these same areas. We have had some reports of small specks being caught around the Manokin River and Big Annemessex River. Anglers throwing out bottom rigs from shore or anchoring up over oyster bottom are also catching a few under slot puppy drum and plenty of croaker. We have also heard of weakfish, pufferfish, and kingfish being in the mix for those fishing with bloodworms or Fishbites.
Bull red drum continue to provide some of the most exciting action along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, with spawning fish spread across the sloughs, shoals, and deeper edges adjacent to the shoreline from Pungoteague Creek south toward the Cell Reef area. These fish are often feeding along current-swept structure and can be targeted by anchoring up-current and setting out a chum slick, then fishing fresh cut spot, hardhead, or kingfish on fish-finder rigs with heavy leaders and 8/0 circle hooks. Live bait can also be extremely effective, particularly when reds are actively feeding, and the same baits have been producing a few late-season cobia mixed in with the drum. When targeting bull reds around the shoals and sloughs, heavier tackle is important for handling these larger fish, while also allowing enough drag to let the circle hook work properly. The reefs and oyster rocks throughout Tangier Sound are still holding some sheepshead and black drum, with chunks of crab fished on sweeper-style jigs a productive approach.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish should remain active throughout the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds and along the Eastern Shore side of the main Bay as the late-summer baitfish schools begin moving and concentrating along channel edges and current breaks. Main-channel drop-offs, shoals, points, and areas where strong tidal current pushes bait against structure are prime places to start, with birds diving or surface-feeding bait often giving away the location of the fish. Trolling Clark spoons, drone spoons, or surgical eels behind number one planers or inline weights is an effective way to cover water for both species, with faster trolling speeds generally favored when Spanish mackerel are the target. Once a school is located, make repeated passes through the same depth and general zone rather than continuing to roam. Bluefish can often be found mixed with the mackerel but tend to tolerate a wider range of conditions. Metal spoons, jigs, and heavier trolling lures can help target them while avoiding the cutoffs that are common with lighter mackerel tackle. The bluefish are also commonly found around reefs and wrecks, and there are plenty of these structures scattered throughout the lower Eastern Shore region. As September progresses and water temperatures begin to fall, watch for bait to become increasingly concentrated around river mouths, sound entrances, and deeper channel edges, which can make these areas increasingly productive before the fall migration gets fully underway.