Coastal Fishing Reports
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
The coastal bite is cutting loose as water temperatures are finally warm enough for migratory fish to start returning to inshore and nearshore waters. Last year’s flounder fishing was some of the best we have seen in many years, and this year is also off to a hot start. The bite is still best in and around the Virginia coastal inlets, but fish are also being caught well north of there. Both Sea Hawk Sports Center and Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle have reported boats checking in with double-digit keepers. The colder weather starting this week did slow the bite down a bit, but it looks like air temperatures are going to jump right back up, so the bite should turn on again this weekend into next week. Anglers should still plan their trips around the tide cycles if possible. In the early spring, the outgoing tide is usually best for flounder fishing as the cold ocean water brought in by the incoming tide has been warmed up on the shallow flats. The warmer water temperatures trigger the flounder to bite. The back bay flounder bite around Ocean City has been improving. Fish In OC reported several successful trips from anglers last weekend. One crew fishing the thoroughfare had three keeper flounder measuring 18″, 18″ and 19″. Lucky Break Charters has been able to box a few keeper flounder for their anglers, and is also reporting decent tautog action at the OC inlet rock jetties.
One of the bites that anglers are most excited about is the black drum run in the surf. Reports from down south near the mouth of the Bay on the oceanfront have been very good, with several boats boxing black drum. We have reports of drum being caught all the way up to Assateague on the Maryland side of the island. The largest fish we have heard caught in the surf is 39”. If you are looking for a fish to take home, you generally want to look for a smaller drum as the big fish tend to have worms in their meat. Luckily, a lot of the drum caught in the surf are the perfect size to take home for a delicious fresh caught meal. Sand fleas and fresh chunks of crab are the preferred baits for these bottom feeders. When trying to find a spot on the beach to fish for them, look for deep troughs running parallel to the beach. The drum are often cruising right along the deeper water next to the sandbars. Cuts in the sandbars are another excellent place to cast for drum. These breaks are known feeding zones for drum and other fish.
Water temperatures have warmed enough in the back bays to turn on the striped bass bite. The schoolie sized fish in the 15” to 25” range have been biting along the marsh shorelines, creek mouths, and at the various bridges. Fish In OC reported that some fish have been caught at the Route 90 Bridge. Jigging soft plastic straight tails and paddletails next to the bridge pilings is the best way to produce a bite. There is also a chance to catch flounder while bouncing jigs around the pilings. These fish are also hanging around the Route 50 Bridge and Verrazano Bridge as you head onto Assateague Island. The coastal slot for striped bass is 28”-31”, so most of the stripers fall short of legal size. As post-spawn fish start to leave the Chesapeake Bay and head up the coast in the coming weeks, that will be the best chance at catching a legal-size fish. Most of the fish will stay along the beaches and not enter the back bays during the journey back north, so surf fishing will be a good option.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, April 3 Update:
The black drum have arrived right on schedule as we heard the first few reports of fish being caught in the surf this week. Surf fishing expert Dave Moore checked in with us after catching his first drum of the season on the Maryland side of Assateague Island on Wednesday. The 39-inch fish was caught using sand fleas. There were also black drum reports from Sea Hawk Sports Center and Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle of fish being caught along the beaches in both Virginia and Maryland. Sand fleas are usually the most effective bait, but the other top performer is chunks of blue crab. The drum bite should steadily get better over the coming weeks. The wacky spring weather can make for unpredictable surf conditions, so make sure you have a variety of surf weights to be able to handle a variety of conditions. Other species to be caught in the surf include clearnose skate and dogfish, but striped bass will also start to show up on their way back north after their spawn in the Chesapeake Bay.
As water temperatures are heating up, so is the flounder bite. Early in the season, the better action is usually south along the Eastern Shore of Virginia with hotspots including Oyster, Wachapreague, and Chincoteague. A boat fishing out of Chincoteague this week managed to box nine keepers during one of the warmer days. Ocean water temperatures are still cold, so you should try to plan your trips around the tide cycle to hit the outgoing tide. The incoming tide will bring in cold ocean water that usually shuts down or slows the flounder bite. That water then gets heated up on the shallow flats and water temperatures warm considerably on the outgoing tide. This triggers the flounder into a more active feeding patter and is the prime time for the early spring flounder fishing bite window. You can still catch fish throughout the tide cycle, but the outgoing is usually best in early spring. The first flounder was also caught in Ocean City and was reported by Fish In OC. Jamie Metz was fishing with her husband Rob behind Assateague Island around the airport when she caught the first keeper flounder of the OC season on a tandem rig baited with an orange Gulp.
