Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 1 Update: 

Y’all know we love speckled trout here at FishTalk… it’s taking everything in us not to ditch the office and head for the Sounds right now. The reports from anglers who spent days casting the weedy shallows haven’t necessarily been incredible for consistency nor numbers, but we’re getting reports of NICE speckled trout, including fish ranging up to 25 inches — and they’re chunky. One reader who checked in with week had a crew of four that landed multiple specks between 18-and-24 inches throughout their day fishing. Like many other anglers, they reported a pretty good number of striped bass (more than the trout by three to one) mixed in with the specks. For both species, curly and paddle tailed white, pink, and sparkly soft plastics are doing the trick. Electric chicken is a consistent fave. If you’re hunting specifically for the bass, white seems to be the color to use. Throughout this season thus far, they’ve shown a strong preference for it.

A few slot redfish have also been popping up in the shallows but more are sub-legal, and Sea Hawk is reporting that the ESVA flounder bite on the seaside remains so hot that many anglers are still heading in that direction, plus one lucky angler picked up a nice redfish on the eastern side of the peninsula this week, too. Spot and small white perch are also being caught on hard bottoms in the Sounds.

Crabbing Report: We didn't hear from any crabbers in this zone this week, but in the Tangier and other Maryland waters, REMEMBER: New DNR regs limit recreational anglers to one bushel per boat per day, regardless of how many licensed crabbers are aboard. Current regs can be found here.