Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 25 Update:

Water temps are dropping and the bite is heating up as we head into the tail end of October. There are fish biting in both the shallows and deeper waters of the Eastern Shore with speckled trout, red drum, and striped bass being the highlights. A reader fishing near Deal Island reported that rockfish up to 26” were hitting on topwater even beyond sunrise and through a sunny day this week. The puppy drum fishing this year was exceptionally good and there are still plenty of these fish around, too. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters reports that he is still finding pups in skinny water, and they are even tailing at times which has offered exciting sight fishing opportunities. The pups have taken a liking for Sea Hawk Sports Center’s new gotcha electric chicken colored curly tail soft plastics. Popping corks have also worked well to attract fish to bite in the shallows. Cooler waters have also rejuvenated the speckled trout bite. Three to six feet of water over grass beds is a good zone to target right now. Submerged shallow water structure such as riprap, stump fields, or rock piles are other productive areas to seek out in the fall. Captain C.L. had a client fishing with him earlier in the week who reeled in a monster 28.5-inch speck along with plenty of quality stripers while fishing submerged structure.

At deeper wrecks and reef sites, sea bass have moved in and are hanging around in decent numbers. Sea bass hold tight to structure on the bottom and many anglers target them using Chesapeake sabiki rigs or metal jigs. Live minnows, shrimp, squid, and crab flavored Fishbites are popular baits. It is important to keep your boat positioned over the structure to be efficient when lines are in the water. Spot-Lock can be a huge advantage while wreck fishing. Small metal jigs also work well and can be tipped with any of the previously mentioned baits to add a little more enticement. Also cruising around the deeper water structure have been some holdout bull reds, so keep an eye out for them on the fish finder. The bulls will head south soon but should present angling opportunities through the end of the month.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 18 Update:

The weather this week reminded us that old man winter isn’t too far away, but the cooler temps have fish feeding hard to fatten up before the cold sets in. A reader reported excellent action around Smith Island this week during a stay at The Pearl, with a mix of redfish and rockfish quickly filling the slot and the cooler. In both evening and morning, the fish were active and the action came in just a foot or so of water. This time of year is also a good opportunity to catch big speckled trout. They can be found cruising along the grass flats all along the Eastern Shore

Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters said that the cold snap this week slowed down the bite in the shallows. He had to cover a lot of water on a few trips this week, but burning gas paid off with steady pickings of puppy drum and slot rockfish. The puppy drum were caught using a popping cork paired with Gulp! soft plastics. The rockfish were hammering Rapala Shad Raps. Water temperatures dipped down into the low 60s this week, but the extended forecast is calling for a warming trend that will hopefully turn the shallow water bite back on before water temperatures get too cold and push fish to open water.

Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that the sea-side has been enjoying good action with bull redfish making a strong showing along the beaches and multiple anglers catching fish over 40 inches. Fish finder rigs baited with cut mullet has been the go-to setup to get the bronze brutes to bite. Small sharks and plenty of rays have been a consistent bycatch for those tossing out cut bait. The seaside bays have also been holding plenty of puppy drum that seem to be biting best on high tide. Sea Hawk also mentioned that the fall flounder bite has been good when the water isn’t too stirred up. The stiff winds recently haven’t made for muddy water, but there are pockets of cleaner water that should offer up a steady bite. Flounder rigs baited with minnows, squid, and Gulp! baits are working well to get the flatties in the net.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 11 Update:

The cool north breeze has prompted fish to transition into their fall pattern. The shallows are full of life and open water action has also proven exciting. A reader checked in after taking a trip to the Tangier where both slot redfish and rockfish provided awesome action. Plastics and jerkbaits both did the trick, and they noted that most of the reds were very shallow. The cooler temperatures have many of our gamefish chasing bait in the shallows right now. Early morning and late evening topwater action should be available on most days as long as you have calm conditions. Walk-the-dog style baits and poppers should work great in low light conditions at shoreline points, over grass beds, and near any type of isolated shallow water structure.

Captain C.L. Marhsall of Tangier Sound Charters has found lots of action this week and reports that the fall bite is in full swing. The north winds at the beginning of the week seemed to get the redfish on the move. His shallow water spots produced a few fish, but weren’t as productive as he hoped, but a move out to deeper water led to a hot bite. His crew boxed four slot reds and a dozen over slot fish all on artificials, then they added a 36-inch bluefish for good measure. On another trip, he found breaking blues up to 10 pounds and redfish eating topwater all morning with several slot and over slot fish. The shallow grass flats of both the Tangier and Pocomoke are also holding speckled trout right now. Depths of four to six feet have been the most productive and the trout are feeding on a mix of small baitfish and shrimp. Popping corks are very effective this time of year as they mimic bait jumping through the water column. Clean water is important to find when searching for specks, and other species too. If the wind is blowing, seek protected shorelines and skinny water for the best results.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 4 Update:

FishTalk contributor David Rudow hit the shallows of the lower Eastern Shore this week and found plenty of action. The overcast days produced a great topwater bite that extended well into the morning. Slot redfish and schoolie stripers were eagerly hitting topwater spooks. David says that most fish were found close to marsh shorelines and areas with current. Eastern shore expert captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been battling the northeast winds and flood tide, but covering lots of water has led to good success. His best day this week came in the Pocomoke Sound where his morning anglers picked up a limit of slot reds then went on to catch a few rockfish and blues up to six pounds. The afternoon trip was speck-tacular as his crew boated close to 30 speckled trout up to 28.5 inches. The key was fishing popping corks over grass flats with soft plastic shrimp baits.

Bottom fishing in the Tangier and Pocomoke Sound is excellent right now. Anglers are catching a variety of fish including spot, croaker, kingfish, white perch, blowfish, and sea bass. They can be caught along areas with oyster bottom, shoals, and at any bottom structure. A lot of these fish are on the small side, so bring plenty of bait to be able to weed through the smallies to get eater sized fish. As the temperatures cool down, more keeper sea bass should show up at wreck and reef sites throughout the Bay. Fishing for them with Chesapeake sabiki rigs tipped with Fishbites is a popular tactic, vertical jigging small metal spoons is another great way to catch them. These fish hold tight to structure, so keeping your bait right on bottom is essential for getting bites.

Another big attraction to this region of the Bay right now is the abundance of bluefish. Schools of blues are being caught by trollers and anglers throwing light tackle. Most fish have been in the 20-to-24-inch range, but some have approached the 30-inch mark. Trollers are catching them by using large surgical tubes trolled behind number one or two planers. These boats are also picking up the occasional red drum and cobia that are still hanging around. Breaking blues have popped up occasionally and casting metal jigs or soft plastics is working well to get them to bite in the frenzy. Look for these fish to hang around for at least a few more weeks.