Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

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

Cobia have been a popular target for anglers now that we are entering the middle of summer. The man in the big brown suit has been spotted well north of the Maryland line by now, but higher numbers of fish will still be found from the Maryland line south towards Cape Charles. The Target Ship, the shoals off Smith and Tangier Island, Watts Island, and Silver Beach are all popular locations for cobia anglers. Chunking pieces of cut bunker, live lining eels, and sight fishing on calm days are all reliable methods. A reader fishing near the Target Ship reported that there are plenty of bluefish around. They boxed close to 20 blues, mostly around the 18” to 20” range. Trolling small surgical hoses did the trick in depths of 15’ to 30’. They also mentioned that there were some charter boats in the area also catching bluefish, and they saw one cobia come over the rails. The bluefish have also been abundant at the various reef and wreck sites that can be found throughout the Tangier and lower Eastern Shore region. They often respond well to surface plugs and Rapala X-Raps.

Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that they had two reports of large tarpon taking cut cobia baits this week. One report ended in an unintentional release, and the other ended with a boatside memory that will be talked about for many years. Tarpon visit the Chesapeake Bay each year, though their numbers are low and they rarely venture further north than Virginia waters. The location of these fish is often regarded as top-secret information. Sea Hawk also mentioned that the water temperatures in the Tangier and Pocomoke Sound are heating up and have taken a toll on fishing. Bite windows have been condensed to early mornings and late evenings where speckled trout and rockfish are still cruising around the grass flats and shoreline points. Surface plugs and poppers have been working very well in the early morning hours, especially before sunrise. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters reports that the “Lonely Angler” topwater lures have been very productive as of late. He has seen an uptick in the speckled trout bite and is finding a few on most trips. Rockfish are still providing the bulk of the action in the shallows though.

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

It is that time of year when cobia and bull reds have become a popular target for anglers in this region of the Bay. The bulls are beginning to school in deeper water and cobia are migrating up the Bay for the summer. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg went searching the lower Eastern Shore shallows for bull reds last weekend but came up short. He soaked peeler crab for around five hours without any bites in an area that had been productive earlier this year. He mentioned that there was no moon and a very strong incoming tide, which is not ideal conditions for that area. As water temperatures rise into the mid to upper 80’s in the shallows, the bull reds usually school up and head for deeper water. Cobia anglers have found fish on the surface from the Eastern Shore of Virginia shoals up to the Target Ship. Chunking cut bait or live lining eels near lumps and shoals has been effective, though there have been a lot of rays and the occasional shark to deal with. Calm, sunny days offer good opportunities for boats with towers to sight fish cobia cruising just under the surface, so keep an eye out for the man in the big brown suit.

A reader hitting the shallows of the Pocomoke reported that the water temperature had hit 93 degrees and the fish had abandoned ship in those areas. Farther down the shore at Kiptopeke, however, he found a good flounder bite and caught fish up to 21.5”. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been enjoying a good early morning topwater bite for rockfish in the shallows of the Tangier and Pocomoke. The first two hours of light were most productive, with the bite slowing down once the sun gets up. C.L. says a lot of the rockfish are slot size with some unders and overs in the mix. His anglers have also caught some good-sized speckled trout on topwater lures and wakebaits. Water temperatures in the mid to upper 80s will often push fish into deeper waters once the sun gets up, so don’t be afraid to fish grassy areas in five to 10 feet and deeper wrecks or reefs in 10 to 20 feet of water.