Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 9 Update: 

Panfish are becoming the main focus as winter doldrums set in. We have been lucky with some fairly mild winters over the past few years, but it looks like we won’t be so lucky this year. A winter storm marched across the region earlier in the week dropping anywhere from six to 12 inches of snow followed by brutal wind and cold. That’s not ideal weather for fishing. Most people were busy shoveling snow and sheltering from the gusty winds instead of attempting to fish, and I don’t blame them. Low tides have also been a problem at boat ramps and marinas making to nearly impossible to get out on the Bay. Below freezing temperatures have also iced up most ponds, lakes, and smaller tidal creeks leaving very limited options for getting a line wet. The Pocomoke River still has open water if you are willing to brave the cold and it was fishing well before the snow moved in. Yellow perch, crappie, pickerel, largemouth bass, and catfish were all biting and should be available to catch through the winter as long as the ice doesn’t get too thick. If fishing in the cold isn’t your thing, take this time to organize and gear prep for spring.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, January 2 Update: 

Happy New Year folks! Let’s make the 2025 fishing season another great one. The wind has been whipping this week which has kept most boats off the Bay. There are still migratory striped bass to be caught out there, but the Virginia recreational harvest season ended at the turn of the year. Anglers looking to catch striped bass during January in any waters of the Chesapeake Bay will only be allowed to catch and release. Last weekend, Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters got out on the water to chase down the trophies that are roaming around in the Bay. He headed further north than his usual stomping grounds but reported that fish were active along ledges with birds leading the way. C.L. said the VooDoo Ghost from Freedom Baitsusa and Big Sexy Baits jigheads was the hot combo. The forecast is calling for more wind and cold weather, so fishing windows for getting out on the Bay may be limited moving forward.

Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the panfish action on the Pocomoke has been hot and other freshwater species such as largemouth bass and pickerel are also very active. Sea Hawk staff have been out on the river and report that crappie and yellow perch are abundant and willing to hit live minnows and small artificial jigs. Several trips this week produced stringers of fish that will make for some delicious dinners. Bass and pickerel have been a common bycatch while fishing for panfish, but you can also target them directly if you want a little more tug on the end of your line. Plug style baits such as jerkbaits retrieved slowly can work well to entice these larger predatory fish to bite. They will be hanging around fallen wood and any structure in deeper waters of the river.