Tactical Angler: Fishing Tactics

Fishing tactics and techniques used on the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and surrounding freshwater fishing areas are covered in depth.

July 4, 2024
Gray triggerfish are an interesting—and frustrating—target for anglers especially when hitting the inshore wrecks along the DelMarVa coast. Though they’re common throughout the Mid-Atlantic region…
June 28, 2024
For the past few years we've seen a terrific cobia bite in the lower and lower-middle Chesapeake Bay, as well as inshore along the DelMarVa coast. If you pay attention to our Way South Chesapeake…
June 28, 2024
One of the bright spots in Chesapeake Bay fishing in recent years has been the abundance of cobia. The season of 2021 wasn’t quite as hot as the blockbuster of 2020, but then 2022 and 2023 were…
June 23, 2024
Is the heat of summer giving you the blues, when it comes to jigging for stripered bass? Well, here’s some good news—it always feels cooler out on the water. So when sweat starts pouring down your…
June 23, 2024
Whether you go Chepaeake Bay fishing for striped bass up north near the Bay Bridge or down south out of Norfolk, Virginia, you’ve probably seen those monstrous ships anchored up, waiting to enter…
June 22, 2024
Acres of tuna are busting water all around us at Poormans Canyon, there are five boats trolling for yellowfin in the frenzy, and all of our baits are going unmolested. For half an hour we zig and zag…
June 7, 2024
Presented by Sirius XM Marine As early season yellowfin tuna cruise up the coast the next month is likely to be a good one. Or, maybe a great one. Of course, there’s no telling just how hot the…
May 10, 2024
A huge flurry of fishing reports of speckled sea trout has come in, and these fish are being caught in areas from the Elizabeth clear up to the Choptank. And while few anglers focus on speckled sea…
May 9, 2024
Those of you who read FishTalk on a regular basis may have noticed that I swapped out my old reliable 22 Glacier Bay for a new Caymas 26 HB last year, and along with it, shifted to a completely new…
April 27, 2024
It was Memorial Day weekend on the mouth of the Choptank River, and the fishing was unusually quiet. The water was so clear you could make out every little shell and pebble on the sandy bottom. I…
April 15, 2024
Snakeheads may like it hot, but if you choose the right spot and make the right moves April can be a great month for targeting them. These three spring snakehead fishing tips will help light a fire…
April 11, 2024
Presented by Sirius XM Marine When you’re going to spend an afternoon at the lake or a morning Chesapeake Bay fishing, naturally you want to catch fish. But when you’re heading offshore it means…
March 22, 2024
There’s an annual spring migration taking place this month in many of the Chesapeake’s tributaries which will trigger a different migration of sorts — one involving fishermen jumping into their cars…
March 17, 2024
For anglers in the southern areas of the Bay — or those willing to travel there — March has come to mean you can start chasing red drum. Will those massive schools of bulls have arrived yet? Probably…
February 21, 2024
Greetings FishTalkers, and welcome to our new section Ask an Expert where we kick things off by talking with Captain Tom Weaver, of Fish With Weaver, a renowned light tackle and fly fishing guide out…
December 13, 2023
It’s 45 degrees, you see striped bass down deep on the meter, and as you stand there shivering you’re wondering why the heck you can’t get a bite when the day before rockfish were thrashing on the…
December 7, 2023
No matter where you live in Chesapeake Country there are sure to be plenty of bridges nearby, and hopping from one to the next is a great way to find a solid bite — especially during the winter…
November 13, 2023
In the Chesapeake’s waters, black sea bass can be both a blessing and a curse. We love to see ‘em, but most of the time they’re bait-stealing juvenile delinquents, pecking away at your offerings…