Tactical Angler: Fishing Tactics

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

May 14, 2023
Late spring can be a tough time for jiggers, as many of the Chesapeake's striped bass are in small, highly mobile pods that haven’t yet joined up to form big schools. They’re often in open water,…
May 12, 2023
People were catching flounder long before jigging for them came into vogue, and old -school tactics still work like a charm on them in this day and age. Whether you enjoy fishing with bait or you…
April 24, 2023
Presented by SiriusXM Marine Just when will the waves of yellowfin tuna begin pushing through out Mid-Atlantic waters? No one can predict it for sure. Sometimes it happens early, sometimes it…
April 16, 2023
At some point this month the first big bull red drum of the season will show up. Expect them to make their initial appearance at the shoals at the mouth of the Bay and along the lower Eastern Shore…
March 27, 2023
For many anglers out there, flounder fishing means drifting around with weighted, baited rigs and relatively heavy gear. And to a light tackle aficionado that’s a darn shame — those flatfish have a…
March 21, 2023
With the April shut-down on catch-and-release striper fishing in Maryland’s Bay waters, March is now the only spring month for anglers to tangle with catch-and-release pre-season trophies. And, the…
March 21, 2023
It’s a serious feat to catch a muskellunge — they’re only in a few of the region’s waterways (such as the upper Potomac, James, and New Rivers), and they’re anything but easy to catch. March is an…
March 7, 2023
Whether you’re exploring a new area, trying to put as many pickerel in the boat as possible, or chasing trophies, it's hard to beat slow trolling live minnows. I’ve spent countless days floating…
February 15, 2023
As is true with most fish, it’s tough to predict what a chain pickerel will favor from one day to the next. That said, on a consistent basis these fish like lures with blades and inline spinners are…
February 13, 2023
Rainbow trout will bite no matter how cold it gets, and that includes when you have to drill holes in the ice to get to them. Will there be any more ice in our region before the spring warmup hits?…
January 16, 2023
Few fish are as different as rainbow trout and red drum, but if you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, you have a shot at both over the winter months. Here are two tactics that can help you get in on…
January 6, 2023
Some types of rigging can get complex and thus may seem a bit overwhelming at times, but you can catch just about every sporting species with some very simple, basic rigs - and when it comes to…
December 19, 2022
You’re winter fishing for yellow perch and you know live bait is usually most effective but you either can’t get any minnow, or just don’t like using bait? Catching yellow perch on lures gets tougher…
December 7, 2022
Back a long, long time ago when I was in my mid-20s, I began diligently keeping fishing records for everything from crappie to catfish, for about 17 years. That was an endeavor I thought I’d keep up…
November 25, 2022
You’re looking for a way to catch speckled sea trout when chilly weather has them acting lethargic and slow? Using artificials can get tricky, as there's a fine line between giving them enough action…
November 23, 2022
Who says humans aren’t a migratory species? Keep a close eye on the roadways, and you’ll notice a late fall/early winter migration taking place — a migration of DelMarVa anglers headed for the ramp…
November 18, 2022
Lots of tactics work when pickerel are the target, but one few people employ is plugging. That’s too bad, because there are times and places when casting or trolling a plug like a stickbait or a…
November 6, 2022
Every fall is different and it’s impossible to predict from one to the next where the hottest bite will be, but if you had to pick one location on the entire Chesapeake Bay as the most consistent…