Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, August 26 Update:
The areas of Tangier and the ESVA have been very hit or miss recently for some species. Some boats are having great success and others are striking out. It seems that quite a bit of luck has been involved. Cobia fishing has been disappointing to say the least with most boats going home empty handed after targeting them. The Frederick Saltwater Anglers Club tournament was fished over the weekend out of Crisfield. Out of three days of fishing from a dozen boats, no keeper cobia were caught. Many anglers have switched over to trolling 18-inch tube hoses to cover more ground in search of the big man in the brown suit. Other species are proving to be more cooperative. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the late summer red drum run has been giving anglers action in the areas East of Watts Island down to The Cell reef site. They recommend looking for depths of 15 to 30 feet around natural structure like hills and sloughs. The best rigs to use are fish finders or sinker slides positioned above a 8/0 octopus circle hook rigged on 80# leader tipped with a generous chunk of spot, hardhead, or kingfish.
The shallows have been best for rockfish and speckled trout at first and last light. Structure like rock jetties, grass beds, and wrecks with moving current have been holding the most fish. Captain Harry Nield of Kingfish II let us know that the speck bite is improving each day in the lower Pocomoke sound and black drum are getting back together on structure. He also confirms excellent red drum fishing during the afternoons and evenings in the sounds. A reader checked in from near Smith Island to report catching a few rockfish on a five-inch paddletail with the biggest being 27”. They also let us know that water temperatures near the island were in the low 80’s. Mackerel and bluefish are still around in good numbers. We have confirmed reports of some bigger blues up to three and a half pounds. One reader even said that the blues were hitting his 18-inch hoses while he was trolling for cobia. Mackerel have been seen rocketing out of the water on calmer days and many fish have been in the low 20-inch range. Reports came in of breaking fish around Smith and Tangier Islands, but the schools were moving fast and casting to them was tough. Throwing the trolling rods over with small Clark spoons has allowed boats to stay on the schools more consistently. Trolling around six knots will catch more bluefish while picking your speed up between seven to nine knots will produce more macks.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, August 19 Update:
The Tangier and surrounding areas are teeming with life this time of year and there’s no shortage of fish to be caught. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that tarpon have made their annual appearance at the lower barrier islands. While many fish have been observed rolling on the flats, bites have been hard to come by. The speckled trout bite has picked up slightly in bayside creeks along the Eastern Shore. Anglers are reporting that topwater baits worked at first light and Yo-Zuri suspending baits are getting the most action. The fish have been most prevalent in patchy grass beds with sand potholes in two to five feet of water with deeper water nearby. Find clean water and bait in these areas and you are sure to locate some fish willing to bite. The sounds have had some very good red drum fishing lately. Captain C. L. of Tangier Sound Charters has been boating slot and over slot fish on most trips. The drum have been hitting cut bait along channel edges and over oyster beds. The rockfish bite along tidal rips has remained consistent with many fish in the mid 20’s hanging in these areas.
The Spanish mackerel and bluefish bite has taken the spotlight for the best and most consistent fishing. A larger class of fish has started to show up with reports of Spanish up to 30”. Briskly trolled Clark spoons have brought many of these toothy fish into the boat. There have also been some bycatches of ribbonfish that have added excitement to anglers’ days on the water.
The cobia reports have remained consistent this week. There are fish to be caught, but it may take some searching around to find them. Sight casting with live eels has continued to be the most effective method, though it's worth noting that trolling with 18-inch tube hoses in pink, purple, or tan can produce hook ups. Now through September is when some of the largest fish seem to be weighed in so get out there before the season closes on September 15th. Fishing the lower Eastern Shore can be some of the most frustrating yet rewarding areas to fish in the Bay. Opportunities are endless, so be ready, as the bite can turn on at any moment.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, August 12 Update:
Note: Maryland waters are reopened for stripers, but Virginia waters remain closed until October 4th. Please remember to handle these fish with care when releasing them as hot temps and low oxygen are putting them under high stress!
If you are looking for an abundance of fish and a variety of different species, the Tangier Sound is the place to be. This past week’s reports showed fishing is about on par for this time of year, though the warming water temperature has slowed some of the bites. Red drum and speckled trout are currently the talk of the Sounds. The intense heat recently has these fish feeding early in the mornings and hanging slightly deeper. Clean water, structure, and high moving tides have been the combination leading to the most success for those targeting specks. Throwing topwater spooks early and paddle/shadtails later in the day are solid choices for these fish. The drum bite has been good for those bottom fishing with cut bunker. Tangier Sound Charters had multiple trips this past week with up to half a dozen drum coming into the boat. A nice surprise of midsummer black drum has been confirmed by Sea Hawk Sports Center. If you have the patience, drop down a chunk of crab over shelly bottom to target these fish.
Those choosing to bottom fish have had success bringing kingfish, spot, and croaker over the gunwales. The croaker have been on the smaller side generally, but there have been some reports of hardheads big enough to throw on the fillet table being caught. The action hasn’t been hot and heavy but throw on some bloodworms or fish bites on a bottom rig and you are sure to run into some bottom dwellers willing to bite. Shell bottoms or oyster reefs is where these fish will be hanging around, so anchor up or drift over these areas for your best chance at putting fish in the cooler.
Cobia have been scattered along humps and ledges off the western side of the Sound islands. We haven’t seen the numbers of cobia that we did in years past but hopefully there will be a push of fish before the season closes on September 15th. Sight casting live eels is still the best strategy for targeting the fish that are around.
Editor's Note: We have some sad news coming out of Smith Island from last week. On Thursday, August 4th, a waterspout turned EF-1 tornado capsized many boats and caused structural damage to many homes. Since the island is only accessible by boat or helicopter, recovery efforts have been complicated. If you have the means to do so, please consider donating to the GoFundMe set up to help the residents and business owners. The link can be found here.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, August 5 Update:
We have a new Fishing Reports editor, folks! FishTalk welcomes Dillon Waters to the team, an angler who has sent in reader photos in the past that have made us thoroughly jealous — stripers, specks, and reds that any of us would be thrilled to catch. Dillon says:
“I’m a lifelong resident of Maryland. What an awesome state for fishing, right? I’m an avid outdoorsman and my main hobbies include fishing, hunting, and photography. If I have any free time, you will either find me on the water or in the woods! I graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2021 with a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies and currently have a full-time position with the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service working as a wildlife response technician. My favorite freshwater fish to catch is crappie (St. Mary's Lake has been very reliable) and my favorite saltwater fish to catch are speckled trout (the Tangier Sound is a beautiful place to target them). One of my other big interests is baseball — go O's! I look forward to being able to provide detailed and accurate reports to FishTalk’s readers moving forward.”
Welcome aboard, Dillon!
Maryland waters are reopened for stripers, but Virginia waters remain closed until October 4th. Please remember to handle these fish with care when releasing them as hot temps and low oxygen are putting them under high stress!
If you are looking to target speckled trout, the thick grasses of the Tangier Sound and ESVA islands have seen an increase in activity recently. Throwing topwater “walking the dog” lures in the early mornings up shallow has been tempting fish into the net. Other effective baits have been paddle-tails, MirrOLures, and popping corks with an artificial shrimp or shad bait 18” to 24” below the cork. Other effective baits have been paddle-tails. Bottom fishing has been providing steady action with a mix of kingfish, croaker, and large eater sized spot hitting the coolers. Bloodworms and crab baits are working best to catch these bottom dwelling fish.
We checked in with Sea Hawk Sports Center and they report that cobia numbers in the area are holding steady, but we have still yet to see the large push of fish we got earlier in previous years. Sight casting near the humps off Smith and Tangier Islands has been the best strategy for anglers targeting the brown brawlers. Those choosing to bait fish for cobia are having some luck with live eels and dropping down cut bait while chunking. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel have been at the mouth of the Sounds and with increasing numbers. The Tackle Box reports anglers targeting them have had increasingly good results trolling size 0 Clark spoons in silver, pink, green, and gold patterns. Trailing these behind number-one and number-two should put some meat in the boat! We are also hearing of some slot sized red drum moving into the shallows of the Sounds. As we move later into summer, their numbers should continue to increase.