Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 10 Update:

Cooling water temperatures are triggering our gamefish species to feed more aggressively. Baitfish are beginning to exit the tidal tributaries, and fish are looking to ambush them in both the shallows and in open water. Readers report that the bluefish bite keeps going strong near the Target Ship, with the big blues smashing topwater lures. Trolled hoses are also a good bet, and one angler who stayed out late reported catching specks after the sun went down. Late evening topwater has also been productive for bluefish near the Target Ship. Contributor Eric Packard also reported specks in the area this week, pulling up a nice one near Point Lookout, along with a redfish just under the 30” mark, a flounder, and a pair of bluefish. Gulp! Jerk Shad and Bass Assassins in white, pink, and Electric Chicken got the fish biting. Another reader fishing near Smith Point reported catching a gag grouper and a nice red drum.

There were reports of bull reds being caught in the Potomac River this week. A few of the reports came from surprisingly far up the river, just south of the 301 Bridge. Both trolling and light tackle jigging were tactics mentioned that resulted in bites from the big reds. There have also been a fair number of rockfish in the section of the river from the 301 Bridge down to Coltons Point. The Tackle Box reports that trollers are having luck on the steep channel edges. Schools of bluefish have also been abundant in the lower Potomac River, near Point No Point, and south into Virginia waters. The tidal tributaries in Virginia have been very productive for speckled trout, red drum, and rockfish this month. The cooling water temperatures have really increased the speck action in the Rappahannock, Corrotoman, and Piankatank. However, the changing weather has been a hindrance at times and we did hear from a couple of readers who put in their time in the Piankatank and Mobjack with just a handful of specks and a flounder to show for their efforts. Soft plastic paddletails are working well, but some of the bigger specks have been caught on topwater lures over shallow grass beds. Bridges and reef sites have been producing some sheepshead and black drum as well. Crab baits, including peelers, fiddler crabs, green crabs, or even sand fleas, can work well to catch these fish.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 3 Update:

October is here, and many anglers know it as “Rocktober”, though it is a far cry from what it once was. The striper bite is picking up, and we can expect that trend to continue throughout the month. Anglers fishing on the Potomac River are reporting a good bite for striped bass on the ledges and lumps spanning from the 301 Bridge down to St. Georges Island. The Tackle Box reports that the stone piles around Ragged Point have been productive for light tackle anglers. Boats trolling umbrella rigs and sassy shads behind inline sinkers are doing well near Swan Point. They also mentioned Point No Point lighthouse as an area where some schools of stripers have been hanging around. A kayak angler fishing in a tidal creek just off the Potomac River reported that there is a good mix of species willing to hit small jigs in the shallows. In recent trips, he has encountered small flounder, kingfish, lizardfish, small black drum, perch, and stripers. We will see the diversity of species start to decline as water temperatures continue their downward trend with cooler air temperatures moving in.

Contributor Eric Packard says the bluefish in the vicinity of the Target Ship continue chomping. At times, finding fish on the meter, then casting sinking lures, including bucktails and one-ounce jigs with white paddletails has been working. At others, casting topwater and Rapala X-Raps has drawn blow-ups, even when breaking fish haven’t been visible. He mentioned that the fish were running between 24” and 27” and on one active afternoon early this week, they caught around 50. The Tackle Box reports that the stone piles around Ragged Point have been productive for light tackle anglers. Boats trolling umbrella rigs and sassy shads behind inline sinkers are doing well near Swan Point. They also mentioned Point No Point lighthouse as an area where some schools of stripers have been hanging around. The bluefish are also running on the main stem of the Bay in Virginia waters. The larger class of fish are being caught along ledges and lumps, while the smaller fish have moved into the tidal rivers. The speckled trout bite is also heating up in the Virginia tidal rivers. An angler fishing on the Rappahannock this week reported an excellent trip where he caught several dozen specks up to 23”. Another angler fishing shoreline docks reported catching a few keeper specks and some under slot puppy drum while throwing Z-Man Diezel Minnowz this week. As water temperatures cool into the low 70s and upper 60s, speckled trout get very active.