Lower Bay Fishing Reports

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 12 Update:

It is a great time of year to head out on the Chesapeake Bay to target a variety of species. The Tackle Box reports that there are schools of bluefish and some mackerel out along the shipping channel. The most reliable zone for bluefish has been concentrated around the Target Ship. They also mentioned that they have been breaking with some consistency in the evening. Their recent reports from anglers have shown several double-digit fish, and one up to 17 pounds, measuring 37 inches. The average size of these fish is the three-to-five-pound range. Trolling has been the most effective with spoons and umbrellas. Some boats are even trolling “spoonbrellas” which look like a traditional umbrella rig for rockfish, but instead of sassy shads, they have spoons. Mackerel have been harder to come by, but there are some showing up in the mix with the blues. If you want to target them, the general rule of thumb is to troll between six and nine knots. Other Lower Bay trolling hotspots include Smith Point and Windmill Point.

Cobia reports have been slim lately, and the season will come to a close after September 20th. Boats trolling for blues and macks have spotted some cobia cruising up top just under the surface of the water. Sight casting is still a viable option, but many anglers transition to trolling for cobia with large 12-to-18-inch tubes this late in the season. The bull red reports have tapered off, but the tidal rivers in Virginia waters are producing some slot drum right now. We had reports from the Rappahannock and the Piankatank of slot reds biting in the shallows near docks. The speckled trout also seemed to get a bit more active in the shallow grass beds this week. Rockfish reports from the Potomac River were good this week. There has been a good bite around the 301 Bridge with anglers catching fish on ledges from Dahlgren up to Nanjemoy. In the small tidal creeks on the lower Potomac, anglers are catching white perch, schoolie stripers, small black drum, small flounder, kingfish, a few little puppy drum, and even some pufferfish. Small jigs and jerkbaits are working well to catch a smattering of species.

Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 5 Update:

September has arrived and just like that, we have fall fishing to look forward to. Contributor Eric Packard reports some slow bites in the PLO zone recently, with quality fish getting tougher to find at times. That said, he did catch a smattering of interesting creatures, including sea bass and puffer fish. Late this week, Packard fished with a friend on the Potomac River north of the 301 Bridge. Packard reports that the striped bass bite was good. The hot bait was shallow diving jerkbaits, and they caught over 30 fish, including several slot fish. A few white perch were in the mix too. There are several rock piles and other bottom structures scattered throughout the Potomac River where striped bass will be holding nearby. The section of the river from the 301 Bridge down to St. George’s Island has been a good zone to fish this year for stripers. The bite should continue to get better as the weather cools off, and fall is usually the best time to fish for stripers on the river. On the main stem of the Bay, trollers are catching Spanish mackerel and bluefish near the Target Ship and other historically productive areas such as Smith and Windmill Point.

Down on the Rappahannock, anglers are reporting a better bite for puppy drum around the mouth of the river. We had reports from two different kayak anglers who found slot reds fishing near marshy shorelines. There are a few marsh islands near the mouth of the river that are great places to search for puppy drum this time of year. Paddletails, spinners, and paddletails paired with an underspin are excellent artificial lures to keep in your arsenal. The speckled trout bite has not been great in the Lower Bay recently. We can hope that it improves with the cooler weather beginning to settle in as summer draws to a close. Grass beds in the shallows will still be one of the best locations to find speckled trout. Areas with grass beds and deep water nearby are good transition zones to target as well. In the shallows, small flounder are being caught, but there have been some reports of keeper sized fish as far north as Point Lookout. If anyone used to go out for flounder when there was a healthy population, it may be worth going to check some old spots.