Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 31 Update: 

We sure could use a break from the summer heat, and we might be getting that as we are looking at a cooler start to the weekend. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that fishing on the Bay has been on the quieter side lately as the heat has cranked up water temperatures. The highlight has been schools of bluefish and some red drum in the main stem, though it has not been all that easy to locate them. Guides and recreational anglers have needed to cover a lot of water to find feeding fish on recent trips, and they have popped up anywhere from the Target Ship down to Tangier Island. The reds have been much more difficult to find and weekend boat traffic doesn’t help. Anglers have had better luck during weekdays when there are fewer boats on the water. The shoals and channel ledges have been the zone to search, but it often requires covering many miles before finding gold.

Striped bass season is now open again as of August 1st for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia waters will remain catch and release until fall, and there seem to be fish in the shallows around marsh shorelines in both jurisdictions. The puppy drum that we enjoyed catching last year have not shown up yet, but hopefully, as we go through August, we will see their return. Speckled trout have been providing some early morning action in the shallows, but the bite has been limited to the first few hours of the morning. Light tackle guide C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has enjoyed some beautiful specks hitting topwater baits this week. His recent trips have consisted of fishing the shallow grasses early with topwater baits where specks and rockfish are biting, then transitioning to deeper water to target bluefish. The bluefish action was hot and heavy this week, and he had several anglers slinging jigs and topwater lures to fish holding to isolated structure and open water feeding frenzies.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 25 Update: 

Striped bass are still off limits in Maryland waters until August 1st, but they can still be targeted in Virginia waters, though only for catch and release. The summer heat has limited bite windows in the shallows throughout the Tangier and Pocomoke Sound, but low light hours have been productive. Anglers getting on the water before sunrise have the best results for striped bass and speckled trout over grass flats and near creek mouths. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been enjoying some quality speckled trout fishing in the early morning hours. After fishing the shallows, C.L. and his anglers have been switching gears to target bluefish around wrecks and shoals in the open waters of the Bay. Topwater plugs and shallow diving cranks work well for the blues and often hold up better than soft plastics.

Schools of bull reds are cruising around the open Bay waters off Smith and Tangier Island. Light tackle guides have the best success by covering lots of water, often over 100 miles each day. Main channel ledges and shoals have been productive, but a good fish finder with side scan is essential for locating them. Boats searching for reds are finding schools of breaking fish on most days. These blitzes are a ton of fun for light tackle anglers that often lead to screaming drags and aerial acrobatics. The Tackle Box reports that Lower Bay blues have been averaging two to six pounds, but there has also been a smattering of the huge ocean-going bluefish in excess of 15 pounds and 35 inches in the mix at times. A heavy leader of at least 40 pounds will be needed when tangling with the bigger blues to limit the number of break offs. Anglers bottom fishing in the lower Eastern Shore tidal rivers are catching spot, croaker, some white perch, kingfish, small sea bass, and even some pufferfish. Bottom fishing can be a relaxing way to enjoy catching a variety of different species.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 18 Update: 

The striped bass closure is now in effect for all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Anglers will not be allowed to target striped bass until August 1st in Maryland, but Virginia waters are still open for catch and release fishing. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters reports that he and his anglers have been enjoying an excellent topwater bite on most fishable days. The hot bait has been a Lonely Angler topwater, which has been very effective for catching big, speckled trout and slot stripers on top. Working the grass flats and islands early in the morning usually produces some fish. Once the sun gets up, C.L. has found great action with the bluefish in open water. He found some big schools of breaking fish this week, which are a blast on light tackle. When the sun gets up, speckled trout will often retreat to slightly deeper areas with grass in the five-to-10-foot range. While they might not be as willing to hit lures in the heat of the day, soaking peeler crabs is a good way to get lethargic fish to bite.

There are several wreck sites in the Bay near Smith and Tangier Island that can offer some great fishing opportunities this time of year. The shallow water bite usually dies off right after sunrise, and many fish are seeking cooler waters at deeper depths. These wrecks in 10 to 30 feet of water offer the perfect structure for speckled trout, striped bass, bluefish, red drum, cobia, and even sheepshead this time of year. The bluefish have been abundant near the wrecks and are often willing to hit topwater lures or shallow diving cranks. Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that the open waters have also seen increasing action for bull red drum. They have heard of a few days recently where waters have erupted with bull reds in open water, but it takes a lot of luck to run into a frenzy of bull reds. Breaking bluefish are more common, and there are often big reds close by. Sidescan and livescope are essential tools to have with your electronics while searching for the bull reds.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 11 Update: 

Cobia have been a popular target for anglers now that we are entering the middle of summer. The man in the big brown suit has been spotted well north of the Maryland line by now, but higher numbers of fish will still be found from the Maryland line south towards Cape Charles. The Target Ship, the shoals off Smith and Tangier Island, Watts Island, and Silver Beach are all popular locations for cobia anglers. Chunking pieces of cut bunker, live lining eels, and sight fishing on calm days are all reliable methods. A reader fishing near the Target Ship reported that there are plenty of bluefish around. They boxed close to 20 blues, mostly around the 18” to 20” range. Trolling small surgical hoses did the trick in depths of 15’ to 30’. They also mentioned that there were some charter boats in the area also catching bluefish, and they saw one cobia come over the rails. The bluefish have also been abundant at the various reef and wreck sites that can be found throughout the Tangier and lower Eastern Shore region. They often respond well to surface plugs and Rapala X-Raps.

Sea Hawk Sports Center reports that they had two reports of large tarpon taking cut cobia baits this week. One report ended in an unintentional release, and the other ended with a boatside memory that will be talked about for many years. Tarpon visit the Chesapeake Bay each year, though their numbers are low and they rarely venture further north than Virginia waters. The location of these fish is often regarded as top-secret information. Sea Hawk also mentioned that the water temperatures in the Tangier and Pocomoke Sound are heating up and have taken a toll on fishing. Bite windows have been condensed to early mornings and late evenings where speckled trout and rockfish are still cruising around the grass flats and shoreline points. Surface plugs and poppers have been working very well in the early morning hours, especially before sunrise. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters reports that the “Lonely Angler” topwater lures have been very productive as of late. He has seen an uptick in the speckled trout bite and is finding a few on most trips. Rockfish are still providing the bulk of the action in the shallows though.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, July 4 Update: 

It is that time of year when cobia and bull reds have become a popular target for anglers in this region of the Bay. The bulls are beginning to school in deeper water and cobia are migrating up the Bay for the summer. FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg went searching the lower Eastern Shore shallows for bull reds last weekend but came up short. He soaked peeler crab for around five hours without any bites in an area that had been productive earlier this year. He mentioned that there was no moon and a very strong incoming tide, which is not ideal conditions for that area. As water temperatures rise into the mid to upper 80’s in the shallows, the bull reds usually school up and head for deeper water. Cobia anglers have found fish on the surface from the Eastern Shore of Virginia shoals up to the Target Ship. Chunking cut bait or live lining eels near lumps and shoals has been effective, though there have been a lot of rays and the occasional shark to deal with. Calm, sunny days offer good opportunities for boats with towers to sight fish cobia cruising just under the surface, so keep an eye out for the man in the big brown suit.

A reader hitting the shallows of the Pocomoke reported that the water temperature had hit 93 degrees and the fish had abandoned ship in those areas. Farther down the shore at Kiptopeke, however, he found a good flounder bite and caught fish up to 21.5”. Captain C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been enjoying a good early morning topwater bite for rockfish in the shallows of the Tangier and Pocomoke. The first two hours of light were most productive, with the bite slowing down once the sun gets up. C.L. says a lot of the rockfish are slot size with some unders and overs in the mix. His anglers have also caught some good-sized speckled trout on topwater lures and wakebaits. Water temperatures in the mid to upper 80s will often push fish into deeper waters once the sun gets up, so don’t be afraid to fish grassy areas in five to 10 feet and deeper wrecks or reefs in 10 to 20 feet of water.