Tangier and Lower Shore Fishing Reports

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 17 Update: 

Fishing reports from anglers were slim this week, thanks to some nasty weather from a Nor’easter and some stiff winds from a late week cold front. The cooler weather has really put the feeling of fall in the air, which is also putting rockfish on many anglers’ minds. This is the magical time of year when the shallow water bite can be very good, but also when the open water bite starts to kick off with schools of fish feeding on menhaden exiting the tidal tributaries. Light tackle guide C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been trying to make the most of the poor weather conditions. His best luck has been with striped bass in the shallows, along with some bluefish in open water. The rough conditions and stirred up water in the shallows have made finding speckled trout more difficult. The trout should still be in the shallows over grass beds. Popular lures to throw this time of year to catch specks, rockfish, and red drum include popping corks with shrimp or paddletail trailers, topwater plugs, and shallow diving crankbaits.

FishTalk contributor Adam Greenberg gave us a report from last weekend. Adam said that he and a few friends tried for bull redfish in the shallows of the Eastern Shore marshes. Between five anglers, they were only able to land one fish while night fishing from shore. It was a big one though, measuring 45”. The fish was caught on a piece of peeler crab. The reefs along the Eastern Shore of Virginia still have a chance of holding some red drum, black drum, and sheepshead, but not for much longer, as cold temperatures will send them south. Anglers bottom fishing near reefs or wrecks should have a chance to catch some black sea bass. We have heard some reports of small sea bass near shallow water structure, so there may be some bigger ones lurking out deeper.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 10 Update: 

The shallows are heating up as the weather is cooling off. Now is the time to get in on the speckled trout action before the bite drops off later this fall. The specks are cruising in the shallows over grass beds, near marsh points, and at creeks mouths, foraging for bait. They are keying in on mullet, bunker, and shrimp, so make sure your lures mimic these types of bait. As the shrimp are moving into the eastern shore tributaries, anglers should consider throwing popping corks paired with shrimp soft plastics. This setup is very effective this time of year and will also work well for red drum and striped bass. Stripers have been abundant in the shallows near the mouths of rivers and creeks. The Manokin and Big Annemessex have been fishing particularly good. Anglers throwing topwater lures near marsh points have been doing well in low-light hours.

FishTalk contributor David Rudow checked in this week after catching a huge 48” red drum while kayak fishing on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. David said he spotted a few bulls feeding in less than three feet of water and was able to get one to bite while throwing a five-inch chartreuse colored Game On paddletail with a three-quarter-ounce jighead. Other reports of bull reds in the shallows have also come in from Maryland waters, but the bulk of the fish cruising the shallows seem to be in Virginia waters. The waters from Tangier Island down to Cape Charles have been productive in the evenings. The best tactic has been to use fresh spot, peeler crab, mullet, or croaker on fish finder rigs and toss them out over grass beds or ledges. The reef sites on the eastern side of the Bay have also been holding some bull reds and other bottom feeders. Sheepshead and black drum have been popular targets over the past few weeks. There are several artificial reef sites in Virginia waters that can offer great fishing opportunities. They are worth checking out while we still have a variety of species in the Bay. Many will start to leave our waters over the next month.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and Lower Shore Fishing Report, October 3 Update: 

FishTalk’s Zach Ditmars and Eric Packard gave us the scoop after fishing the Tangier during last weekend’s Tangier Classic tournament, and said there was lots of searching, many areas with little action, and a few hot spots that provided better bites. They caught about 15 bluefish, 20 or so (smallish) speckled trout, a “slew” of lizardfish, and a few black sea bass and spot. Packard said that over the course of two days they hit a lot of spots, including Jane’s, Hazard, Clump, and Cider Islands, with little to show for it, and caught the bulk of the fish near Deal Island and at the reef outside of Crisfield. Ditmars also caught a new PB toadfish. New PB! New PB! Other reports from the tournament were scattered across the board, but the resounding theme was that there was a disappointing lack of striped bass in the shallows. In years past, the stripers have almost been a nuisance when trying to catch specks and reds, but not this year.

As the temperature has been cooling off, a few more puppy drum have been showing up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The bite is best on the lower shore, but some fish have been caught near Saxis and the tributaries around the Maryland/Virginia line. Shrimp are also starting to show up in the tidal tributaries around the Tangier and Pocomoke region. They concentrate in areas with marsh shoreline and are a popular forage food for our inshore species. Try throwing a cast net on your next outing to see if any are in your area. If you stumble across some, they make for excellent bait, or you can keep them to eat for yourself. C.L. Marshall of Tangier Sound Charters has been enjoying an excellent bite for a variety of species on Virginia’s Eastern Shore over the past few weeks. One of his most recent trips produced bull red drum, sheepshead, speckled trout, tautog, black sea bass, black drum, and flounder. October is a great month to fish in the Chesapeake because when the weather cools off, the bite heats up.