BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
The Eastern Shore of Virginia was spared any lasting impacts from the remnants of Hurricane Debby, as the storm took a more westerly track.
Apart from a few missed days of fishing opportunities due to some wind and rain at the end of last week, productive angling action had returned by the weekend.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that the shallow waters of the upper Pocomoke Sound and Tangier Sound continue to provide puppy drum action.
Natural bait such as chunks of peeler and soft crab have recently outproduced artificial baits. However, popping corks with suspended light-weighted jig heads tipped with Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullets, Gulp Shrimp, or Gulp Paddletails are still putting fish into the net.
The best action is occurring during the last of the incoming tide at dusk and at daybreak.
Larger red drum are starting to hit out along the deeper channels. The fish have been hitting large pieces of cut bait fished along the bottom and occasionally have been found chasing bait along the surface, where they have hit large swimming grubs on heavy jig heads.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish have been hitting Clark Spoons pulled behind small planers and in-line sinkers.
Chincoteague
Jimmy Vasiliou, at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, told me that the flounder fishing inside the inlet has been “stronger” than it has been on the wrecks, which is unusual for this time of year.
Scattered catches of flounder have come from the waters of Queen Sound, Chincoteague Channel, and Assateague Channel.
Chincoteague Bay is holding a population of panfish, including croakers, pigfish, and kingfish (whiting). Kingfish catches are being made inside the Chincoteague Inlet.
A few large red drum continue to be caught and released in the Assateague surf. David Reedy released a 45-inch red and Steve Van released a 36-inch red, while Randy Downes beached a black drum over the weekend.
Surf anglers fishing big baits for drum are also hooking their share of larger sharks.
Recent offshore action has consisted of meager catches of dolphin (mahi mahi), tuna, and a few billfish releases.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, told me that the good flounder action was only temporarily affected by the wind and rain of late last week.
The flounder bite resumed over the weekend, with some anglers reporting limit catches. The last of the flood tide through the beginning of the ebb produced the best catches, with Gulp combined with live minnows or silversides proving the most effective bait combinations.
Black sea bass are still biting on the offshore ocean wrecks, while the offshore flounder remains slow.
Deep dropping for tilefish remains good, but the offshore blue water trolling action remains an overall disappointment.
Lower Shore
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, commented that the weather had played a role in angling action at the end of last week.
He said the bottom fishing for cobia improved in the waters off Cape Charles. Sight casting for cobia “remained decent,” according to Brady, with reports of 42- to 46-inch fish being found from Buoy 42 down to Latimore’s.
Spanish mackerel catches have been made by anglers trolling spoons in the deeper water depths.
Flounder fishing has been good when clear water can be found along the pilings of the Fishermen’s Inlet Bridge and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, as well as over some of the offshore wrecks.
Kingfish (whiting) are hitting small clam baits fished on the bottom around the concrete ships off Kiptopeke.
The lower bay piers have been seeing catches of ribbonfish and small croaker.
The writer was the first Eastern Shore resident to achieve Virginia Saltwater Master Angler status. He has been named Virginia Saltwater Angler of the Year and Virginia Saltwater Release Angler of the Year. He has won numerous Virginia Press Association awards for his columns.
