BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
The late summer red drum catch- and-release fishery has started along the channel edges of the Chesapeake Bay.
Trophy-sized reds are being caught late in the afternoons and well into the evening hours from Pocomoke Sound down to the waters surrounding the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
If tugging on a 40- to 50-inch fish doesn’t appeal to you, their smaller family members are available in the bayside shallows and will eagerly inhale a chunk of peeler or soft crab or chase down an artificial plastic fished under a popping cork.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that red drum have taken center stage on the Chesapeake Bay. Smaller puppy drum, many of which are in the legal slot limit, are being caught in the shallows over beds of eel grass among the many marshy tumps and creek mouths.
Most of the puppies have been hooked in depths of less than two feet, especially during the incoming tide. Small jig heads rigged with Berkley Gulp curly tails or paddletails and fished under a properly-worked popping cork remain the go-to setup.
Large trophy-sized red drum have started to feed along the channel edges, with the areas from the mouth of Occohannock Creek south providing the most consistent action. Most of the fish are being caught in the late afternoon through sundown on pieces of cut bait fished in 20- to 35-foot depths.
Bycatches include a variety of sharks and large rays, plus the bonus of an occasional cobia.
Chincoteague
Flounder action is still being described as “good for the late summer.” The best action is still occurring during the flood tide, particularly during the latter portion. Drifting two-hook bottom rigs with Berkley Gulp Swimming Minnows in white, pink, or chartreuse and tipped with a live minnow or silverside in clear water have been the most productive bait presentations.
Spot and kingfish (whiting) catches are being made inside the inlet. Lane Lindey took home first place in Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle Youth Croaker Tournament with a fish weighing 309 grams (11 ounces). Croaker catches have been numerous, but the fish remain on the small side.
The offshore wrecks have produced a mixed catch of tautog, spadefish, triggerfish, and flounder, according to Jimmy Vasiliou at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle.
Blue water fishing remains slow, partially due to rough seas generated by a recent offshore weather system. When boats have been able to venture out, dolphin (mahi mahi) have been landed by both trolling along weed lines and around lobster trap balls, as well as casting or chunking around any type of flotsam, such as sea bass pot markers.
Billfish action and tuna catches remain on the slow side. Elaine Stitcher, of Captain’s Cove, released a white marlin while participating in the Poor Girls Open offshore tournament based in Ocean City, Md.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, said that the flounder bite remains good, with lots of undersized fish to cull through. But there are enough larger fish to make it worthwhile. The best action has been occurring in the waters inside the inlet on the tidal changes, with Berkley Gulp with live minnows or silversides.
Croakers are in the same areas; however, they remain small in size. Black sea bass catches are coming from the ocean wrecks, with tilefish being caught by anglers deep dropping. The offshore trolling bite remains slow, with a few catches of dolphin (mahi mahi) and an occasional billfish release.
Lower Shore
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that the flounder fishing along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the Fisherman Inlet Bridge has been good over the last week, with anglers reporting catches of fish in the 19 to 22-inch range on Berkley Gulp and cut bait.
He added that the offshore flounder fishing around the ocean wrecks has been productive as well. Spanish mackerel are being caught from Cape Charles down to Kiptopeke by anglers trolling small spoons. Sight casting action has recently outproduced bottom fishing for cobia.
Late afternoon/evening red drum action is starting to occur along the channel edge that runs from Buoy #42 down to Buoy #36 for anglers fishing chunks of fresh bait on fishfinder rigs.
Puppy drum catches have come from the bayside creek shallows as well as on the seaside, out of Oyster. Sand mullet (whiting) and croakers are being caught around the concrete ships off Kiptopeke. Catches from the lower bay piers have consisted of small croakers and spot.
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.
