BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
The speckled trout fishery continues to improve with the falling water temperatures.
One recently reported catch stands out above the others — Drake Greer, of Parksley, landed a 32-inch speckled trout, one of the largest speckles reported in several decades.
After measuring and a couple of photographs, the huge fish was tagged and released. Greer was fishing with Logan Godwin and his father, Wayne, when he made the memorable catch.
Upper Shore
Captain C.L. Marshall, of Tangier Sound Charters, reported that red drum measuring up to 50 inches have been caught and released over deep water structures in the Upper Pocomoke Sound.
Large bluefish, some weighing up to 10 pounds, and red drum have been hitting top water Rapalas.
The shallow waters around Bloodsworth Island have been producing catches of striped bass and red drum. Bottom fishermen using bloodworms for bait have found a mixed bag, including kingfish (whiting), croaker, and spot.
Marshall expects to see an increase in the number of gray trout over the shell piles and oyster rocks with the falling water temperatures.
Chincoteague
The Assateague Island surf continues to produce catches of red drum, with fish measuring from slot-sized puppies to one nice 52-inch trophy-sized red. The 52-inch fish was caught and released by Derrick Stains. Stains released another red measuring 34 inches on the same day. Gary Bianco registered a 48-inch red drum release.
Flounder catches have been reported from the town dock, the Curtis Merritt Marina, and inside Chincoteague Bay. Live minnows or silversides with Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet have been effective flounder baits.
Sheepshead catches have also come from inside Chincoteague Bay, and catches of small speckled trout and striped bass have been made in the back marshes. Recent offshore catches have included dolphin (mahi mahi), yellowfin tuna, and a nice-sized swordfish.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, said that the flounder fishing out of Wachapreague continues to be “fairly decent,” with the best action occurring during the flood tide through the first of the ebb. Most fish have been taken on Berkley Gulps with a live minnow or silverside.
Puppy drum have shown up in the creeks all the way out to the inlet, with limit catches coming from cut bait as well as from casting artificial lures.
Black sea bass are on the ocean wrecks. Captain Paul commented that we finally had a decent weekend for fishing offshore. The White Bite went three-for-five on white marlin while boating 14 dolphin (mahi mahi) in the Norfolk Canyon. The Heat Wave had two bluefin tuna at the lumpy bottom and the Teaser landed a limit of mahi mahi.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East —Eastern Shore, described the recent flounder action as “being on fire” at Wise Point, around the concrete ships, and in the waters off Kiptopeke. He recommended using jigs with Berkley Gulp Grub trailers and squid strips.
He said that the speckled trout bite continues to get “better and better,” with trout being caught off Kiptopeke as well as inside the bayside and seaside creeks. Paul Browns and Mirrolures have been effective trout lures.
The sheepshead bite continues on jigs baited with fiddler crabs or sand fleas at the concrete ships and around the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Tautog have begun to show up in the same areas as the sheepsheads, and their numbers will improve as the water temperatures fall. Chunks of crab fished on jigs or high/low rigs are effective setups for the togs.
Trophy-sized red drum catches are still coming from around the islands of the bridge-tunnel on peeler and hard crab baits.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that the lower bayside speckled trout fishery has been excellent over the last week. He added that anglers have reported a nice-sized class of fish, as the shop has weighed a half dozen or more fish weighing over five pounds in just the last 10 days.
He said the trout fishing should continue to improve with the cooling water temps and recommended using topwater and sinking Mirrolures or live baits when targeting the trophy specks.
Schools of puppy drum are still cruising the shallows along the lower bayside beaches and seaside marshes. Anglers are using light jigs with Berkley Gulps suspended under popping corks for targeting the puppies.
Anglers are still finding flounder along the bridge-tunnel, with catches of large sheepshead being reported along the bridge-tunnel as well. The lower bayside fishing piers are reporting catches of spot and ribbonfish.
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.
