BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
Small red drum, known locally as puppy drum, and speckled trout continue to provide the bulk of the catches in the shallow waters on both sides of the Eastern Shore. Look for increasing numbers of small rockfish (striped bass) during the next couple of weeks as the water temperatures fall.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that red drum catches continue on both the Chesapeake Bay and in the seaside shallows.
He recommends using a Berkley Gulp Shrimp or Gulp Swimming Mullet rigged on a light weighted jig head under a 4-Horseman Cork in the grassy shallows for the puppy drum. He added that the best puppy drum action has been occurring around the highest parts of the tide as well as at sunrise and sunset.
Small speckled trout, with a few trophy-sized trout and nice-sized rockfish, have been a bycatch of the shallow water puppy drum fishery.
Chincoteague
Pete Vasiliou, at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, told me that the local flounder fishing continues to be “great,” with lots of fish being caught along the shore and in the shallow waters along the sea walls.
He added that there has been a consistent speckled trout and red drum bite inside the creeks. Tautog and sheepshead catches have come from around the local piers and bridges. When the winds subside, red drum, kingfish (whiting), and spot catches are being made in the surf of Assateague Island, added Vasiliou.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, said the flounder bite out of Wachapreague has slowed over the last week. The best action continues to occur during the flood tide for anglers using Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet with large live minnows or silversides.
Slot-sized puppy drum have been providing action near the inlet and inside the local seaside bays. Both casting Gulp and fishing cut bait on the bottom have been effective techniques on the pups, and action has been occurring during both the flood and ebb tides.
Black sea bass are still taking up residence on the ocean wrecks and are available when the weather permits. Captain Paul had not heard of any recent offshore blue water action.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, described the flounder fishing off Kiptopeke and around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel as “steady” for anglers jigging with Gulp 5-inch Grubs tipped with strip baits.
The tautog bite along the concrete ships and the bridge-tunnel is improving. Chunks of crab have been the most productive bait.
Speckled trout, both small and large, have been hitting Mirrolures and paddletails on jig heads inside both lower seaside and bayside creeks.
Puppy drum continue to be caught in the same areas as the speckled trout. Gulp Shrimp fished under popping corks or fresh bait such as cut mullet or shrimp fished on the bottom have all been successful methods at putting puppies in the boat.
Small striped bass, aka rockfish, have also been caught in the creeks on Mirrolures and topwater baits.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that the speckled trout fishing over the weekend was “decent,” with trout enthusiasts reporting a nice class of 22- to 26-inch fish. Trout were being caught along the bayside beaches and creeks by anglers casting topwater lures, Mirrolures, and live bait.
Puppy drum catches are still being made along the bayside beaches and in the seaside marshes on soft plastics fished under popping corks.
The sheepshead bite along the bridge-tunnel pilings has been good when the winds have allowed access. Cut crab has been the top bait for the sheepies.
A nice class of flounder has also been reported along the bridge-tunnel for anglers using Gulp with cut bait, added Brady.
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.