BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
If recent reports are any indication, it appears that the shift from the warm-water to the colder-water-tolerant fish species has begun. While a few speckled trout and puppy drum remain in the shallow waters of Pocomoke Sound, most northern Shore anglers are eagerly awaiting the appearance of rockfish schools migrating down from the northern portion of the Chesapeake Bay.
The southern portions of the Shore should continue to enjoy the presence of speckled trout and puppy drum for at least a few more weeks, although some anglers are already starting to target tautog under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, around the concrete ships, and over the inshore wrecks. Black sea bass are being targeted over the deeper ocean wrecks. Expect to see the arrival of the first oceanic striped bass inside the mouth of the lower bay during the first couple weeks of December.
Upper Shore
Captain CL Marshall, of Tangier Sound Charters, was celebrating the fact that water temperatures have started to fall, hopefully resulting in an influx of striped bass from the more northern portions of the bay. Marshall said that the bulk of the striper reports are coming from up behind Blackwater, in Fishing Bay, and off Hooper Island, all in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay.
He said that the rockfish that have already made it south into the Pocomoke Sound are still far up inside the creeks, where the water is brackish in composition. He has recently enjoyed success casting and slow trolling bull minnow-colored swim baits along the deeper creek bends and at the mouths of small feeder creeks during the outgoing tide. He plans to start targeting striped bass in 4- to 8-foot depths, especially over structured bottom, in the upcoming week.
Chincoteague
Striped bass catches have come from some of the connecting bridges, with the best action coming during the ebb tide, late in the day and into the evening. Large white Storm lures have been effective on the stripers.
Offshore, schools of bluefin tuna have been popping up in the ocean waters, showing up as close to the beach as Blackfish Banks and as far out as the Jackspot. Most of the tuna have been taken on Islander Lures rigged with large ballyhoo and trolled a long distance behind the boat.
Just a word of caution: Bluefin tuna are a federally managed species with strict regulations regarding size limitations, seasons, and quotas, as well as a required permitting process to target and possess, all of which are strictly enforced.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, confided that there was not a whole lot of recent angling activity to report, both due to the recent windy conditions and to the shift of a lot of outdoorsmen from fishing to rail hunting during the high tides generated from the recent “Beaver Moon.” Captain Paul is still running charters for flounder and puppy drum.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, reported that speckled trout and puppy drum remain in the lower bay creeks, as well as off the beaches around the north and south pound nets. Most of the anglers who are targeting the trout and drum are casting soft plastics and Mirrolures.
Tautog are being caught along the pilings and rocks of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and along the concrete ships off Kiptopeke. Chunks of frozen green crabs and blue crabs are the tog’s bait of choice. Tyler said that the flounder fishery off Kiptopeke is still producing for anglers drifting live minnow baits. Black sea bass are hitting jigs and cut squid on the ocean wrecks in depths of 75 to 135 feet.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, described the lower Shore puppy drum fishing as “excellent” on both sides of the peninsula. He said that anglers fishing on the bayside have enjoyed success inside the creeks and along the shorelines while fishing Berkley Gulp soft baits under popping corks.
The puppy drum on the seaside have been found along the marshes. Brady said that a lot of the drum have been undersized, but there are reports of keepers in the 20- to 24-inch slot size.
Schoolie-sized stripers are hitting minnow-mimicking swim baits at night under the pier lights. When the weather allows, tautog fishing along the bridge-tunnel was described as “decent,” with chunks of crab being the top bait offering.
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.
