BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
With high winds dominating the weather pattern from last Wednesday through last Saturday, angling opportunities were virtually unavailable until the last part of the weekend entering into the Thanksgiving holiday.
The good news is that the puppy drum action on the seaside returned as soon as the winds subsided. The recent cool weather has also pushed a body of migrating striped bass into the southern waters of Tangier Sound and the northern portion of Pocomoke Sound. Look for an uptick in the striped bass action occurring with every degree drop in the local water temperatures.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that schools of “quality”-sized rockfish have finally arrived inside Tangier Sound, with fish attacking baits near submerged shallow water structures. His clients have enjoyed rockfish success using suspending slash baits, with the Rap-10 specifically cited. Captain Abell recommends a fast, slashing retrieve over the structure, followed by a pause. Most of his fish have been in the 19- to 24-inch range.
A recent trip on the Pocomoke River produced catches of chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill sunfish, blue catfish, and crappie. All of these species fell prey to 2-inch twister tails tipped with small live minnows cast and trolled along the shallows during a falling tide.
Chincoteague
Results of last weekend’s surf fishing tournament, based at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, included: first place — Frank Hornig with an 8-pound, 7-ounce puppy drum; second place — Chris Holler with a 7-pound, 10-ounce puppy drum; and third place — Jody Baldwin with a 7-pound, 10-ounce puppy drum.
The offshore wrecks are producing good numbers of black sea bass, with some fish in the 4- to 5-pound range. Bluefin tuna action is still occurring from just north of Chincoteague up to Ocean City, Md.
Wachapreague
With the arrival of the Thanksgiving holiday, most of the local outdoorsmen’s interests have shifted from angling to waterfowl hunting.
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, told me that there is still a good population of black sea bass on most of the offshore wrecks if you can find a day when the wind does not howl.
Lower Shore
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that the puppy drum action was excellent on both sides of the lower Shore prior to the four straight days of high winds. Large schools of drum, many containing lots of smaller fish, had been hitting soft plastics.
Small schoolie-sized striped bass have been hitting Berkley Gulps inside the lower bayside creeks as well as under the pier lights at night. Brady said the tautog bite around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel remains decent, weather permitting, for anglers fishing chunks of crab.
Thanksgiving marks the traditional end of our series of fishing reports for the year. However, this does not mean that local angling opportunities are ending.
Tautog and black sea bass will remain available over and around submerged structures in the lower Chesapeake Bay as well as on the ocean wrecks.
The population of migrating striped bass has just started to make its appearance in Virginia waters as the fish migrate south inside the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean coastal waters following schools of migrating menhaden, bay anchovies, and silversides. This fishery will only improve through the rest of the calendar year, with most of the biggest fish typically landed and released during the month of January.
Special thanks to all of the individuals and businesses who have contributed to our little fishing report, allowing us to bring you the most current, comprehensive, and accurate fishing information possible. This includes the Sea Hawk Sports Center, Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, Captain Lindsay Paul aboard the Almost Persuaded, Tangier Sound Charters, Oceans East — Eastern Shore, and Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle.
From all of us here, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and wish you peace, happiness, and bent rods during the upcoming holiday season. Til next year, tight lines!
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.
