BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
Flounder fishing along the seaside is being described as some of the best in years. It took a flatfish weighing at least 7 pounds to place in the top two of a recent tournament held out of Wachapreague.
Black drum are receiving a lot of the angling effort on the bayside, with the “big uglies” being landed over oyster bottoms and hills from Tangier Sound down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Red drum, striped bass, and speckled trout have invaded the bayside shallows in search of soft crabs.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, said that anglers targeting flounder on the seaside are reporting some of the best fishing in years. Sea Hawk Flounder Rigs, tipped with Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullets adorned with a large bull minnow or silverside, have been some of the most productive terminal tackle/bait combinations. The best action has occurred in depths of 2 to 15 feet, as long as the water is clear.
Jimmy Vasiliou, at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, described the surf fishing off Assateague Island as being “on fire,” with black drum, striped bass, and a few large red drum landed this week. Anglers fishing smaller baits and hooks have been rewarded with catches of kingfish (whiting).
On the upper Shore Chesapeake Bay side, black drum fishing has been good on the oyster rocks and hills of Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. Striped bass and red drum have been prowling the shallow grass beds in search of soft crabs.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, said Tanya Harding took first place overall and earned the Top Female Angler award in the 34th Annual Captain Zed’s Flounder Tournament with a 7-pound, 2.5-ounce doormat.
Asher Hines also doubled up on awards with a 7-pound flounder that was good for second place and the top Junior Angler award.
Third place went to Clyde Mellin for his 6-pound, 11-ounce catch.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, told me the tautog bite remains steady along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and over the Cabbage Patch. Chunks of blue crab or frozen green crabs have been the top baits for the togs.
The sheepshead bite is improving at the bridge-tunnel, with anglers using fiddler crabs for bait while targeting the sheepies.
Puppy drum have been hitting soft plastic baits, as well as cut bait such as mullet fished on the bottom around the Kiptopeke State Park pier. The pier has also been a hot spot for those seeking to catch blue crabs using chicken necks for bait and a drop net.
Large black drum have been hitting out of Oyster and along the shoals off the bridge-tunnel. The “big uglies” have been caught on sea clams, hard clams, and crab baits.
Large red drum are still providing action in the lower barrier island surf, especially around Smith Island, as well as on the flats. The reds have been hitting big paddletail baits, peelers, and hard crabs.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, described the lower Shore black drum fishery over the last week as “excellent.” Local anglers have reported encountering lots of drum on both the bayside and the seaside on flood tides, using clam and crab baits. Anglers fishing in the barrier island surf are seeing red drum and large striped bass, mixed in with black drum, while using cut crab as bait.
Anglers soaking sand fleas and crab are reporting good catches of tautog on the reefs off Cape Charles and down on the Cabbage Patch, with large sheepshead reported along the pilings of the bridge-tunnel.
Lower Shore flounder action was described as “scattered but improving” along the seaside inlets for anglers using squid and Berkley Gulp.
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.
