BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
The new minimum legal length for flounder is now 17.5 inches. The change became effective on June 1. Speaking of flounder, Susie Perkins earned first place in the 9th Annual Wachapreague Shore Girls Flounder Tournament with a 21 3/8-inch flounder.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that the waters of Pocomoke and Tangier sounds continue to provide action with catches of black drum. The “big uglies” have been caught while using peeler crab baits on fishfinder rigs with 8/0 circle hooks over oyster rocks in 12- to 25-foot water depths. Captain Abell added that there have recently been some large red drum frequenting the same locations as the black drum.
The bayside shallows are seeing improving numbers of speckled trout and striped bass, with the fish hitting peeler crab baits, artificials fished under popping corks, and surface baits.
There are lots of small bait stealers in the shallows, including spot, pinhead croakers, and whiting. Schools of bluefish are making periodic appearances over shallow water structures in the bay, and anglers are advised to keep a spare spinning rod outfitted with a surface plug or Rap-10 to cast to the blues when they show up.
On the seaside, some periods of calm weather have allowed anglers to take advantage of the black sea bass bite on the inshore and offshore wrecks. The sea bass bite has been productive, with many large knotheads mixed in among the limit catches.
Inside the inlets, flounder fishing has been productive. Jimmy Vasiliou, of Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, singled out Assateague Channel and Chincoteague Bay as two recent productive areas.
Since the minimum size limit for flounder changed to 17.5-inches, limit catches will be even more difficult. The best flounder action has been occurring during the last of the flood tide through the early stages of the ebb tide. Silversides on pink teasers have been recent productive bait combinations.
Red drum, striped bass, bluefish, and kingfish (whiting) catches have come from the northern barrier island surf, while spot and kingfish are being caught in Chincoteague Inlet.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, told me that the flounder fishing out of Wachapreague remains “very good,” with the tidal stage not as important as just finding clear water conditions. Berkley Gulp with live minnows or silversides have been the best flounder-catching bait combinations.
Black drum action in the surf is apparently over for the season. The ocean wrecks are producing good catches of black sea bass, with no reports of flounder on the wrecks or any offshore trolling action.
Katrina Neal, tournament director of the 9th Annual Wachapreague Shore Girls Flounder Tournament, reported that last weekend’s event attracted 52 lady anglers aboard 24 vessels. Susie Perkins earned first place with a 21 3/8-inch flounder, followed by Donna Hunt in second place with a 21 1/8-inch fish, and finishing in third place was Joyce Steepe with a 20 7/16-inch flounder.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, reported that the lower Shore flounder bite continues to stay “strong” along Wise Point and slowly expanding down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Nestor recommended targeting the flatfish with live minnows and squid strips up around the Point, while using 2-ounce jigs and 5- to 6-inch grubs tipped with strip baits in the stronger currents along the bridge-tunnel.
The sheepshead bite is improving around the bridge pilings and over submerged structure. The sheepies have been attacking 1.5-ounce sheepshead jigs tipped with a fiddler crab.
Cobia numbers are increasing along the lower bay shoals for anglers chumming with ground bunker and soaking cut bunker baits on the bottom. Croakers and spot can be easily caught using top and bottom rigs with small hooks baited with pieces of Fish Bites.
Reports of puppy drum, flounder, and lots of blue crabs are coming from the Kiptopeke State Park pier.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that flounder action in the Ditch and along the bridge-tunnel pilings remained “solid,” with fish measuring up to 23 inches being landed on cut bait and Berkley Gulp.
Large red drum are being caught and released during the evening hours in the shallows along Fisherman Island on hard crab baits.
The sheepshead fishery along the bridge-tunnel pilings remains productive using crab for bait.
Kingfish (whiting) are hitting small clam baits off the concrete ships and over the Cabbage Patch. Anglers fishing off the lower bayside piers are seeing catches of mostly small croakers and spot.
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.
