BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post, Nov. 7, 2025
There has not been much change in the way of fishing or the weather over the last week.
Speckled trout and puppy drum catches remain below expectations.
There are a few small- to medium-sized striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, but the majority of the stripers remain to our north.
On the seaside, flounder remain available, particularly if the winds aren’t blowing.
Black sea bass are oriented on the ocean wrecks, and tilefish remain offshore for those that can find a day decent enough to venture out to the deep.
Chincoteague
Jimmy Vasiliou, at Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, said he had received good reports of large black sea bass being taken over the offshore wrecks.
Anglers fishing from the Assateague Island surf have landed some large bluefish. Recent surf fishing action has also included kingfish (whiting), spot, a few red drum, and sharks.
Vasiliou said that there were still some flounder being landed, with the biggest reported flatfish over the weekend coming in at just over 4 pounds. The Curtis Merritt Harbor has been one of the most popular areas for flounder.
Striped bass catches have come from around the bridge structures, while speckled trout catches have been made around some of the points of marsh. Catches of spot have come from inside Chincoteague Bay.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, said he was still picking up a few flounder when the weather cooperates.
He added that clear water conditions have been on the rare side with all of the recent windy conditions. When clear water can be found, the best flounder bite has occurred during the warmer water on the falling tide.
Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullets with live minnows or silversides continue to be the most popular and productive bait presentations.
Captain Paul had not received any reports regarding catches of puppy drum or speckled trout.
Most of the offshore fleet had remained in port through the first part of the week.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, told me that speckled trout and puppy drum have been caught on jig heads with soft plastics and Mirrolures. He specifically cited the pound nets off Kiptopeke as one of the most recent productive areas.
Nestor had also received reports of a few speckled trout catches in the shallows on the seaside.
Flounder catch reports are still coming in from the waters off Cape Charles and Kiptopeke, with the area around the Kiptopeke State Park pier being particularly productive.
Tautog are being caught around the pilings and submerged structure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and around the concrete ships. The best action has occurred on tog jigs baited with crab, especially frozen green crabs.
Jeb Brady, of Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, checked in while vacationing in a sunnier destination to let me know that a few puppy drum and speckled trout catches had been reported along the beaches on the bayside, but he described the action as “spotty, at best.”
Schoolie-sized striped bass action has improved during the evening hours, particularly around lit docks and piers.
He added that black sea bass action has been good over the ocean wrecks, with catches of some large bluefish coming from over the same structures.
Deep droppers have landed some large blueline tilefish while bottom fishing a little closer to the offshore canyons.
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.
