Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 10/26/2018 Update:
Open waters in the area have been getting tricky, with many fish moving out, especially the mackerel. However, there are stragglers and there are certainly a few early risers plus good schools of those striped fishes. Trolling small spoons in gold and silver have been taking their pickings at schoolie stripers (with an occasional keeper) and the remaining bluefish in the area. The deeper you can get the better, with channel edges being the best spots to work on.
For light tackle anglers, shifting your attention shallow is a good move. The striper bite has been on a switch up recently due to cold weather. Casting jigs and topwater action in shallow water has been a theme all over the Chesapeake region and it’s happening in the Sound, too, with this week eliciting lots of strikers from angry fish. Skinny water is holding the biggest fish, ironically, so don’t be shy to get below five feet.
Bottom fishermen may be able to get in a few last licks, but we didn’t hear any reports from that sector this week and spot have been departing throughout the region, so that part of the action may well have wound down for the season. We also didn’t get any crabbing reports, though last week it remained very strong and we’d be surprised if trot-liners couldn’t fill a basket or two.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 10/19/2018 Update:
Trolling smaller lures and spoons have been working really well when it comes to picking at some remaining Spanish mackerel and bluefish, mixed in with the schoolie stripers. Red and green hoses are popular, gold and silver spoons, and chartreuse paddle-tails never hurt - unless you get into a number of blues, in which case they will soon be paddle-less tails. In open water it’s mostly been a game of working edges and looking for birds.
On the light tackle side of things, larger jigs and topwater lures are fantastic options when chasing down flocks of feeding birds. At times, however, it will be necessary to toss spoons or hard-baits, or you'll just be feeding those snapper blues your plastic. Remember to throw your lures towards the sides of the schools in order to reach the larger fish in the pod, otherwise you’ll be stuck with schoolies. For those more interested in working the shallows with light gear, the striper bite at the marsh islands has been getting better and better as the water cools and this trend should continue. Most of the fish have been small with some making it into the mid-20s, and by the end of the month we’d hope to see some 30-plus fish getting caught. Anglers have been encountering a few specks in the shallows, too, but very few keepers and mostly while tossing undersized lures. One reader report indicated they were chewing on a four-inch white Bass Assassin Turbo Shad with a white body and a lime green paddle tail.
Something that the Tangier has on the other spots of the Maryland portion of the Bay right now is the presence of some nice sized croaker hanging around (also in the Pocomoke), mostly near structure of all kinds. They’ve been in around 15 feet of water; try dropping some bloodworms or squid bits their way to get a reaction.
In other news to cap it off, the crabbing has been exceptional. Those looking to bring a bushel back with them should take the time to set a trotline or a dozen pull traps in less than 15 feet of water. Fresh alewives or bunker are good and chicken necks work just fine too, but razor clams will probably offer you the best results.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 10/11/2018 Update:
Light tackle anglers continue to enjoy an improving bite in the shallows, though it's still not up to par for specks, which have been increasing slightly in numbers but not in size with the vast majority very small and almost all under 14 inches. Stripers, on the other hand, are getting larger along the marsh islands as the water cools and topwater in low-light conditions is producing lots of throw-backs but good numbers of keeper fish as well. Reds have been basically non-existent recently.
The bluefish and Spanish mackerel are hanging out together, as well as being caught in the same spots out in open water. Trolling hoses and silver spoons are doing quite well at the moment. Try using purple and blue hoses near schools of bait marked by birds; planers have been a popular and effective choice for those not wanting to utilize light tackle tactics. We've been saying this for weeks now, but it's true: get out there fast if you want mackerel, because these fish won't stick around long after a cold front or two pushes through and sends the temperatures dropping.
Crabbing in the Sound remains excellent.
Fishing picked up in the Sound in the past week, as evidenced by some nice catches in the CCA Red Trout catch and release tournament last weekend. Congratulations go out to Thunder Road (captained by Shawn Kimbro) for winning the powerboat division with a 24 inch blue, a 26 inch rock, and a 14 inch speck for a 64 inch total; Doug Greiner for winning the kayak division with a 47 inch red, a 24 inch blue, and a 20.5 inch rock (91.78 inchs in total); and Mike Dunlap for taking the fly division with a 12 inch blue, a 20 inch striper, and a 14 inch speck (46 inches and change). The results of the tournament were reflective of other reports from the area, which have been indicating a good influx of speckled trout in the shallows with the cooling water temperatures, but unfortunately, a very small average size. The vast majority of the specks we heard about from the Sound this past week were in the 10 to 12 inch range. Stripers, meanwhile, are picking up some of the slack in the shallows with 20-something fish (but many more throw-backs) hitting topwater, jigs, and crankbaits.
Out in open water there are still Spanish mackerel mixed in with snapper blues and a few rock. Trollers are doing best, pulling a mix of silver and gold spoons along with some hoses. These fish won’t stick around for long, though, as a few chilly nights are all it takes to send the Spanish mackerel heading south.
Crabbing remains strong, for trot-liners working in five to 10 feet. On the deep side was a bit better the past week.
-By Parker Martin