Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 6/29/2018:
Holding to similar patterns as in past weeks, the Sound has been full of fish, just not the size nor species of fish we can keep. Small stripers are abundant in grassy shallows and deep cuts, and are eager to take soft plastics like BKDs with a fast retrieve and lots of action. Although these fish haven’t been especially picky, because water clarity isn’t great in some areas matching the murkiness with a purple or green is a good move when you see discolored water. These colors have also been good for flounder, which are now being caught in fair numbers by anglers using a slower retrieve near bottom. Gulp! Jerk Shad on a one-ounce jig head are a top offering for the flounder, and we’re hoping for their numbers in the Sound to continue increasing.
What about the specks? While we're sure some were caught here or there we didn't get any confirmed reports this week, and overall expect the speckled trout fishery to continue to be somewhere between slow and poor. On the bright side, croaker are in the Sound and have been making their way into holes and cuts in the shallows, and are readily available to anglers dropping a chunk of soft crab or bloodworm. Bottom fishermen are also encountering better numbers of spot.
Crabbing in the Sound is as good as anywhere, which means it's do-able but still not what you'd call great.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 6/22/2018:
The Sound has been chock full of schoolie stripers, hanging around the shallows and cuts, but keeper fish haven’t been biting as reliably as they were earlier this year. Casting jigs has been a sure way to catch them, and the Tackle Box had a few anglers report that a slow retrieve near bottom landed a flounder(!) here and there as well. While high-grade stripers have been few and far between in the shallows recently, this has been made up for to some degree by a speckled trout bite here and there, which provides some edible action. Still, the speck bite is not exactly hot and small stripers are making up the vast majority of the fish being caught.
Cobia still haven't come into full play yet in this area — a few were reported in nearby Virginia waters this week, but there were no confirmed reports of them being caught in the Tangier. Croaker are also lagging a bit on this side of the Bay, however, bait anglers dropping bottom rigs are finding enough to keep them busy. On the bright side, crabbing in this neck of the woods has picked up a bit.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 6/15/2018:
The Sound has had enough schoolie striper action still going on that it’s not a bad idea to head out there for a day of casting jigs in the shallows. Specks have been few and far between but do grab a jig now and again for those putting in their time. G-Eye jigs continue to impress the tackle shops with how much they’re selling... maybe because they’re impressing the fish just as much. A quarter-ounce head with a four-inch tail is getting smacked by the small rockfish, especially around Hooper’s Island, though most are coming up shy on the keeper mark. White has been a top color choice all through the Bay recently, the Sound included. The Pocomoke has been heating up, too, and this is a great time to bust out an eight-weight fly rod, with clousers and chartreuse deceivers thrown into clear water with some sink tips doing the trick.
Cobia are now coming into play, and although we don’t yet have confirmation of one caught in the Sound they’ve been present throughout Virginia waters for well over a week now – smart money says some will be caught this weekend in this area. The same rules apply from the other sections of the bay: chum them up, let them slurp those live-lined eels or bunker chunks set on bottom, and a 10/0 circle hook will do the rest. Make sure they’re measuring 40 inches and you’ll have an awesome meal that night!
Editor’s note: Mollie Rudow is on break; this week’s reports were compiled by FishTalk intern Parker Martin.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 6/8/2018:
Some days have been difficult due to the recent weather, as water clarity gets shaky and fishable days get crossed out from storms. However, with cobia now in season anglers can start to target them. We don't have any confirmed from the Sound yet but they've arrived in very good numbers down south in Virginia waters, so it won't be long now. Many anglers have decided to target the flounder on the sea-side recently, and Seahawk has reported that silversides have been picking up some larger flounder, so be sure to use ‘em when searching for that doormat.
Croaker are now in the building, making bottom fishing an option once again. Dropping bloodworms and peeler crab on shell bottom is the best way to get 'em and while the bulk of the fish aren't very big, some larger ones are in the mix.
Light tackle action has been harder to come by the past few week, but those who have been jigging in 12 to 20 feet of water have come across stripers and the occasional speckled trout. Those lucky enough to get a few specks have mostly been in the Pocomoke Sound. Some stripers are also still holding in the shallows of the marsh islands, including plenty of keepers, but not in quite the same numbers as past weeks. Reds have been difficult to come by (no verified reports, this week).
Crabbers in the Sound are now catching, mostly up int he river mouths, but the action is still described as slow.
Editor’s note: Mollie Rudow is on break; this week’s reports were compiled by FishTalk intern Parker Martin.
Tangier Sound Fishing Report, 6/1/2018:
Anglers fishing the Sounds' tidal marshes and marsh islands haven't been disappointed this week, as speckled trout have finally moved into the area. They still aren't present in huge numbers but have become a regular bycatch for anglers targeting rockfish by casting topwater lures and bucktails in the shallows. Sea Hawk Sports Center reported that the area around Hooper Island has been a hotspot, and they also had a few reports of red drum coming from the area, as well.
Bottom fishermen now have enough croaker to target, but they're mostly small fish and aren't exactly present in overwhelming numbers. Fishing shell bottom with bloodworms is the best way to catch a few, and in the next few weeks the variety of fish available to bait anglers should expand.
Cobia are now officially in season, but haven't yet made a showing in these waters. Since they appeared in the Virginia portion of the Bay last week, however, we're thinking they should be coming to town in the next week or two.