Sometimes you have to stop and think how lucky we are to have the opportunities given to persue our passion. As time and tide flow, more rod bending quarry swim into the prestine waters of the Eastern Shore. With the start to rock and sea bass seasons, many anglers are excited to indulge in what was previously, forbidden fruit. From the Chesapeake to the Atlantic, these waters are providing plenty of pullage for the southern shore.
The surf continues to roll in with rock, black and red drum. The bait of choice is a mix of peeler chucks and sand fleas offered on modified fishfinder rigs with 6/0-8/0 rock ready non-offset circle hooks. Keep in mind the slot for rock is pretty slim with a 28”-31” size limit. Along with these sizable surf trophies, some bluefish and kingfish are starting to appear, adding to the variety available on the ESVA sands.
The flounder action, while still strong, has gotten a bit slower… or actually smaller. Numbers of undersized fish increased this week in relation to keepers. No worries though, there are still plenty of doormats to decorate the dinner table. Pink and white teasers have been pretty productive when tipped with a silverside or big bull minnow. Both tides have been productive with the best action coming on the flats of the ESVA in clear water.
The middle Chesapeake has been hot with good catches of black drum on the oyster rocks of the Pocomoke sound and reds, rock and a few specs lurking on the the edges of the many grassy flats in search of a soft crab dinner. It’s legal to take rock now in the Chesapeake as-well as the Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds, but keep in mind the mandatory use of non-offset circles, 1 fish bag limit and 19”-24” slot size restriction. In addition to the big bayside brawlers, some nice blues have shown up and eagerly come to play. These aerial acrobats have eagerly pursued a variety of artificial baits including Rap-10’s and topwater spook style baits. My good buddy Capt CL Marshall had a client who kept his fly rod bent on bullish blues and the captain busy with what is probably the most underrated sport fish around.
The nearshore Atlantic was the seen of an onslaught of seabassers, as anglers took to the big blue to engage in excellent fishing that leads to exquisite cuisine. Anglers rigged up in search of their limit of 15 fish (not to be less than 13”) and came back to the dock smiling and craving delicious fillets that we have been waiting for all spring.
The CBBT has had some great sheepshead and black drum fishing around the pilings. The sheepshead bite is early and plentiful. Hopefully these striped crab eaters will make their way up the bay as the year progresses.
With all these options and so little time, make sure that you don’t miss the chance at a memory with your friends or family. We are truly blessed to have these opportunities and especially blessed to enjoy this wonderful place that we call home !!!!!
The surf continues to roll in with rock, black and red drum. The bait of choice is a mix of peeler chucks and sand fleas offered on modified fishfinder rigs with 6/0-8/0 rock ready non-offset circle hooks. Keep in mind the slot for rock is pretty slim with a 28”-31” size limit. Along with these sizable surf trophies, some bluefish and kingfish are starting to appear, adding to the variety available on the ESVA sands.
The flounder action, while still strong, has gotten a bit slower… or actually smaller. Numbers of undersized fish increased this week in relation to keepers. No worries though, there are still plenty of doormats to decorate the dinner table. Pink and white teasers have been pretty productive when tipped with a silverside or big bull minnow. Both tides have been productive with the best action coming on the flats of the ESVA in clear water.
The middle Chesapeake has been hot with good catches of black drum on the oyster rocks of the Pocomoke sound and reds, rock and a few specs lurking on the the edges of the many grassy flats in search of a soft crab dinner. It’s legal to take rock now in the Chesapeake as-well as the Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds, but keep in mind the mandatory use of non-offset circles, 1 fish bag limit and 19”-24” slot size restriction. In addition to the big bayside brawlers, some nice blues have shown up and eagerly come to play. These aerial acrobats have eagerly pursued a variety of artificial baits including Rap-10’s and topwater spook style baits. My good buddy Capt CL Marshall had a client who kept his fly rod bent on bullish blues and the captain busy with what is probably the most underrated sport fish around.
The nearshore Atlantic was the seen of an onslaught of seabassers, as anglers took to the big blue to engage in excellent fishing that leads to exquisite cuisine. Anglers rigged up in search of their limit of 15 fish (not to be less than 13”) and came back to the dock smiling and craving delicious fillets that we have been waiting for all spring.
The CBBT has had some great sheepshead and black drum fishing around the pilings. The sheepshead bite is early and plentiful. Hopefully these striped crab eaters will make their way up the bay as the year progresses.
With all these options and so little time, make sure that you don’t miss the chance at a memory with your friends or family. We are truly blessed to have these opportunities and especially blessed to enjoy this wonderful place that we call home !!!!!
Josh and the “ Just the Tip Surf Fishing Team” traveled south and did what they do best… Eastern Shore Style!
April showers bring May “FLOUNDERS”… or something like that. Some warm weather and more conducive conditions have led to a “BLOOM” of Eastern Shore fishing that is sure to bring smiles to fishermen, followed by forkfuls of flavorful fillets. It doesn’t matter if you are searching for a seaside trophy or are bursting for a bayside beast , all you have to do is cast a line for some “REEL” Eastern Shore action.
The flounder action is off the hook… or maybe on the hook would be a better use of words. The water temperature has crept up allowing for decent fishing on both tides. The most important environmental component for a successful seaside excursion is finding waters with low turbidity. Clean conditions are necessary to bring these sight feeding predators to the side of the boat. To aid in making baits more visible and tempting, rigs sporting jigs, teasers and spinners like the Sea Hawk flounder ring or Deadly Tackles “Deadly Double” help get your line tight. The rigs can be enhanced with strips of squid, or gulp swimming mullet curltails and tipped with silversides and big bull minnows. The best colors have been a mix of white, chartreuse and pink ( pink has been a little better for us) . Bites have been most concentrated in 2’ to 12’ depths in the seaside bays of the VA Barrier Islands from Wachapreague to Chincoteague. While there has been an abundance of short fish, there have been plenty of keepers with some trophy fish mixed in. Definitely some fantastic floundering fun.
The middle Chesapeake has kept a quick tempo thanks to the beating of huge black and red drum. The big blacks have engaged in battle with anglers on some of the many oyster rocks of the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds in depths of 12-25 feet of water. These bar-baled black bullies have taken chunks of peeler crabs deployed on 6/0-8/0 circle hooks with fish finders. The shallows have produced REEL good red bites on similar rigs with soft crab or peeler fished along the edges of grassy flats and stump beds. In addition to some trophy bronzed bulls, there has also been some catch and release rocking and the first of this years speckled trout in the same areas and on the same baits.
The southern bay has continued to offer good black and red drumming. Anglers have bottom fished the blacks in typical spring time stops like Latimer Shoals and the Cabbage Patch with clams. Elsewhere, reds have been battled to the boat around the shoals of Smith or Fisherman’s as well as the CBBT where shoals of big bronze bulls have been spotted.
The suds have been the scene of spots and stripes as a mix of reds, blacks and rock have been wrestled through the whitewater. Sandfleas and peelers have been the pull to attract these big beasts for a real test of pullage with surf anglers.
This week we give thanks to the Mothers who keep our families together and make it possible to enjoy our passions. Grab that special lady, hook up the boat and give her the best Mother’s Day present ever…Take her fishing. What else could our beautiful ladies possibly want to do to enjoy this wonderful place we call home! ***DISCLAIMER***. This fishing report is known to the state of the Eastern Shore to cause marital harm. Please use with CAUTION!
The flounder action is off the hook… or maybe on the hook would be a better use of words. The water temperature has crept up allowing for decent fishing on both tides. The most important environmental component for a successful seaside excursion is finding waters with low turbidity. Clean conditions are necessary to bring these sight feeding predators to the side of the boat. To aid in making baits more visible and tempting, rigs sporting jigs, teasers and spinners like the Sea Hawk flounder ring or Deadly Tackles “Deadly Double” help get your line tight. The rigs can be enhanced with strips of squid, or gulp swimming mullet curltails and tipped with silversides and big bull minnows. The best colors have been a mix of white, chartreuse and pink ( pink has been a little better for us) . Bites have been most concentrated in 2’ to 12’ depths in the seaside bays of the VA Barrier Islands from Wachapreague to Chincoteague. While there has been an abundance of short fish, there have been plenty of keepers with some trophy fish mixed in. Definitely some fantastic floundering fun.
The middle Chesapeake has kept a quick tempo thanks to the beating of huge black and red drum. The big blacks have engaged in battle with anglers on some of the many oyster rocks of the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds in depths of 12-25 feet of water. These bar-baled black bullies have taken chunks of peeler crabs deployed on 6/0-8/0 circle hooks with fish finders. The shallows have produced REEL good red bites on similar rigs with soft crab or peeler fished along the edges of grassy flats and stump beds. In addition to some trophy bronzed bulls, there has also been some catch and release rocking and the first of this years speckled trout in the same areas and on the same baits.
The southern bay has continued to offer good black and red drumming. Anglers have bottom fished the blacks in typical spring time stops like Latimer Shoals and the Cabbage Patch with clams. Elsewhere, reds have been battled to the boat around the shoals of Smith or Fisherman’s as well as the CBBT where shoals of big bronze bulls have been spotted.
The suds have been the scene of spots and stripes as a mix of reds, blacks and rock have been wrestled through the whitewater. Sandfleas and peelers have been the pull to attract these big beasts for a real test of pullage with surf anglers.
This week we give thanks to the Mothers who keep our families together and make it possible to enjoy our passions. Grab that special lady, hook up the boat and give her the best Mother’s Day present ever…Take her fishing. What else could our beautiful ladies possibly want to do to enjoy this wonderful place we call home! ***DISCLAIMER***. This fishing report is known to the state of the Eastern Shore to cause marital harm. Please use with CAUTION!
