Article by Capt. Matt Abell
School is not far off for the folks of the lower Eastern Shore, but till then we will focus our efforts on a different kind of “school“. We will have to cram for an exam on ichthyology and hope to win a battle of tug of war that would make any PE teacher feel proud!
You know the best part of a song who’s lyrics remind us of summer? It’s not the vocals or even the guitar riff…. It’s the Drum solo at the end that really gets my heart beating. The lower bay is the scene of a yearly gathering of spawning red drum. And when we talk about redfish we aren’t talking about the small scrappy spot tails who inhabit the shallows of the region, but the bullish channel bass that reign supreme as the dominant trophy of the Chesapeake. The areas from Watts Island south to Cape Charles seem to provide the majority of the relentless red action. However, the Tangier targets and the area around Marylands 72 buoy also hold rutting reds. The fish seem to be drawn to man made structures like the reef sites on the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake as well as the 15 to 30 foot sloughs and shoals that outline the bayside shoreline. Cut spot, kingfish or hard head presented on a 8/0 circle hook with a fishfinder have been all that is necessary to engage in a grueling battle with a golden trophy.
The seaside has continued a pretty good late season flounder bite during the last of the flood tide. Clean water is definitely the most important ingredient for a delicious flounder dinner. While the inshore action has been pretty good, the near shore areas of the Atlantic have been even a little bit better. Anglers jigging 2-3 oz bucktails tipped with Gulp or cut bait over structure have helped fill the cooler with fantastic fillets.
The offshore waters have been fairly productive as blue water boats troll bally’s for tuna, mahi and marlin. Along with the pelagic prey, sea bass has become a little more active and added a bonus bycatch to an offshore excursion.
The shallows of the Chesapeake have still been fairly quiet but soon will be the focus of our fall pursuits. Till then, spanish mackerels have kept our rods limber as we troll the channel edges for dinner and smiles. Clarkspoons, Drones and Spanky’s spoons towed behind #1 planers have lured these toothy torpedos over the washboard.
This past week I had the opportunity to take two young men and their grandpa out to take part of our awesome red drum fishery. The oldest boy Nathan yielded to his younger brother Dan so that he could catch his first big red. Dan did a great job (with a little help from grandpa) and boated a 49” beast. Not long after that, Nathan was engaged in a battle with a golden prize that unfortunately ended with an unexpected release. So we stayed a little late because I really wanted my little buddy to boat a memory. After a couple of magnum sharks to get our adrenaline pumping, grandpa suggested that it was time to head back. As I then slowly started to clean up, stow the rods and hope for a last minute miracle, the last rod out bent double with a screaming drag. My buddy Nathan had another chance! Soon high fives were being given and pictures were taken, but my favorite part was a hug from my little buddy as he thanked me for staying a little longer. Experiences like this, that we all sometimes take for granted, are the very reason why we are so blessed to live in this wonderful place we call home! §
