Anglers are having great success in the bay, with big sheepshead being a primary target. There was even an 18-pounder caught recently, with many others over 10 pounds. Popular baits for sheepshead include fiddler crabs, blue crab, clam, and sand fleas.
Cobia are also being caught, but remember the new 43-inch minimum size limit and the daily limit of two per vessel or one per angler. While weather has been challenging, the forecast looks promising. Anglers are employing various techniques for cobia, including sight casting, chumming while anchored, or using live bait with side planers and floats. Live fish like croaker and spot are excellent bait choices for larger species.
Red drum and Flounder
Redfish are active, with some anglers finding schools on the surface and others targeting them on the bottom using crab, fish, and clams. Evenings have been particularly good for large red drum.
For flounder, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) structures are producing fish, but more consistent catches are coming from offshore wreck fishing, where anglers are also catching good numbers of black sea bass…