January

Most fishermen and women are not thinking about fishing this time of year. For those hardy types, there is still some pretty good action available. There are still a few large stripers around. If the weather is nice, tautog fishing can be good this time of year. There are a few very large bluefin headed South off the coast. In freshwater, the bass and crappie should be cooperative. Its a great time to clean, lube and possibly restring your reels and organize your tackle.

February

The larger freshwater bass will become more active and cooperative. It is also a great time to catch some nice crappie. The tautog bite should be getting better. Yellow perch and crappie should be heating up on the Pocomoke and it’s tributaries.

March

This is really the month where fishing starts to kick off. Largemouth bass are feeding up after a long winter. Crappie fishing is about as good as it gets. The long awaited first flounder of the year will usually be caught on the seaside towards the end of the month. This usually happens when you get a low tide on a sunny day in the afternoon. Try the creeks and drains next to a larger flat where the water has had all day to warm up before draining off of the flats. Tautog fishing is still available.

April

This month starts off about flounder on the seaside. The first black drum will usually be caught this month. Some scattered larger stripers and red drum will also show up. The drum and stripers will be caught in the surf and in the inlets of the seaside. The first speckled trout and red drum will normally show up on the bayside on the grass flats. Largemouth bass usually spawn starting the middle of this month and into early May.

May

Both red and black drum will be available in the inlets of the seaside. They will also show up in the Chesapeake Bay. Large stripers will also be available in the seaside inlets and the surf. Bluefish and kingfish show up in the surf. Smaller stripers and some decent speckled trout should be available on the grass flats of the bayside. Offshore fishing this time of year is all about weather windows and water temps. If you can get decent weather and some warmer water eddies in the canyons, then the tuna should be there. Spadefish usually start to show on the bayside toward the middle to end of May.

June

The cobia normally show up in the bay by now. The black drum have mostly tapered off. Bluefin and large bluefish start to show up on the offshore hills. Yellowfin and Bigeye become more consistent as well as dolphin (mahi) further offshore. Shark fishing is usually good on the seaside this month. Bottom fishing in the bay will bring the possibility of spot, croaker, kingfish and a few other species.

July

Spanish mackerel will show up in the bay this month. The cobia are still front and center for most of the fishing crowd. As we get towards the middle to end of the month, the red drum will start being caught in the normal deeper water spots of the bay. Big flounder can sometimes be had on the deep water channel edges of the bay. Offshore, marlin start to show up. 

August

Red drum fishing in the deeper water haunts of the bay are targeted by a lot of fishermen this month. Spanish mackerel are still plentiful. Flounder on the offshore structure of the ocean is sometimes pretty good this month.

September

September is a great month to fish. Everything that we can catch around this area is usually available. The Spanish mackerel should be leaving the bay. The speckled trout fishing is about as good as it will get. The cobia are starting to make their way toward the mouth of the bay. There are still red drum to be caught in the bay and also starting in the ocean surf. The school size stripers are starting to do their thing. Seaside flounder fishing is starting to pick back up after the summer blahs. Offshore fishing is usually great this month for all species.

October

This month the bay striper season kicks off. Please read the current regulations before retaining any fish. Stripers are schooling in the bay and there are many around the edges of the banks as well. Speckled trout are still around. The surf will have a few big stripers toward the end of the month and also the last of the red drum the first few weeks of the month. Offshore is still good if you can get a weather window to fish. Surf fishing for smaller fish like blues and kingfish is usually pretty good this time of year.

November

Striper season is in full swing by now. Birds are working on schools of fish in the deeper water of the bay. Some larger fish have shown up if you can find them in deeper water. As the water cools, the fish will get larger. Some fish will also be available in the surf of the seaside. Flounder will be back in their Spring haunts before the cooler water pushes them offshore.

December

This month is usually about striper fishing. Large fish are caught by trolling and also fishing live eels. The largest fish are typically caught by the live eel fisherman.