FISHING CHINCOTEAGUE & ASSATEAGUE
The waters of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands offer anglers a large variety of fish for anglers of all ages, from the novice to the expert.
APRIL
The spring flounder run begins and is in full swing by months end. April and May are the best months to fish flounder - bring extra clothing, the weather is still nippy! Popular tackle for the coveted flatfish is a top and bottom rig with either a chartreuse or pink bucktail topping a #2 English bait hook, preferably gold. Live minnows and a strip of white squid will put a doormat in your cooler. A nice run of trout, (weakfish), starts this month and continues randomly throughout the year. A jig head with a white or chartreuse bucktail and a peeler crab. preferably, or fake bait, slowly reeling in will give you a nice fight and a tasty trout for dinner. Striped bass, or Rockfish, can also be had at the bridges or any structures where there is deep water and a rocky bottom. Cut bait works great (bunker or mullet) and a treble hook (Crippled Herring is a killer lure for rock).
MAY
Inshore flounder and trout action continues with the addition of snapper bluefish. As the water temperature rises, offshore action kicks off with the greatly anticipated arrival of " Mako" shark. Make sure you have your act together to land a "Mako"! The right bait and tackle are essential. Bunker or mackerel chum puts a nice oily slick in the water; many anglers prefer the oil content of bunker to mackerel. Although a live bluefish in the chum slick will quickly get the attention of a Mako, a Spanish Mackerel fillet in the slick will "Bring 'em on"! The wrecks are loading anglers with good catches of sea bass and tautog.
JUNE
As the channel waters warm, flounder will have to fight for their meals now with the arrival of croaker. These aggressive fish, also known as "hardheads", will bite anything, but squid on your hook will attract them like a magnet. Offshore shark action is really hopping. As June comes to an end, blue fin and yellow fin tuna show up, as well as dolphin, (mahi-mahi). Water temperatures should be in the 68 to 70 degree range.
JULY - AUGUST
In the channel - croaker rules. Good size, (16" - 20") hardheads are a fisherman's dream. Anglers of all ages flock to enjoy the thrill of landing two fish per cast, every cast!!! Offshore - its hot! Hot with Tuna, Tuna, Tuna... The most popular fishing ground in the Atlantic from Delaware to Virginia Beach is directly off Chincoteague! Hot spots like the "Parking Lot" or the "Lumpy Bottom" tease anglers to drive all night to Chincoteague so they can fish all day. Early in the season, trolling is the preferred method for fishing tuna, but this quickly changes to chunking. Butterfish has been the bait, but this year, a new approach, chunking with sardines ( a flat not a can) has proven to make a 20 - 30 pound difference in the weight of the catch!!! The oil in the slick from the sardines really does attract the tuna, however, you still hook up with the butters. Try it - you won't believe it!!! Also, offshore, you'll find some nice size Dolphin and Wahoo.
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER
With the exit of croaker, flounder action steams up for the fall. Striper and trout also make a showing as the waters cool down. Offshore, the Yellow fin tuna are keeping anglers on the move, most having to go to the "Finger", 20 Fathoms or the Canyons. But the catches are good, 8 to 24 Yellow fin, depending on the number of anglers.
NOVEMBER - JANUARY
Inshore action is limited to striped bass. Offshore - the wrecks and Winter
Quarter Shoal still provide anglers with Sea bass and Tautog.
ADVISORY TO ALL ANGLERS
All anglers should familiarize themselves with the fishing regulations for the area they intend to fish. For your convenience, we have provided a link to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission below to assist you.