Episodes

  • Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Cobia, Drum, and Sheepshead on Fire This Summer Weekend

    Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Cobia, Drum, and Sheepshead on Fire This Summer Weekend
    Jul 6 2025
    You’re tuned in to Artificial Lure’s Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report for Sunday, July 6, 2025. Summer’s in full swing and the bite is on fire from the mouth of the Bay all the way up its tributaries.

    Today’s weather at the Bay Bridge Tunnel saw partly cloudy skies with gentle winds around 17 mph and comfortable temps, hovering in the mid-60s. Water temp’s holding steady at 63°F, making for prime conditions. Sunrise was at 5:52AM, sunset at 8:26PM, giving us loads of daylight to wet a line. Tides today rolled in with an early morning low at 2:28AM, high at 7:17AM, another low at 2:05PM, and the evening high rolling through at 8:35PM.

    Now to the fish—let’s talk action. Cobia are stealing the spotlight this week. They’re thick inside the Bay, moving into their spawning phase. Anglers are hooking up using sight-casting with bucktails, live eels, and croaker. If you’re chumming, keep your lines ready—along with cobia, you might tangle with some sharks or skates. Anchoring and soaking live baits like croaker, eel, or even crab is paying off.

    Red Drum are running strong, especially the big ones. Look for schools near structure—bridges, wrecks, reefs—and don’t be surprised to find them blitzing on the surface. Have a bucktail or large topwater plug at the ready. Puppy drum are prowling the shallows near docks, piers, and grass beds, alongside speckled trout. Topwaters, 4-inch swim baits, and popping corks with scented baits are the go-to choices.

    Sheepshead have been on fire—word is, an 18-pound 2-ounce fish was checked in over the Fourth of July weekend, according to Virginia Saltwater Fishing. Fish hard structure like rocks, rubble, and pilings using crabs, clams, or sand fleas. These same zones hold black drum as well.

    Spanish mackerel anglers are doing great both inside the Bay and along the oceanfront, trolling Drone and Clark spoons at around 6 knots. If bluefish show up thick, just bump up your speed a notch. Speaking of blues, pier anglers are catching plenty—along with croaker, sea mullet, and the occasional flounder.

    Now, flounder have been hit or miss, but the bridge tunnels and ocean structures are still your best bet. Spadefish catches are down compared to years past, but the Chesapeake Light Tower is still worth a visit, especially if you’re looking for variety.

    Hot spots you don’t wanna sleep on: Lynnhaven Inlet and the Elizabeth River for drum and trout action, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel—always a classic for cobia, sheepshead, and flounder. If you’re up for a cruise, Mobjack Bay and the Piankatank River are producing steady numbers of puppy drum and speckled trout.

    To recap your tackle bag for this week: Bucktails and eels for cobia, crabs and sand fleas for sheepshead and black drum, bucktails, swim baits, and big topwater plugs for red drum, popping cork rigs for specks, and spoons for Spanish mackerel. Don’t forget your in-line weights for those trolling setups.

    Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide or a hot bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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    3 mins
  • Chesapeake Bay Bounty: Sheepshead, Reds, and More on the Summer Bite

    Chesapeake Bay Bounty: Sheepshead, Reds, and More on the Summer Bite
    Jun 22 2025
    Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, fishing report for Sunday, June 22, 2025.

    Sunrise kicked off at 5:45 AM and anglers got nearly fifteen hours on the water, with sunset wrapping things up at 8:27 PM. Today’s tidal action was lively: we saw high tides at 5:55 AM and 6:28 PM, with low water at 11:48 AM. The tidal coefficient rose from 70 to 75, meaning currents were strong and there was plenty of water movement to stir up the bite along the bottom and around structure, especially with the moon waning and daytime highs in the low 80s with a stiff bay breeze coming out of the south.

    This week the fish have been on the chew and the lower Bay, especially around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT), is the place to be. Sheepshead are hitting their stride on the CBBT pilings—kayak and jet ski anglers reported catches up to seven quality fish per trip using frozen fiddler crabs, while some who fished closer to the Virginia side limited out with live fiddlers on bottom sweeper jigs. Tautog also made a decent showing on bridge structure, with the occasional black drum and red drum mixed in, especially along other Virginia Beach bridges and inlets, according to FishTalk Magazine.

    The big news is that schools of bull reds are still running the shallow flats, but more fish are stacking up around deeper structures as water temps climb. If you’ve got side-scan, use it to hunt schools around the islands of the CBBT. Once you mark them, drop large paddletails or straight-tail soft plastics on two-ounce jigheads right in the zone for some rod-bending action.

    Spanish mackerel continue to run strong inshore, slamming small spoons and mackerel trees trolled at higher speeds. For speckled trout, Green Top Sporting Goods recommends working topwater lures and popping cork rigs with shrimp baits or 3-4 inch swimbaits, especially at dawn and dusk when the bite is hottest. Puppy drum and the occasional striper have been reported in the feeder creeks and inlets, mostly on soft plastics and live minnows.

    If cobia’s your game, their numbers are climbing at the mouth of the bay and along the oceanfront. The season just opened, so try live eels, bucktails, topwaters, or shallow-diving twitch baits to tempt those surface cruisers.

    For bait, can’t beat live fiddler crabs and eels for sheepshead and cobia, while cut mullet, squid, and bloodworms are pulling in drum and tautog. Artificial lures like Z-Man paddletails, Gulp! baits, and classic bucktail jigs are all working when fished around structure.

    Two hotspots for today: the islands of the CBBT for sheepshead, drum, and tautog, and the flats off Cape Charles for bull reds and specks. For folks staying closer to shore, the Lynnhaven Inlet and Rudee Inlet are holding trout and puppy drum, especially around grass edges and oyster bars.

    Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for your next tide, and may your lines reel in more than you bargain for. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    3 mins
  • Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead, Spadefish, Cobia and More

    Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead, Spadefish, Cobia and More
    Jun 21 2025
    Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Saturday, June 21, 2025, straight from the heart of Virginia’s saltwater scene.

    Sunrise kicked off at 5:45 a.m. with a blazing sky, and we’ll see daylight stretching all the way till sunset at 8:27 p.m. Over the Bay, it’s a warm, breezy day—highs near 85°F, light southwest winds, and just a touch of chop on the water. Tidal action’s energetic with strong swings today: high tides hit around mid-morning and again just before dusk, which means fish are on the move and currents are brisk around structures, perfect for active angling according to the local tide table.

    Let’s talk fish. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) is the place to be right now. Sheepshead fishing is peaking around the bridge pilings, with plenty of limits coming in from both jet ski and kayak anglers. Live and frozen fiddler crabs fished on bottom sweeper jigs are the ticket, and don’t be surprised if you tangle with tautog or the occasional black or red drum around those same pilings. Spadefish are crowding in around the CBBT as well as the Chesapeake Light Tower, snatching up clam strips and small jelly balls—bring stout tackle because these fighters don’t mess around.

    Red drum schools are still hanging around the flats and deeper structure near the CBBT islands and Fisherman’s Island. Look for them on your side-scan, then drop large paddletails or straight tails on two-ounce jigheads to draw a big strike. According to Green Top Sporting Goods, bloodworms and shrimp are putting fish in the cooler all over the rivers and inlets, especially for puppy drum and speckled trout tight to the docks and grass edges.

    With the cobia season officially open, anticipation has gone into overdrive. Their numbers are growing at the Bay’s mouth, across the oceanfront, and on the inside shoals. Boats with towers are spotting surface fish, and a well-placed live eel is your best shot—though big bucktails, topwater lures, and twitchbaits are all drawing bites. Don’t forget your patience, sometimes covering water is the key to tracking down these bruisers. Spanish mackerel and flounder are also showing strong along the CBBT and into the inlets.

    If you’re after other action, the northern flats are red hot at sunrise and sunset for rockfish and largemouth, with snakeheads prowling the upper creeks. Blue catfish are chomping just about anything cut or live near the bottom, especially during stronger tidal swings.

    For today’s hot spots: the CBBT second and third islands for sheepshead, tautog, and drum; the Chesapeake Light Tower for spadefish; and Fisherman’s Island for a shot at red drum and cobia. Don’t overlook the grass lines in Elizabeth River or Lynnhaven inlets for speckled trout and puppy drum.

    Thanks for tuning in to your Chesapeake Bay report. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest updates and tips straight from the dock. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    3 mins
  • Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report - June 21, 2025: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More Filling Coolers

    Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report - June 21, 2025: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More Filling Coolers
    Jun 21 2025
    Artificial Lure here with your Chesapeake Bay fishing report for Saturday, June 21, 2025.

    Sunrise greeted us at 5:43 AM with sunset coming at 8:29 PM, giving anglers a full stretch of daylight. Weather-wise, expect light southwest winds and temperatures hovering in the upper 70s to low 80s, with patchy cloud cover offering relief but also keeping things muggy, especially into the afternoon. Tidal movement through late morning and into the afternoon should have currents running strong—ideal for sparking fish activity through both high and low slack.

    Sheepshead are stealing the spotlight at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) right now, especially stacked up around pilings between the second and third islands. Kayak and jet ski anglers are consistently limiting out by fishing live and frozen fiddler crabs on bottom sweeper jigs. Expect bonus catches of tautog, black drum, and the occasional red drum mixed in at these same pilings. If you’re after spadefish, they’re heavy around the bridge and the Chesapeake Light Tower, with clam strips and jelly balls working best. Bring stout gear: spadefish put up a serious fight.

    Red drum are still cruising the shallow flats, but some of those bulls are starting to slide toward deeper structure around the CBBT islands. Boats with good electronics are searching the rocky areas and dropping big paddletails or straight-tail plastics on two-ounce jigheads once they mark a school. The best action is early or late, so time your trip for dawn or dusk if you can.

    Cobia season opened just last week, and the buzz is electric. Boats with towers are covering the oceanfront and the shoals just inside the Bay mouth, glassing for surface cruisers. The bite isn’t gangbusters, but those putting in the miles are finding active fish. Live eels are the ticket once you spot a cobia, with large bucktails, topwater plugs, and shallow-diving twitchbaits also drawing aggressive strikes. The schools will only get thicker as the month rolls on.

    Spanish mackerel and bluefish have started to show around the Bay mouth, the inshore wrecks, and rough bottoms. Trolling small spoons behind planers or casting metal jigs into breaking fish is the fastest way to load the cooler. For flounder hunters, bites are picking up along the CBBT and in all three southside inlets—minnows and cut squid strips are your baits of choice.

    Hot spots to check today:
    - CBBT second and third islands—sheepshead, drum, and spadefish are all stacked
    - Chesapeake Light Tower—for spadefish and bluefish
    - Shoals at the Bay mouth and oceanfront—keep your eyes peeled for cobia and breaking fish

    This is a peak time for a mixed bag—don’t be afraid to switch up lures and presentations. Fiddler crabs, clam strips, and live eels are the local MVPs, but don’t overlook paddletail jigs, bucktails, and topwater plugs for exciting bites.

    Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe to stay on top of the action all summer. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.
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    3 mins
  • Chesapeake Bay June Fishing Frenzy: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More!

    Chesapeake Bay June Fishing Frenzy: Sheepshead, Cobia, and More!
    Jun 20 2025
    Artificial Lure here with your Friday, June 20, 2025 Chesapeake Bay fishing report. Let’s dive right into what’s biting, where to fish, and what you’ll need to get tight lines today.

    Sunrise hit at 5:45 a.m. and you’ve got daylight running strong until sunset at 8:27 p.m. We’re looking at nearly 15 hours of fishing light, and tides are running on a moderate swing today, with high tide expected mid-morning and tidal coefficients around 59 to 61—plenty of moving water to stir things up, especially near structure, so plan accordingly for stronger currents around the bridges and pilings. According to Tides4Fishing, the tidal flow is steady throughout the day, so expect those prime bite windows around the turns.

    The weather’s sitting pretty for June: mild temps and a light breeze out of the south, making for comfortable runs and easy drifts along the pilings and reefs. Always double-check for any pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon—this is the Bay, after all.

    As for fish, the Bay’s on fire right now. Sheepshead are the star of the show this week, especially thick around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) and nearby structures. Both kayak and jet ski anglers have been pulling steady numbers—multiple reports of seven or more sheepshead per trip, with some nice tautog mixed in. Frozen and live fiddler crabs are the bait of choice, especially paired with bottom sweeper jigs or dropped tight against the pilings. If you’re after tautog and black drum, the CBBT and the other local bridges are producing as well.

    Spadefish are moving in around the Chesapeake Light Tower and any inshore structure. Try smaller hooks and clam for these fighters—Green Top Sporting Goods confirms the Light Tower is giving up solid catches this week. Bull reds are still patrolling the shallow flats and are now starting to shift to deeper structure near the islands of the CBBT. Sidescan is helpful, but if you spot a school, drop large soft plastic paddletails or straight tails on a two-ounce jighead for the big hit.

    The big buzz is all about cobia—the season just opened June 15 and numbers are climbing fast at the mouth of the Bay, especially for boats working the oceanfront and just inside the Bay’s mouth. Towers are key, and many are finding fish cruising the surface. Live eels are your golden ticket, but bucktails, topwater plugs, and shallow diving twitchbaits are hot too.

    Don’t sleep on Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, puppy drum, and stripers, especially working inlets, creeks, and points near the Rappahannock. Flounder action is heating up along the CBBT and in the southside inlets.

    For hotspots, get yourself to the CBBT for a multi-species shootout—sheepshead, drum, spadefish, and cobia all in the mix. Chesapeake Light Tower is prime for spadefish and the main Bay mouth shoals are loaded with patrolling cobia and red drum.

    Thanks for tuning in! For more up-to-date tips and local knowledge, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a Quiet Please Production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
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    3 mins
  • June 18 Chesapeake Fishing Report: Cobia, Sheepshead, and Speckled Trout Bite Hot

    June 18 Chesapeake Fishing Report: Cobia, Sheepshead, and Speckled Trout Bite Hot
    Jun 18 2025
    Artificial Lure here, bringing you the June 18, 2025, Chesapeake Bay fishing report—local style, just the way you want it.

    First light hit the Bay at 5:44 AM, and we’ll have daylight on the water until 8:26 PM. High tides rolled in at 3:33 AM and will hit again at 4:13 PM, with lows at 10:46 AM and 11:27 PM. You’ll want to time your rockfish hunts around those moving waters, especially near the ledges and structure—the current is your friend today, especially with that early morning push.

    Current surface water temps are running in the mid to upper 60s, cooling things just enough to keep bull red drum and cobia active. Cobia season officially opened a few days ago, and more boats are finding them at the mouth of the Bay, particularly around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), the oceanfront shoals, and up by Fisherman’s Island. Live eels are money for cobia, but big bucktails, topwater plugs, and shallow diving twitchbaits are also putting fish in the boat.

    The CBBT is absolutely firing for sheepshead right now. Folks are grabbing limits on frozen and live fiddler crabs, especially around the second and third islands and the pilings close to the Virginia side. Along with sheeps, there are some nice tautog showing up. For bait, you can’t beat those fiddler crabs on a bottom sweeper jig—presentation is everything. There are also spadefish stacking up around inshore structure and the Light Tower. Hit ‘em with small hooks baited with clam or the classic bits of jellyball.

    If you slide inside the inlets—Lynnhaven, Rudee, and the flats around Poquoson—you’ll find a mixed bite. Speckled trout are taking topwater spooks early, and soft plastics over the grass beds when it brightens up. Some redfish are cruising the shallows, but it’s still a bit spotty. A couple of folks reported success with large paddletails and jerkbaits, especially near Mobjack Bay and the Rappahannock shallows.

    On the southern Bay ocean wrecks and reefs, bluefish up to three pounds are in and ready to crush shallow diving cranks and flashy metals. The early run of Spanish mackerel fizzled, but a few are still biting around the CBBT—silver and pink spoons are your best shot.

    Hotspots today:
    - CBBT (for cobia, sheepshead, spadefish, and bluefish)
    - The flats around Fisherman’s Island (for bull reds, cobia)
    - Poquoson flats and Lynnhaven Inlet (for speckled trout and the occasional red)

    Bait up with eels or fiddler crabs for the big targets, and have those topwaters and soft plastics ready for when the bite turns on. Tide swings mean changing action, so stay mobile and keep your eyes on the water.

    Thanks for tuning into this Chesapeake Bay report—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    3 mins
  • June 15 Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead Sizzling, Cobia Season Opens, Variety Abounds

    June 15 Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Sheepshead Sizzling, Cobia Season Opens, Variety Abounds
    Jun 15 2025
    Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your fresh Chesapeake Bay, Virginia fishing report for June 15, 2025.

    The summer pattern is fully locked in now, and the fishing action is heating up right alongside the rising water temps. First, let’s talk tides: the first high tide rolls in at 1:05 AM with a second high at 1:37 PM, low tides at 8:31 AM and 8:29 PM. Sunrise was at 5:44 AM, and you’ve got daylight until sunset at 8:25 PM—plenty of time to get on the water and get after it, especially with calm, warm weather and light winds in the forecast, perfect for a full day on the Bay, according to Tide-Forecast.com.

    Sheepshead fishing is in prime form along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The bridge pilings have been loaded with hungry fish, and both frozen and live fiddler crabs fished on bottom sweeper jigs are the ticket. Kayaks and jet skis have been doing real work out there, routinely bagging limits. You’ll also bump into some nice tautog and even some big spadefish around the structure—spadefish are lighting up bite-wise at the CBBT and at the Chesapeake Light Tower just offshore, as reported by FishTalk Magazine and Green Top Sporting Goods.

    Red drum and black drum action is steady. The bull reds are moving from shallow flats to the deeper structure, with CBBT islands and nearby rocky zones being hotspots. If you’re on a boat, keep an eye on your sidescan—locate the schools, then drop big paddletails or straight tails rigged on two-ounce jigheads right into the fray.

    Heads up: cobia season opens today in Virginia waters, and anticipation is sky-high. Boats running towers along the oceanfront and inside the Bay mouth are already spotting them, and numbers are set to rise all month. Live eels are proven producers, but don’t overlook artificial lures like bucktails, topwater plugs, and diving twitchbaits for a solid shot at these bruisers.

    For those targeting variety, Spanish mackerel and bluefish are cruising the lower Bay, especially around buoys 8 and 10 in 30-35 feet of water. Trolling Clark spoons or Drone spoons behind planers is the go-to setup. Meanwhile, flounder are starting to snap along the CBBT and inside the southside inlets, with Gulp! baits and bucktail jigs taking their share of fish.

    Hot spots today: the CBBT (especially between islands two and three), the Chesapeake Light Tower for spadefish, and the flats east of Fisherman’s Island for red drum and cobia. For those looking to mix it up, the HRBT and the Rappahannock are both solid bets for trout, croaker, and the occasional rockfish.

    That’s the scoop from your local water. Thanks for tuning in, folks—don’t forget to subscribe for more reports and updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    3 mins
  • June 14th Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Cobia, Reds, and More Action on the Virginia Side

    June 14th Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Cobia, Reds, and More Action on the Virginia Side
    Jun 14 2025
    Chesapeake Bay anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming at you with your Saturday, June 14th, 2025, fishing report—straight from the docks and decks around the Virginia side of the Bay.

    Sunrise hit the water at 5:42 AM today, with sunset coming up at 8:28 PM. We’ve got classic June weather—warm, high 70s to mid-80s, with light to moderate winds and mostly sunny skies. The tide will be rising through mid-morning and then easing to slack around midday, so plan your runs around that moving water for the best chances.

    Fish activity is heating up alongside the weather. At the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), the sheepshead bite is turning prime; several boats and kayakers reported limits this week, mostly on live or frozen fiddler crabs and sand fleas fished tight to the bridge pilings. Black drum and spadefish are also stacking up on structure, with big spadefish coming from the Chesapeake Light Tower and around buoys—pieces of clam are your best bet there. Flounder and tautog are still being picked off the inlets and along bridge rubble, especially during moving tide when they’re hungry and chasing.

    The big news is cobia season—it opens tomorrow, June 15th, but plenty of boats are already spotting these bruisers cruising the surface near the Bay mouth and the CBBT islands. For early action, toss live eels or bucktails tipped with soft plastic trailers, and don’t be afraid to sling a topwater plug at a cruising fish if you see one. According to the latest from FishTalk Magazine and Green Top Sporting Goods, bull red drum schools are still working the rocky islands around the CBBT and the nearby flats. Sidescan sonar is the ace for these—find the school, drop a big paddletail or jerkbait, and hold on!

    Stripers (rockfish) are still providing action at first and last light, mostly around the CBBT, the Bay Bridge, and Patapsco River piers. Early risers working topwaters and jerkbaits along riprap and pilings are getting into slot fish along with a mix of bluefish, which have crashed the party in big numbers around wrecks and open water. Bluefish up to three pounds have been hot on shallow cranks and poppers.

    For bait, bring plenty of live spot, cut shad, or mullet, plus some frozen squid or clams for the bottom biters. Top lures this past week have been white and chartreuse paddletails, bucktails, and topwater spooks—keep your tackle box flexible, as the bite can change with the tide and wind.

    Hot spots? The CBBT remains the heartbeat of June fishing—both for sheepshead on the pilings and cobia cruising the channel edges. Fisherman’s Island flats are still holding reds, and the Chesapeake Light Tower is a go-to for spadefish and early cobia.

    That’s the scoop for mid-June—tight lines to everyone hitting the Bay this weekend! Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.
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    3 mins