September arrives on Virginia’s Northern Neck with cooler mornings, shorter days and a noticeable change on the water. As the heat and humidity of summer begins to ease and the waters cool, it encourages baitfish to gather—making an “all you can eat buffet” for a variety of species.
This month offers excitement for light tackle, casting artificial lures, bottom fishing, trolling and, for patient anglers, the possibility of sizable fish and even bigger stories.
Variety adds value
Depending on location, anglers will encounter spot, croaker, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, red drum, cobia, trout among other species.
One of the region’s most dependable September catches are spot and croaker. They are active in the lower rivers and tributaries. Both species often feed on oyster bars and hard bottoms with grasses or other structure. Anglers catch them using small hooks baited with bloodworms, shrimp, squid or cut bait. These fish may not reach trophy size, but they provide steady action. A successful outing is often less about catching one enormous fish than sharing the experience with your family and hearing the joy of a grandchild reeling in memories of a lifetime.
Other inshore species are speckled trout and puppy drum. They are often caught by casting artificial lures but can also be enticed with live bait. These fish desire locations offering cover such as grass beds of marshes and inlets. Soft baits like paddle tails are very productive throughout the day, but at first light, there’s nothing more exciting than catching fish in skinny water on a surface popper or shallow swimming bait. The visible explosion of a surface strike makes even a well-seasoned angler like myself feel like a kid catching his first fish.
The Chesapeake Bay offers a different experience from the sheltered creeks. Wind, tide and weather become more important, but so does the potential for a broader range of species.
Bull red drum, the ‘bronze beasts of the bay’, have made a strong showing this season. They are a favorite among anglers seeking trophy fish. The bulls are often found frequenting local reefs and structure along the channel edges. Trolling sturdy spoons with strong leaders are a must as these fish have both strength and attitude.
Cobia are another powerful fish that remains available during early fall as they exit the bay. Their size and strength make them a serious challenge. Although they can still be landed with live eels while chumming, it is not uncommon to catch them while trolling for bluefish or mackerel. I often hook them while on a turn, as they prefer a slower trolled bait than the typical 6-7 knots for mackerel. This time of year there are many that fall under the 43-inch minimum size to keep.
Holistic approach
First consider that the tide is one of the Northern Neck angler’s most useful guides. It is not simply a matter of high or low water; current speed, wind direction, water clarity and recent weather all influence how fish behave.
Moving water tends to concentrate food. A point that looks ordinary at slack tide may become productive when the current begins sweeping past it. Bridge pilings, oyster reefs, creek mouths and changes in contour lines can create small eddies where baitfish and predators gather. I believe that structure of all types, and its relationship with tidal flow, must be understood in order to maximize your productivity. That can be an in-depth conversation and I have given entire seminars on the subject. By simply applying basic common sense on how water flows over and around structure with how fish position below it to ambush bait, you will find greater success.
A fishery worth protecting
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, a place where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on earth, serving as nurseries for countless fish, crabs, oysters and other aquatic life.
That productivity depends on healthy underwater grass beds, wetlands, oyster reefs and menhaden. These habitats and species provide vital water filtering, food and shelter for fish.
Anglers can help protect the fishery by setting reasonable size and creel limits for all user groups, including gamefish and the baitfish they feed on. Menhaden is not only food for the gamefish, it is arguably the most important filter fish in the Chesapeake Bay. There continues to be a strong collaborative effort to bring menhaden back to its once abundant status of decades past.
By month’s end, the first hints of autumn will be visible along the shoreline—anglers will be sharing stories of their catches and thinking about the next tide change.
Until next time….Fair winds.
