September Rivah Visitor's Guide - The Rappahannock Record

Fish are heading
“back to school”!
As summer quietly transitions
into fall and children
head back to school, the month
of September serves as a catalyst
for superb autumn fishing.
Anglers should find plenty of
trolling action. This will consist
mainly of bluefish and Spanish
mackerel. They school heavily
during the late summer and
early fall.
Spanish mackerel will continue
to school in southern
Maryland waters from Point
Lookout along the western
edges of the shipping channel
down to Smith Point. These
fish may be found feeding on
the shallow bar between Smith
Point and the lighthouse while
Billy Pipkin
The Fishing Line
they continue to move southward
in migration. This fishing
should last throughout the
first half of the month. The
mackerel usually follow the
western side of the bay past the
Great Wicomico River down to
Windmill Point where they disperse
and further their migration
southward. Another area
that should not be discounted is
the eastern channel edges from
Smith Point to the Cut Channel.
There are sizable specimens
cruising that corridor as well.
Bluefish can be caught one
of two ways during September.
Trolling is good in many of the
traditional locations like the
S.W. Middle Grounds, Buoy
62, the mid-channel area of the
Potomac River and over areas
such as reefs and man-made
structures. Bluefish and mackerel
tend to school and feed
together. The schooling blues
will continue to run in the 1-3
pound class and then, at month’s
end will decline in number.
Chumming will provide
bluefish up to 8 pounds in
Maryland on the Southwest
Middle Grounds. In Virginia,
the Northern Neck Reef and
Buoy 62 area will provide nice
bluefish hauls as well. These
areas will gradually give way
to striped bass as the month
wraps up.
Bottom fishing will gradually
decline as this month progresses
but will continue to provide
good action. Croaker will head
south by month’s end yet spot
may linger into late October.
Speckled trout fishing is
expected to go well this fall.
Action should be hot in September
and continue deep into
October. The specks will then
move into deeper water for
southward migration but some
remain in the area through the
winter months. Grassy flats are
great places to fish for these
trout. Skinny water between
Ingram Bay, and Windmill
Point, Gwynn’s Island and the
Piankatank River are good bets
for shallow water action. Artificial
baits are great for casting
and jigging. Some anglers
prefer top water plugs for fishing
the grass beds in real shallow
water.
Flounder will linger into late
month and should be abundant
until that time. We’ve had good
action this year and should get
another quick blast this fall.
The Cell continues to offer
results on the bumpy bottom
near Buoys 41 and 42.
There are always a few surprises
in the fall. Red drum provide
great action when found.
These fish run anywhere from 15
pounds up to 40-plus-pound monsters.
They are often caught while
trolling for bluefish in the fall.
Striped bass will be the
buzzword during October when
they become more plentiful in
chum lines in southern Maryland
and Virginia waters. With
the season not opening up in
Virginia until October 4, many
anglers will be traveling north
across the border for a warmup.
Many of these fish remain well
to the north at this time with
the majority being above Point
Lookout. As water temperatures
drop we will see a greater
number migrating into Virginia
waters. The 18-28-inch class
striped bass are the main target
during the early fall. Bucktails
and small spoons work well
while trolling and if you prefer
chumming, these fish will
surely engage in some light
tackle action.
By mid-November trolling
begins for the larger migratory
striped bass. These fish will
average over 20 pounds apiece.
Overall, this will be a very
exciting month as we step into
our traditionally hot fall fishing.
Be safe and until next time…
fair winds.
Capt. Billy Pipkin, a
charterboat operator and
fishing columnist, owns and
operates Capt. Billy’s Charters
and Ingram Bay Marina in
Wicomico Church—(804) 580-
7292; www.captbillyscharters.
com. For the latest up-todate
fishing information and
tips, read his column “The
Fishing Line” weekly in the
Rappahannock Record.
Allison’s Awnings
Add exterior space with beautiful and colorful
Sunbrella fabrics. Increase energy efficiency
through shading. Protection from the elements on
your deck or patio. Call for your FREE estimate.
Mobile Service
and Installation Available
25