"Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report: Drum, Tuna, and Waterspouts on the Horizon"

Chesapeake Bay anglers woke up to a **mild, early fall morning** on September 24, 2025, with **sunrise at 6:53 AM and sunset rolling in at 6:57 PM**. The marshes greeted everyone with a gentle air and classic autumn haze, making for beautiful light on the water. The tidal swing sets up a productive day: expect a **high tide at 3:57 PM (2.55 ft), low tide at 9:58 AM (0.59 ft), and another low at 10:36 PM (0.7 ft)**, with currents slowing mid-morning then picking up fast as we close on the afternoon peak according to Tide-Forecast.com.

Weather Service Wakefield reports **light winds out of the northeast and mostly calm seas**, though some patchy showers and possible funnel clouds may pop up in the lower bay this afternoon. Keep a sharp eye open if you’re fishing near the Bridge Tunnel or Hampton Roads—the forecast calls for spotty, quick-moving showers and a slim chance of a waterspout. Don’t take chances and steer clear if the clouds start stacking up.

**Fishing has really started to heat up this week.** The big story close to shore is all about the **Red Drum bite**, with plenty of citation-size drum released from boats working the edges and shoals. Bluefish are still chewing, and flounder have shown up in scattered numbers, especially near drop-offs and sandy bottoms. There’s also been consistent action from sheepshead and some solid speckled trout, especially in the grass beds and calmer creek mouths.

Offshore and in the open bay channels, boats are coming back with **good shows of Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna, and the occasional sailfish**, though most Virginia folks will be keeping their focus inshore over the next couple days with the wind. Recent big catches include David Yengling out of Raleigh who released a 45-inch Red Drum and Pope Hackney landing a massive 63lb Wahoo just a couple days ago.

**Best baits?** Cut mullet and menhaden for the drum and blues. For flounder, gulp shrimp or live mud minnows on a bottom rig are your top picks. Sheepshead are taking fiddler crabs and barnacles off the bridge pilings. Trout respond well to pink or chartreuse soft plastics, especially early or late in the day.

**Artificial lures** in bold colors—white, chartreuse, and natural bunker—are working wonders for both bluefish and drum when cast around jetties and oyster bars. Folks throwing spoons and bucktails are coming back with full coolers.

**Hot spots to hit today:**

- The piers and rock jetties near Hampton and Willoughby Spit, where the tide movement lines up perfect for drum and blues.
- The CBBT (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel) pilings and islands—always a classic fall haunt for flounder, sheepshead, and running schools of bluefish.
- Eastern Shore grass flats or creek mouths on an outgoing tide for trout and puppy drum.

The afternoons this week have been especially lively right as the **high tide peaks and starts to drop**, so target the late afternoon hours for your best chance at a personal best.

Thanks for tuning in to the Chesapeake Bay fishing report with Artificial Lure. Be sure to subscribe for your daily fix, and remember—tight lines and safe boating out there!

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