UTERTripletail fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, tripletail are around July–October but never at the peak of their run, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. August: Tripletail under the crab-pot floats and buoys in the lower bay and Virginia's seaside.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Tripletail in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyAround
- AugustAroundTripletail under the crab-pot floats and buoys in the lower bay and Virginia's seaside.
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberAround
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish tripletail near Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons
The biggest estuary in the country: 200 miles of brackish bay fed by the Susquehanna, Potomac, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke, Rappahannock and James, with oyster bars, channel edges and lumps in the main stem, marsh islands down Tangier Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's pilings and islands at the mouth. Salinity climbs from fresh at the Flats to ocean at Cape Henry.
Fish Scouter charts 20 other spots in the The Chesapeake map area — the kinds tripletail hold on.
What to use for tripletail
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Leader30–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook1/0–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
- Braid15–30 lb
Feeds in 70–90°F water, best at 76–86°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch tripletail in Chesapeake Bay?
Tripletail are in Chesapeake Bay July–October, but the calendar never marks a peak here. August: Tripletail under the crab-pot floats and buoys in the lower bay and Virginia's seaside.
Where do tripletail hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on marker / buoy — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for tripletail in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: live shrimp, blue crabs, pilchards (whitebait). Live shrimp: Under a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait. Tackle: leader 30–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook 1/0–3/0, jig head 1/8–1/4 oz, braid 15–30 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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