UTERWhiting fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, whiting peak May–September and are around April–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Northern kingfish (the 'whiting' up here) in the Virginia Beach surf and on the lower-bay sand bars; bloodworms and Fishbites.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Whiting in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArriving
- MayPeak
- JunePeakNorthern kingfish (the 'whiting' up here) in the Virginia Beach surf and on the lower-bay sand bars; bloodworms and Fishbites.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish whiting 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.
What to use for whiting
- Sand fleas (mole crabs)On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait.
- 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.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#4–#1
- Braid10–15 lb
Feeds in 56–82°F water, best at 62–76°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch whiting in Chesapeake Bay?
Peak season is May–September. Whiting are in Chesapeake Bay April–October. June: Northern kingfish (the 'whiting' up here) in the Virginia Beach surf and on the lower-bay sand bars; bloodworms and Fishbites.
Where do whiting hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on beach / surf, pass / inlet — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for whiting in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: sand fleas (mole crabs), live shrimp. Sand fleas (mole crabs): On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait. Tackle: leader 10–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #4–#1, braid 10–15 lb.
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