UTERLittle tunny fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, little tunny peak September–October and are around July–November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. September: False albacore off Virginia Beach and around the Chesapeake Light Tower; small metal fast.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Little tunny in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberPeakFalse albacore off Virginia Beach and around the Chesapeake Light Tower; small metal fast.
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberLeaving
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish little tunny 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 850 wreck, 42 artificial reef spots in the The Chesapeake map area — the kinds little tunny hold on.
What to use for little tunny
- Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
- 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.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 66–86°F water, best at 70–82°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch little tunny in Chesapeake Bay?
Peak season is September–October. Little tunny are in Chesapeake Bay July–November. September: False albacore off Virginia Beach and around the Chesapeake Light Tower; small metal fast.
Where do little tunny hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on artificial reef, wreck — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for little tunny in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait). Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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