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This week’s Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report focuses on a spring transition that still feels a little uneven, but the pieces are starting to line up. Host Luke Barton checks in with Capt. Bill Pappas of Playing Hookey Charters for an offshore update built around tautog, boat control, and a major repower, then talks with Capt. Colt North of Litigator Sportfishing about preseason scouting, heavy red drum expectations, and the summer kids camps that have become a standout part of his operation.
Conditions Recap
The big picture this week is change. Air temperatures have been bouncing around, another cold and windy stretch is in the mix, and the bay is still in that early-spring phase where water is warming but not every pattern is fully settled yet. The result is a report that feels more transitional than wide open. Offshore, tautog are giving anglers a reason to go when the weather allows, and Bill Pappas says proper positioning on structure matters more than ever. Inshore and nearshore, Colt North says the fish are not fully showed up yet around his end of the bay, but a few stable warm days can change everything fast in Virginia waters.
Offshore Report: Tautog, Boat Control, and a Bigger 2026 Setup with Capt. Bill Pappas
Capt. Bill Pappas of Playing Hookey Charters came into this report with two big updates: he is back on the water after a health scare, and his boat is back in service after a major overhaul. The headline on the hardware side is a repower with new Yamaha 350s, along with updated positioning features that are already making a difference over wrecks. Bill described the new setup as a major step forward in how the boat handles, holds, and fishes, especially when working tautog structure in deeper water.
One of his biggest takeaways was the value of longer shafts and upgraded control at the transom. Bill said the move to 30-inch shafts made the boat feel more planted and more predictable in a sea, and he was especially impressed by how the Yamaha Helm Master functions let him hold directly over structure without anchoring. On a recent trip, he and his mate were able to sit over the wreck, adjust position precisely, and stay on fish long enough to put together a solid quick catch. He reported boating nine tautog and keeping three in roughly an hour and a half of actual fishing time, a strong sign considering how inconsistent things had been elsewhere. Bill also mentioned fresh bottom work and noted the boat had been finished with Hempel bottom paint.
His main fishing point this week was simple: if you are not truly on the wreck, you are not really tautog fishing. Bill emphasized that too many anglers waste time with “just enough bites to stay hopeful” when the better move is to reposition until they are directly on the structure. He repeatedly came back to boat control as the difference-maker, especially when using modern positioning systems to stay centered on small pieces of hard bottom.
For bait, Bill’s tip of the week was to think in “twos and threes” when cutting crab. For inshore wrecks, he likes smaller crab sections he called twos, while larger offshore fish can justify bigger three-section baits. He prefers to cut crabs right over the spot so the bait is as fresh and lively as possible on the drop. He also likes leaving a little bit of leg on the bait for added movement. His general tautog setup starts with 30- to 50-pound braid, usually in a color that matches the water better than bright yellow line, followed by 50- to 60-pound leader for most situations, heavier when needed, and enough lead to stay vertical over the wreck. He said eight ounces is common, with 10- or 12-ounce sinkers becoming more useful as depth and current increase.
He also stressed that anglers should use their electronics carefully and learn exactly how their transducer reads structure relative to the boat. In his view, understanding whether the sonar is reading slightly ahead or behind your actual position can make a big difference when you are trying to place a bait on a very specific part of a wreck.
Looking ahead, Bill said Playing Hookey is already booking well into summer, with tautog trips active now and a major push coming for deep dropping, golden tilefish, grouper, blueline tilefish, and eventually yellowfin tuna. He made it clear he is especially eager to get back offshore once fully recovered, and the overall tone from his report was that both the captain and the boat are entering the season with a fresh start and a lot of momentum.
Gear and product notes from Bill’s section included Yamaha 350 outboards, Yamaha Helm Master, 30-inch shafts, Hempel bottom paint, braided line in natural water-matching colors, and standard wreck-fishing crab rigs built around heavy leader and enough lead to stay vertical.
Inshore / Nearshore Outlook: Scouting, Red Drum Expectations, and Kids Camps with Capt. Colt North
Capt. Colt North of Litigator Sportfishing said the late-winter and early-spring scouting picture has not fully turned on yet around his home waters, but that is not unusual for this time of year. He has been running trips to check water, test equipment, and make sure everything is ready, and while those early recon missions had not produced much visible life yet, he said that can change quickly in the Chesapeake once a run of stable warm weather settles in. A few good days can push temperatures up fast and bring bait and fish with them.
Most of Colt’s offseason focus has been on getting his two-boat setup ready for the season. He runs a 26-foot Intrepid and a 24-foot Privateer, both with towers, and said one of his biggest upgrades was moving to a larger trolling motor on the Intrepid while shifting the previous motor over to the Privateer. He now has trolling motors on both boats, which gives him more flexibility across the fishery.
The equipment piece he was most excited about was stepping up to an 87-inch Minn Kota Terrova on the Intrepid after previously running a 72-inch Minn Kota. His reasoning was straightforward: more shaft in the water means better control and better spot-holding, especially when the bow is moving in a chop. Colt said the shorter motor had done fine in lighter conditions, but the longer shaft should be a major improvement when fishing structure in rougher water or whenever precise positioning matters.
He also said he has been fully sold on lithium batteries for trolling motor use. Colt runs lithium setups on both boats and spoke highly of their run time, steady power delivery, and easy monitoring through phone apps. For him, the biggest downside is cost, but not performance. He specifically mentioned running a Dakota Lithium on one boat and an Amped Outdoors battery on the other, and said both have treated him well.
From a fishing perspective, Colt is looking ahead more than backward right now. His main confidence play for the coming season is the bay’s heavy red drum fishery, with cobia not far behind once the calendar progresses. Even though he has not seen the life he wants quite yet, he made the point that early scouting in clear, quiet spring water is still valuable because it sets the stage for when the fish do arrive. His report sounded less like a hot bite update and more like a guide getting all the pieces in place before the real run begins.
Colt also spent time talking about his summer kids camps, which have become an important part of his business. He offers three-day camps, usually in June through early August, and said they are structured more like real charter trips than watered-down kids’ outings. The goal is to let young anglers fish seriously, learn the system, and experience memorable days on the water. He shared examples from past camps that included cobia, overslot redfish, and a series of standout catches that turned into lasting memories. He said he still has availability this year, partly because some longtime campers are simply getting older and moving into sports and busier summer schedules.
Gear and product notes from Colt’s section included the 87-inch Minn Kota Terrova, the older 72-inch Minn Kota moved to his second boat, lithium trolling motor batteries, Dakota Lithium, and Amped Outdoors.
