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This week on the Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, host Luke Barton sits down with Jesse Wilkins of Long Bay Point Bait & Tackle to break down how winter conditions are reshaping the inshore bite. With water temps bouncing, tides doing their late-December “reset,” and fish shifting to current-driven holding areas, Jesse shares a practical approach to staying on striped bass while still giving yourself a shot at speckled trout when the window opens.
Conditions Recap
Cooler temperatures and sharp swings in weather have fish moving and re-grouping across the Lower Chesapeake Bay. Jesse explains that anglers near the mouth of the bay often feel the “first hit” of incoming cold water, wind, and ocean-driven tidal influence, which can shove more temperature-sensitive species (like speckled trout) out of their usual patterns. Add in the late-year tide cycle he calls the “great reset”—with notably low lows and unusually low highs around Christmas—and it’s easy to see why some areas seem to turn over overnight.
Clearer winter water also makes small details matter more. Jesse leans into lighter, more finesse-friendly leader choices for trout, while emphasizing better lure action and presentation as the key to getting bites when fish are conserving energy.
Inshore Report: What’s Biting Lately
Right now, Jesse is spending most of his time on striped bass in the more coastal bay areas. The speckled trout action that was red-hot with big numbers of small fish around docks has cooled off in his immediate zone, especially after strong wind events and cold pushes. Trout are still around in the region, but in Jesse’s area they’re not stacked the way they were earlier in the season, and you’ll need to fish smarter (and slower) to find the right window.
Speckled Trout: Cold-Water Adjustments That Matter
If you’re specifically trying to force a trout bite in the cold, Jesse’s play is to go bigger and make each opportunity count. His reasoning is simple: fewer active fish means you want the meal to be “worth it” for one lazy, cold-water trout. Rather than relying on small profiles, he’ll often jump to more “obscene” offerings like longer, larger soft plastics (including 5-inch NLBN-style profiles) and work them through current where trout can sit and watch.
He also emphasizes that winter trout fishing is a game of subtle advantages:
1) Improve action at the knot. Jesse strongly prefers a loop knot over a snug knot (like a uni) when jigging artificials. The extra freedom at the eye helps the bait hunt and dart instead of looking stiff—especially important when you’re trying to trigger a soft-mouthed fish in cold water.
2) Go lighter on leader and tackle. For trout, Jesse will step down to 10–15 lb mono on a smaller setup (think 1500-size reel) and a rod that’s light enough to transmit what the bait is doing. The goal is feel, finesse, and the ability to recognize that subtle “winter thump.”
3) Don’t rush the learning. Jesse talks a lot about watching fish behavior—especially around lights and structure—before making a bunch of casts. When bites are scarce, the best win may be learning what fish are doing in that exact moment, so the next stop (or the next tide) clicks faster.
Striped Bass: Follow The Current (And The Easy Meal)
In Jesse’s view, winter stripers are current-driven more than anything. If he shows up and there’s no moving water, he’s far less confident he’ll find fish concentrated. His favorite winter targets are bridges, pilings, and especially any kind of pipe, spillway, or runoff that creates consistent moving water and a predictable “conveyor belt” of forage.
He describes the prime zone as the eddies created by current breaking around structure—like the slack pocket behind a piling. That’s where stripers can sit with minimal effort and simply ambush bait washing past. Jesse also notes he often prefers an outgoing tide around pipes and drains, since that’s when those areas dump water (and food) into the system.
And just like with trout, he likes a profile that gets attention. Jesse regularly throws big, obnoxious soft plastics for stripers—even catching smaller fish on surprisingly large offerings—because the fish are willing to commit when the “meal” makes sense.
The “Find Your Sweep” Lesson
Jesse’s biggest tip is what he calls “find your sweep”—learning how your lure naturally travels through current and depth so you can put it where the fish actually live. In practice, that means figuring out the arc your bait makes as it sinks and swings, then adjusting where you cast so it sweeps through the strike zone instead of drifting above or washing past it too fast.
He ties this to fishing bottom features as well. Where the bottom changes (rock to sand, or a hump to a trough), current behaves differently, and fish use those friction points as easy holding areas. When you understand your sweep, you’re not guessing—you’re repeating the same high-percentage path until you contact fish.
Gear And Lure Notes Mentioned In This Episode
When live bait gets harder to come by in cold weather, Jesse leans heavily on artificial baits and focuses on presentation to make those winter bites happen.
On the soft-plastic side, he likes bigger profiles—especially NLBN-style 5-inch baits—while still keeping smaller options like Gulp in the mix when conditions call for it. Luke also mentions adding Pro-Cure to a larger fluke-style bait when working docks for striped bass, which can help when fish are being picky.
For fishing closer to the bottom, Jesse calls a Ned rig-style presentation a winter “cheat code.” The idea is a heavier jig with a flatter head paired with a more buoyant plastic so the bait stands up and works on its own in the current. He specifically points to NLBN jig
Striper Regulations Jesse Cited
Jesse breaks down the late-season striper rules by zone and reminds anglers that the fall season runs through December 31 in his discussion:
Bay (example slot Jesse cited): 19–24 inches, one fish per person.
Coastal (example slot Jesse cited): 28–31 inches, one fish per person.
As always, confirm current regulations for your exact area before you fish.
