Powered by RedCircle
This week on the Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, host Luke Barton checks in with Capt. Eric Meyers of Heads N Tails Charters and Jeni Ohmsen of @shutterspeedva. With winter weather tightening the grip on the bay, the conversation shifts from “where to fish” to “when it’s even safe to go,” plus a recap of the Tribute to the Bay community photo event and a wild skiff story that ends with a released bluefin that was every bit of a lifetime fish.
Conditions Recap
Cold is the headline, and wind is the problem. Capt. Eric described the weekend forecast as “Perfect Storm” rough, with 10-foot-plus seas and heavy wind that will shut down most practical fishing plans. On the rare calm windows, the bay and nearshore can still offer opportunity, but this is the time of year when your best plan is watching for short weather breaks, timing runs carefully, and staying flexible with where you fish.
On Eric’s recent offshore trip down south, water temps were sitting around 48–49 degrees, which helped keep the fight manageable once they were tight, but the cold also makes preparation matter more. If you are fishing at all right now, dress for it, keep safety first, and expect more “no-go” days than “go” days.
Community Spotlight: Tribute to the Bay with Shutter Speed VA
With the bite slowed by winter weather, Jeni Ohmsen has been putting her time on the water to work in a different way, documenting the captains, mates, and everyday anglers who make the Lower Chesapeake Bay special. Her Tribute to the Bay gallery night brought the community together to see those moments printed and displayed, with bios that gave visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the people who run trips day after day. Capt. Eric appreciated how the event showcased the work charter crews do and how it pulled in plenty of local anglers who are not captains, which helped widen the sense of community around the fishery.
Jeni estimated she has taken nearly 100,000 photos, and putting the show together was a months-long project that started back in late summer. Attendance beat expectations, with roughly 140 people showing up for the inaugural event, and the support made it clear this needs to become a staple on the winter calendar.
Offshore Report: Skiff Bluefin Chaos at Oregon Inlet
Capt. Eric’s best fishing story of the week did not happen in the Lower Chesapeake Bay at all. It happened down south, running out of the Fishing Center, sliding through Oregon Inlet, and getting lines in the water shockingly close to the beach. In his words, the play was simple: follow the guys who do it every day, get in tight, and be ready. He started trolling in roughly 18 feet of water and got bit almost immediately.
His trolling spread was built around proven tuna hardware, including an 8-ounce Joe Shute Flatliner paired with 3-ounce MagicTail HooMagic trolling lures. After a quick early bite that came unpinned, the real moment happened when one rod doubled over and the fish that showed up was the kind that changes your whole season.
Based on the tape on the side of the boat, Eric said the fish was over 100 inches and could have been in the 650–700 pound class. The fight turned into a sleigh ride, with the fish towing the boat along at about 2.5 knots while they worked through heavy drag and boat-positioning chess in a crowd of bigger sportfishers. They eventually got the fish under control, used a lip gaff to manage it at boat-side, and released it after towing it until it kicked strong and swam off clean. Eric also added the perfect finishing touch: the Coast Guard boarded them twice in the same day.
The biggest takeaway is not “go do this in a skiff.” The takeaway is that winter offshore opportunity is real when conditions allow, but the mix of big fish, crowded fleets, and cold water makes preparation and judgment everything. If you are going to chase this game, do it smart, do it safely, and pick your windows carefully.
