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Black sea bassShoulder seasonCape · Virginia
Sandy Point
38.07°N · 76.54°W · Cape · Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 5110 PM EDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Sandy Point scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 10 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.4 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
43Wind: 18 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
45Water temp: 75°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Major periodSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with VMRC before you keep a fish.
Source: VMRC · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Sandy Point
- Depth
- 6-10 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Sandy Point
Sandy Point is a cape in Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA, Virginia. Depth in the nearest water is 6-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 17 species here; the best right now are spot, little tunny and bluefish. It is peak season now for spot, little tunny, red drum and scup, and shoulder season for bluefish, striped bass, spotted seatrout and weakfish. Spot peak from August through October. Little tunny peak from September through October. Bluefish peak in May and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
- Little tunny
- Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Coles Point68
Cape · 7.5 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 68
- Spot 66
- Red drum 64
15 kt NEH 12:45 AM · 1.7 ftL 6:08 AM · 0.5 ft
- Ragged Point67
Cape · 6.4 mi
Top: Little tunnyPeak season- Little tunny 67
- Spot 64
- Bluefish 63
14 kt NEH 12:45 AM · 1.7 ftL 6:08 AM · 0.5 ft
- Stinking Point65
Cape · 5.3 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 65
- Little tunny 63
- Bluefish 60
14 kt NEH 12:45 AM · 1.7 ftL 6:08 AM · 0.5 ft
- Cedar Point59
Cape · 16 mi
Top: SpotPeak season- Spot 59
- Scup 57
- Little tunny 49
13 kt NEL 4:55 AM · 0.7 ftH 10:43 AM · 1.3 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with VMRC before you keep a fish.
