Way South & VA Fishing Report 2/23/2018 Update:
Beautiful weather and clear skies have allowed anglers to escape dry land this week, and head out to the Triangles and inshore wrecks to do some tautog fishing. In the Bay itself the water is still a bit cold for any sort of action at the CBBT (at last check it was a hair under 44-degrees) but in slightly deeper waters off the coast it’s warm enough for the fish to remain awake. Peeler crab and clam have been popular baits, and sea bass have been mixed in with the catch when clam is used. Tog up to 12 pounds were brought to the scales last week. Meanwhile, those anglers running to far wrecks and reefs have been spotting the elusive winter stripers but they’re well beyond the three-mile limit – by a solid 20 miles or so. Some anglers have found blues have been mixed in with them, but others are reporting striper after striper.
Closer to home, in all the western shore tributaries and creeks, as well as the rivers near the NC border (including the Northwest and the North Landing), perch fishing has been good. Minnow fished on small jigs or top and bottom rigs has been the best bet, with most of the fish still hanging in deeper waters (they haven’t run up to the spawning grounds just yet) but they are becoming more and more active. The Nansemond, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi have all been mentioned as good bets.
There’s also been a lot of action off North Carolina, both for tuna and in the surf, as reported by Ocean’s East and Red Drum. Check out the Coastal Report, for more details.
Way South & VA Fishing Report 2/15/2018 Update:
Chesapeake Bait and Tackle reports that steady action is coming from the Power Plant's warm water outtake, where plenty of large rock are hanging around. Rockfish are out of season, so anglers must be mindful of using barbless hooks and abiding by catch and release policies. Oceanside had provided the most reliable and exciting fishing this winter season.
Our Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow spent the weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show in Virginia Beach, and had the chance to chat with some of the locals and representatives from the area fishing clubs. Most folks agreed that until water temperatures rise enough for tog to become active, you need to wait for a good weather window and run to fairly deep water (120+) to find active fish.
Closer to home in Lynnhaven and Rudee, there was some talk of a speckled trout here and there when the sun warms areas with dark muddy bottoms, but everyone's worried the cold stun we had earlier this year will make catching decent numbers of fish tough.
Way South & VA Fishing Report 2/8/2018 Update:
Bayside, Chesapeake Bait and Tackle has had consistent reports of perch, puppy drum, and catfish in and around the inlet. Using jigs has been the best tactic for catching the perch, while cut baits are best for the puppy drum and catfish. Bishops has gotten in reports of sea bass and tautog on the wrecks. Clam and cut peeler crab have been the best baits; see the Coastal report for more details.
In tidal river areas, the perch are beginning to make themselves known for anglers casting bull minnow on bottom rigs or shad darts. The Mattaponi, Pamunkey, and creeks feeding the Rappahannock are all good bets. Read Winter Yellow Perch Fishing At Tidal Creeks for a refresher on the tactics.
If you can’t work in a fishing trip this weekend, be sure to swing by the Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show in Virginia Beach, at the convention center. FishTalk will be there and our Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow says swing by, and say hi!
February 2018 Way South & VA Fishing Report Update:
It seems like the tautog bite has slowed down a bit inshore, however, as we saw in the Coastal fishing report this news is likely due to the limited numbers of anglers heading offshore in the past week as wind conditions have kept a lot of boats at the dock. On the bright side, when the weather allows boats to get out again (not likely this weekend - it looks to be pretty sporty out there through at least Tuesday) the tog action will hopefully continue to be punctuated by a few flounder mixed into the catch. Dogfish will likely be a problem for anglers using bait.
Oceans East reported that bayside not much has been going on, besides a few taugtog and small stripers in the inlet.
If you find yourself stuck on dry land this weekend thanks to the blow, be sure to head over to the Virginia Beach Boat Show. FishTalk will be there with a booth, and Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow will be hanging around, ready to jaw-bone about fishing, boats, and any other FishTalk topics.