Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 1 Update:
Happy New Year folks! We hope that everyone has made one of their resolutions to get out and fish more in 2026. Those that did can get out and start fishing right away as there are several bites to explore in the Way South region. Migratory striped bass are still running up the Bay chasing bait. The best action has been on the lower Eastern Shore of Virginia along the main shipping channel ledge. The fish have been scattered and are usually in small wolf packs, so trollers and boats live lining eels have been doing the best. Sho-Nuf Sport Fishing was out earlier in the week and had a slow bite but managed to catch three trophy striped bass. While that may seem slow, any day that you catch a trophy striper is a successful one. Stripers are also being caught in the Virginia tidal rivers, including the James and York. Anglers fishing around the James River Bridge, Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, and Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel have also found success. Especially during low light hours or at night, as the lights from the bridge attract bait and fish. Eels, bucktails, and soft plastics are all working, but the biggest key has been to find bait or structure.
In the Norfolk and Virginia Beach tidal tributaries, speckled trout and red drum are in their wintering grounds. This includes the James River, Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven Inlet, and Rudee Inlet. These fish prefer to stay in areas of deep water with short access to shallow flats where they can move up to feed and warm up on sunny days. Colder weather will keep them down low in the main stems of the creeks and rivers. Anglers will want to use a slow presentation this time of year, so slow sinking or suspending jerkbaits are good lure choices. Slowly retrieving swimbaits and paddletails along the bottom also works well. Even dead sticking this time of year can be effective. We had a report from an angler fishing in Rudee Inlet who said they caught some speckled trout along deeper shoreline docks and some red drum along shallow marsh edges. It may be cold, but the fish are still biting.