Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 1 Update:
Days are getting longer, and temperatures are warming up. This means spring is approaching and the fishing action will soon start to heat up. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing let us know that the inlets should be prime locations to target puppy drum in March. Some fish are already being caught in less than 10 feet of water. These fish will move into the shallows on warmer days to search for bait. Areas with large mud flats will warm up the quickest and can be productive area's this time of year. One angler fly fishing from their kayak this week reported catching two puppy drum that were just under slot in Rudee Inlet. Another angler reported catching a few drum up to 30 inches on artificial lures but didn’t specify their location. They did say that the fish were caught in the shallows.
Speckled trout action should also be on the rise this month as water temperatures warm up. The same area's that produce puppy drum should begin to have trout show up as well. The Elizabeth River is still one of the most reliable bodies of water to target trout in right now. The key lately has been working lures VERY slowly as the fish are lethargic. We had a report that very light jigheads with three-inch paddletails were getting bites this week. VBSF also mentioned to us that March should be a good month for tautog. As water temperatures rise towards the 50-degree mark, more tog will show up at the CBBT, wrecks, and reefs in the southern Bay. More options are becoming available, and as always, it should be an exciting Spring in the Chesapeake.