Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 7 Update:
Speckled trout has been the highlight in the Way South region recently. The specks are fattening up for winter and now is a great time of year to catch the big ones. Reports have come in from several tributaries, including the James River, Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, and Linkhorn Bay. The cooler temperatures this week appeared to lead to some sluggish fish, and one angler reported that working paddletails slowly on the bottom was the key for getting bites. Another angler said that he got out this week and found plenty of 16” to 19” fish while throwing paddletails. Red drum are also in these same tributaries and can be caught side by side with the trout. The Virginia Beach and Norfolk area tributaries are wintering grounds for these fish, so they will be available to catch throughout the winter.
The striped bass bite is also improving as water temperatures cool. The bite has been best during low light hours or at night near buildings or bridge lights. The Elizabeth River is a great place to fish for them at night, as the area is very industrialized with plenty of light illuminating the water at night. The James River has also been a noteworthy location for stripers lately. Reports have come in from the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel up to Jamestown. One angler reported a hot bite at a warm water discharge while fishing at night. Out on the main stem of the Bay, the tautog bite is heating up at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and at other reef/wreck locations. Anglers are catching tog around the rocky islands of the CBBT using crab baits on bottom sweeper jigs. The concrete ships at Kiptopeke are another tautog hotspot during the colder months, and there should be some fish showing up there now. There are also still some sheepshead around, but the season is winding down for them.