Way South Fishing Reports
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 10 Update:
Black drum are returning to the Chesapeake Bay for their annual spawning run. Boats heading out of Cape Charles are making the run to the mouth of the Bay where they are finding black drum near the surf. These fish can be caught in the surf along the coastal beaches, but are also found at several locations in the Bay. Reef sites and the bridge pilings at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are other locations that have historically produced bites for these fish in the spring. As water temperatures continue to warm, we should see the return of the large schools of red drum. Reports along the outer banks of North Carolina have been very good, especially near Ocracoke and Hatteras. The big push of fish is still a few weeks away, but they are slowly making their way up the coast.
The action in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk inlets has been slow to pick up this spring. Part of that is likely due to the up and down weather over the past few weeks. Another reason is likely the effect of the cold stun event from this past winter, where many overwintering red drum and speckled trout died due to the prolonged cold temperatures. The good news is that this latest cold front will likely be the last that brings us temperatures near freezing. There is a significant warm up in the forecast for next week, so if that holds true, water temperatures will rise quickly and the shallow water bite should pick up.
Croaker are starting to show up in the Bay as well, but most of them are on the smaller side. Anglers fishing near Ocean View and the mouth of the James River have reported a slow croaker bite over the past week. We used to see a great run of big croaker in the Bay during the spring, but it has been many years since the big fish have been around. Most of the croaker in recent years are smaller than nine inches, but last year showed us some glimpses of larger fish. More croaker should move into the Bay over the coming weeks along with spot. The most popular way to fish for these fish is to use bottom rigs tipped with bloodworm or peeler crab. Fishbites also work very well, and you don’t have to rebait your hook after every cast.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, April 3 Update:
Ocean water temperatures are on the cooler side, but water temperatures in the tidal tributaries, especially on the western shore, are heating up rapidly with the warm temperatures this week. The creeks and rivers now have water temps in the 50s, and some may even have water temperatures in the 60s. This has caused the puppy drum to get more active in the tributaries. We had a report from an angler fishing Rudee inlet who caught a few schoolie striped bass and one red drum, but said the bite was still slow, likely due to water temperatures in the low 50s. Warmer waters in Lynnhaven Inlet and the Elizabeth River are leading to more active fish. Puppy drum can be found cruising the shallow mud flats feeding on baitfish such as mullet. Striped bass are being caught in areas with current and structure such as bridges and deeper docks. These bites should continue to improve as warmer weather takes over.
Big news came out of Virginia this week as the Virginia Marine Resources Commission closed down recreational speckled trout harvesting from April first through June 30th. This decision is in response to the cold stun event earlier this year that makes two consecutive years in a row with significant speckled trout die-offs in Virginia. Catch and release fishing is still permitted, but if you want to take a fish home for dinner, you will have to target other species. Speckled trout harvest is still allowed in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, but we will have to wait and see how many fish push up the Bay.
The black drum have finally made an appearance on the Eastern Shore of Virginia as the first few reports of fish caught in the surf came in this week. That means there are likely some moving into the Chesapeake Bay. These fish can be caught around the bridge tunnel and at various reef sites all the way up to the Tangier Sound, and occasionally even farther north. Sand fleas work very well in the surf, but in the Bay, many anglers choose to use fresh chunks of blue crab on fish finder rigs. Along with the drum moving into the Bay, tautog have also arrived at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. They can be caught around the rock islands and bridge pilings. Fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and blue crab also work very well for these fish. Dropper rigs with octopus hooks or bottom sweeper jigs are the two most common rigs for targeting tautog in this zone. A reader checked in with us after a successful trip fishing for tog last weekend at the CBBT. They caught seven keepers and a few throwbacks.
