Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 8 Update:

Large bluefish have arrived along the Virginia Beach oceanfront and are providing exciting action in the surf, around Rudee Inlet, with many fish topping 30 inches. Red drum are also beginning to mix into the surf bite, while inshore anglers continue to pick away at striped bass and slot-sized reds in rivers and inlets despite inconsistent conditions. Croaker and kingfish are steadily moving into the Bay and showing up around area piers, and black drum fishing remains productive around major bridge structures for anglers fishing by boat or kayak. Meanwhile, the annual migration of cow nose rays has begun, which could soon impact some of the region’s inshore fishing patterns.

Chopper and Slammer sized blues have shown up along the oceanfront of Virginia Beach this week. They will likely run through the surf for a few weeks and should also start to move into the Chesapeake Bay. Several reports rolled in from anglers catching bluefish over 30 inches. If you are fishing with light tackle gear, these fish will give you a run for your money and, often times, will break you off if you don’t have a heavy enough leader. Rudee Inlet has been one of the better reported locations for these big bluefish this week. Anglers are catching them both inside the inlet and just outside of it along the jetties. Paddletails have been working better than spoons. Surf fishing has also been working very well for the blues. Your best bet is to use chunks of fresh cut mullet or menhaden, but we have even seen a few blues caught on sand fleas. More red drum are also showing up in the surf, and they can be caught on these same baits.

The inshore bite in the rivers and inlets has been inconsistent, but anglers putting in enough time are having decent results. One kayak angler reported catching half a dozen striped bass in the upper 20s to low 30-inch range. They also caught two red drum around the same size. All the fish were caught throwing paddletials. Take advantage of any decent bites right now because the inevitable return of cow nose rays is right around the corner, and they may be showing up as we speak. There were reports from the area around the Sandbridge fishing pier this week that hundreds of rays were seen migrating just off the Pier. There is not anything inherently bad about them, but they will turn off a fishing bite if they move through an area in mass numbers. They can also be a nuisance when fishing with cut bait. If you are fishing from a boat and happen to come across an area with a lot of these rays around, it is worth moving to get away from them.

Croaker are continuing to move into the Bay. There have been recent reports from the Sandbridge fishing pier, Buckroe fishing pier, and areas near the James River Bridge. The fish are not jumbos by any means, but the average seems to be eight to nine inches with a few bigger ones being caught too. Kingfish, also known as roundhead, are being caught at some of the area’s fishing piers too. They are a delicious eating fish, and a lot of fun to catch while surf fishing on the beaches or bottom fishing from the piers. Black drum can also be found around the various bridges, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, and Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. These areas must be accessed by boat or kayak. Just make sure to check weather conditions if you plan to fish these bridges from a kayak. When targeting black drum, chunks of blue crab or clam are the best way to go. Hook sizes of either 8/0 or 10/0 will be best when using big chunks of bait. Tie these onto a fish finder rig and match your weight to the current and depth of the area you are fishing for the best results.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 1 Update:

The Virginia coast is lighting up with the arrival of multiple spring and early-summer species, as big bluefish and increasing numbers of red drum headline the surf bite, with even more bull reds expected to push in over the coming weeks. Bottom fishing remains productive with steady croaker and kingfish action, while tautog are providing consistent opportunities around structure both inshore and offshore, including some true jumbos. Meanwhile, the first sheepshead of the season are starting to show, signaling the continued transition into a diverse and action-packed fishery across the region.

Big bluefish are making their return to our waters. The chopper blues were encountered by anglers fishing at the mouth of Rudee Inlet, and several locations along the beaches this week. One angler fishing at Sandbridge reported catching several fish between 24 and 30 inches. The seaweed was thick, but throwing out chunks of finger mullet still got fish to bite. These fish should start to move into the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries in the Norfolk area. Red drum catches are also increasing in the surf, and several fish in the 30-inch range were caught this week along the oceanfront. Puppy drum and bull red drum numbers should steadily increase throughout the month of May. Some schools of bull reds have already been around for a few weeks now, but we should see a large push of migratory fish over the next few weeks. When they first arrive, they are often encountered in the shallows over grass flats, near Fisherman’s Island, and around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Croaker and kingfish have been abundant for anglers bottom fishing in this region. The croaker bite has been good at the mouth of the James River, but the larger fish are only around nine inches. That is not to say that larger fish aren’t around, but the theme for croaker for many years now has been that there are a lot around, but they are mostly small. Kingfish, also known as roundhead, are also showing up. An angler fishing near the Lesner Bridge boxed several nice sized kingfish earlier in the week.

Tautog fishing has been good at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. While there are plenty of fish to catch, a lot of the fish are sub-legal sized. The tog can also be found at various reef sites, the concrete Kiptopeke ships, and the mouth of Rudee Inlet. Ocean’s East Bait and Tackle reported that there are some jumbo tautog at offshore reef sites. A few of their anglers checked in after catching six fish over 10 pounds, with the largest fish weighing over 18 pounds. Sheepshead should be moving inshore, and we had our first report of the season come in this week. A kayak angler fishing the Lesner Bridge caught a few sheepshead using fiddler crabs, but they said the bites were very subtle. Look for more to arrive at the bridge tunnel and other area bridges this month.