Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Offshore Fishing Report
by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
 The spring saltwater fishery is escalating, with catches improving most everywhere. And as expected, the emerging drum scene is motivating anglers to gather peelers and clams, and head for the Eastern Shore shoals as the chances of hooking into a trophy drum improve daily. The red drum continue to provide action among the breakers and sloughs near Smith and Fishermans Island, with scattered reports of bulls also coming from the seaside portion of the 9-Foot Shoal area, especially at night. Expect this action to improve as we approach the full moon cycle later this month. Larger black drum are also becoming more active along the Eastern Shore seaside inlets and along the Latimer Shoal and the Cabbage Patch areas on the bayside. Steve Kendall of Portsmouth released a 46.5-inch black while fishing on Latimer Shoal this week. This trend will also continue to heat up over the next few weeks.
The flounder scene is still hit and miss, with the best numbers of keeper fish coming from the Eastern Shore seaside inlets, Oyster, Magothy Bay, and Back River Reef. Plenty of undersized 18-inch flatfish are coming from within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, with a few keeper fish to 4-pounds biting strip baits and jigged grubs. Tautog are still lurking on lower bay and inshore structures, but these fish are only available for catch and release until late June.
Croaker are hitting in many areas around the lower bay, with the tributary rivers still providing the largest fish. The best hauls from the rivers are coming from the (Pictured: Tidal Fisher Tricia with a nice black drum. Check the full report here ) James and York Rivers where squid and crab are doing the trick with fish to 2.5-pounds. According to Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, the best catches of medium-sized hardheads are coming from the small boat channel at the CBBT, off Ocean View, Little Creek, and Willoughby Bay. The HRBT is also giving up croaker, along with the usual mixed bag of schoolie stripers, Taylor bluefish, small gray trout, and sea mullet.
Snapper and Taylor bluefish are all over the lower bay, especially within the inlets, where anglers are experiencing excellent catches of decent blues to five pounds.
Speckled trout anglers are faring well in most all the usual haunts. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are producing good numbers of specks ranging 3 to 4-pounds, with a few citations also available up 5.5-pounds caught lately. The Eastern Shore seaside inlets and the back waters of Oyster are also good places to seek out specks using peeler crabs and swimming lures. Puppy drum are also available in these same areas, as well as near the CBBT and on inshore structures.
Although not stirring much interest, the spring trophy striped bass season is open with nice fish coming mostly from the CBBT area. Todd at Bayside Bait and Tackle reports that rockfish ranging up to 32-inches are coming from the 3rd island of the CBBT, while 42-inch fish are coming from the vicinity of the 1st island this week. Todd adds that he is also stocked with peelers, crabs, sea clams, and fresh bunker for any drum expedition.
Jumbo seabass to over five pounds are still hitting on offshore and inshore wrecks. Patrick Nelson of Richmond scored with a nice 5-pound, 5-ounce seabass while fishing the Triangle wrecks this week. Tilefish are also still lurking about the ocean floor in deeper water, while some boats are also finding a few golden tilefish, grouper, and blackbelly rosefish. The Jil Carrie, skippered by Captain Jim Brincefield out of Lynnhaven, Virginia returned to port this week after a long range deep dropping trip with a pending IGFA All tackle World Record blackbelly rosefish. The rosey tipped the scales at the local official IGFA weigh station, Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, at a whopping 4-pounds, 3-ounces, which beats the existing record by 8-ounces! The fish was caught at the Norfolk Canyon by angler William Davis of Forestville, MD.
Offshore fishing will begin to improve toward the end of this month as the action off Carolina begins to move northward. The fleets out of Carolina are finding nice yellowfin tuna when they can get out. Billfish are also in the mix with a few blue marlin reported lately. Dolphin are taking most of the spotlight, with gaffers to 30-pounds the norm lately.
Julie
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach
Virginia's Eastern Shore Fishing Report: Covering Inshore and Offshore Fishing out of Wachapreague, Chincoteague and Assateague
by Kevin of Lyn B Sportfishing - TidalFish.com Correspondent Brandon ,
This weeks report is a mixed bag with flounder being the number one target species for the eastern shore area.
Flounder up 7lbs once again have been landed with a fish at 7lb 12oz being the large fish of the week. At Wachapreague the hot spots once again are Green and Drawing channels and the Hummocks. The best bait has been a minnow, squid combo. Drifting the channel edges on the ebb tide is the best time to fish.
In Chincoteague the hot spot remain in the areas in front of memorial park and the coast guard station . The hot bait is a minnow, squid combo otherwise known as a Chincoteague sandwich.
Drum are being caught at Quimby and Wachapreague with one group of anglers catching five black drum on Thursday .
Offshore wreck fishing is getting better with one boat catching and releasing several large togs and keeping a limit of seabass for their efforts .
Until next week good luck and good fishing.
Kevin of Lyn B Sportfishing, a 34ft custom sport fisherman Captained by Bill Bowen. They offer inshore, wreck and offshore fishing adventures. Fishing from the Wachapreague, Wachapreague . Call 757-787-1074 to book a trip. | Sponsored by
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Book your charters today to catch BIG Striped Bass in VIrginia Beach and the CBBT area 2007-2008 Fishing Season! Dr. Julie Ball Extreme Sportfishing
Dr. Julie Ball writes TidalFish.com's weekly Virginia fishing reports and is known as one of the best woman anglers on the east coast.
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a 34ft custom sport fisherman Captained by Bill Bowen. They offer inshore, wreck and offshore fishing adventures. Fishing from the Wachapreague Town Marina, Wachapreague VA . Call 757-787-1074 to book a trip! Cory Ruthless Routh Kayak Charter Fishing- Tidal Fish Sponsor
If you love Kayak fishing and catching fish, visit Cory Ruthless Routh's Kayak Charter Service. You'll fish some of the most productive waters on the east coast and Cory will put you on fish. Depending on the season you can catch Puppy Drum (Redfish), Striped Bass, Blue Fish, Flounder, Trout, or Croaker--------------------------------------- Crisfield Fishing Shirt by Lateral Line
 
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**Fill in Discount Code at Checkout Click here to order now --------------------------------------- Useful Virginia Fishing Related Links Past Virginia Fishing Reports
Check out past Virginia Fishing Reports covering the Virginia Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore Atlantic Ocean, and Offshore Atlantic Ocean. Virginia Tidal Fish Message Board
Daily reports, fishing talk on how to, rigging, techniques etc.. covering the CBBT, Virginia Beach and Virginia Ocean Coastal Fishing areas
Virginia's Northern Neck Message Board
Daily reports, fishing talk on how to, rigging, techniques etc.. covering the Northern Neck of Virginia Virginia Tide Information
NOAA Tide Information for Virginia Tidal Waters Virginia Fishing Regulations
Make sure to check these before you head out Buy your Virginia Fishing License Online
Click above to get your Virginia Fishing License Online Virginia Public Boat Ramps Locations and Map
Please read the information about each ramp to understand if you need a permit.
Virginia Fishing Fish Citations Page
Check out Virginia Fish Citations and if you catch one find information here on how to register it NOAA Real Time Marine Forecasts and Buoy Reports
Real time Buoy data and Marine Forecasts for different locations in the Chesapeake Bay Rutgers University's Sea Surface Temperature of Chesapeake Bay Region and Offshore Waters
Great site to check out sea surface temperatures which are vital to know for fishing
* If you have a link that you would like to suggest that would be helpful to anglers please email me 1) the name of the site, 2) the exact URL, and 3) a short description of the information the site provides. |
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