It just seems too amazing to be true: It’s February, and big bluefin continue to provide action, often less than one mile from the beach! These big beautiful fish have hit the scales from 100 to more than 300 pounds. Absolutely incredible!
Still plenty of big rockfish on the prowl along the oceanfront, at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and in the bay (where’s it catch-and-release only). Cape Henry has been a striped bass hot spot, and a dandy 49 incher was nailed last week at the Concrete Ships at Kiptopeke. Many ocean stripers have been hooked tandem parachute rigs, Stretch 30s, and Tomics pulled on Mojo style rigs. Hefty tautog have been pulled from structure at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Anglers fishing the Hot Ditch in the Elizabeth River have hooked nice wintertime speckled trout. Offshore deep droppers have scored with blueline tilefish to 14 pounds. Freshwater anglers have brawled with behemoth blue catfish to more than 40 pounds in the James River. Largemouth bass, mostly 2- to 3-pound fish, with a few lunker 7 pounders mixed in, along with striped bass, have been caught in Lake Anna and Smith Mountain Lake.
(Photo: As amazing as the striped bass and bluefin tuna action has been, they are not the only game in town. Fish Boy OV8, his father and friend Mike enjoyed terrific tog action at the CBBT on Saturday, Feb. 4. They hauled up 11 tog, including these bulldogs, at the Second Island of the CBBT where the water temperature was between 47 and 48 degrees. While they used both clams and live hard crabs for bait, they said the bite was better on crabs.)
Fishing Shows, Fishing Seminars, and other Fishing Events.
Great Bridge Fisherman’s Association 3rd Annual Fishing Flea Market/Swap Meet
When: March 10
Where: Hickory Ruritan Club in Chesapeake
Details: For more information or to reserve tables,
call Butch Pierce at (757) 287-0330.
From IGFA Virginia Beach Representative Julie Ball:
It may not have been 70 degrees, but many days with the highs hovering near 50 degrees in February? Still amazing! Temperate air conditions like these are holding the water temperatures in the upper 40s, encouraging the bait to linger nearby with striped bass and bluefin tuna closely in pursuit. This astonishing striper-bluefin phenomenon is still thrilling local anglers and attracting folks from all over to fish for tuna and rockfish off Virginia Beach. Whale watching is also at its best right now, with at least four different species wintering off our coast.
It seems that whenever anglers begin to worry that the incredible ocean rockfish bite has slowed, a burst of action and limits of big fish put their minds at ease. These fish are on the move, keeping boats on the lookout, but most of the rockfish action is still stretched between Cape Henry and Sandbridge within 2.0 miles of shore. With some fish still weighing between 40 and 50 pounds, this fishery is turning into one of the best winter rockfish seasons folks can remember. Reports indicate there are still fish to the north of us heading this way. Rockfish made a great showing off of Ocean City, Maryland this week. The folks at Ocean’s East 2 report that stripers are favoring tandem parachute rigs, Stretch 30s, and Tomics pulled on Mojo style rigs lately. But if catch-and-release is your mission, anglers are finding tons of life in bay waters, and very good action while working the structure of the Bay Bridge Tunnel and the Lesner Bridge. Big fish are available from north of Plantation Light, down to the mouth of the bay.
The biggest interest on the fishing front is still the extraordinary and bizarre bluefin tuna fishery that continues to thrill anglers right off the coast of Virginia Beach. Big tuna, with most ranging between 130 to 160 pounds, seem content to mingle with the striped bass and whales along the coastline. Most of the action is between Dam Neck and False Cape, from around 2 to 5 miles out. Several fish were boated this past week, and as long as the water temperatures stay in range, the fish have no reason to leave. Bluefin are still taking mixed offerings, but most landings are resulting from rockfish lures pulled on offshore gear. Our neighbors to the north are also still boating big bluefin tuna off their coasts.
Speckled trout are still receiving attention from skinny-water anglers, but the action is unreliable. Some decent catches are coming from the Elizabeth River, where live bait is working in the Cove, but most anglers are scoring by casting lures. The fish are hanging on ledges in deeper water, so a slow retrieve with a sinking lure is the key. Puppy drum and a few schoolie-sized striped bass are also hitting in the Elizabeth River.
Inshore tog hunters are faring very well with fish ranging up to around 10 pounds. The bay water temperatures are still encouraging good activity on the CBBT structure and lower bay wrecks. Crabs are the top bait but they are very difficult to find, so plan ahead if you are organizing a trip. Remember that you can only keep three fish at 16 inches or longer. Tog are also active on deeper-water wrecks, but small sea bass are making catches a challenge as they quickly nibble away on baits. Nice flounder are also hitting on some of these same structures.
Those venturing out to scour the deeper ocean floors via deep dropping are finding that blueline tile fishing is good, with many pushing to over 14 pounds. When boats make a move a little closer to the canyon, other deep-water species such as a variety of grouper, wreckfish, barrelfish, and black-bellied rosefish are lurking along the deep bottom, which will certainly make any angler’s day. Metal jigs are a good alternative to bait for catching deep-water bottom dwellers, and can help keep the annoying dogfish at bay.
Ken Neill reports in from tidal Virginia:
We are well into February and we are still catching bluefin tuna along Virginia’s oceanfront. The fish are being caught anywhere from a half-mile off of the shore on out as far as 10 miles. They might be out farther, but there has not been an incentive to run out and see, because of the availability of fish right on the beach. Many of the encounters are occurring inside the 3 nautical mile line for anglers pulling a mixed tuna and rockfish spread. Rockfish action has been hot and cold. The action gets hotter when the water gets colder. Cape Henry remains the area to be when the action turns on. The bay is full of rockfish that are providing some very good catch-and-release action. Fish are being caught along the CBBT, the Plantation area, along the Baltimore Channel and even up in the rivers like the York and James. Tautog remain active in the lower bay and on the coastal wrecks. Good tog catches have been made at the CBBT. Speckled trout are available in the Elizabeth River in the Hot Ditch area. Tilefish are being caught around the 50-fathom curve when a boat makes it out there to try. Boats running offshore out of the Outer Banks are catching some bluefin and yellowfin tuna, depending on the day.
February 6: The Virginia bluefin bite just will not stop. Crazy fishing. It is February and we are still catching bluefin tuna right along the beach. It was a beautiful day, sunny and calm. There were only a few boats out along the Virginia Beach oceanfront but those out there were tangling with bluefin tuna. The best bite was from the Golf Ball to the condos at Sandbridge from 2 to 8 miles off of the beach. We hooked two. We pulled the hook on one. Michael Hurst caught the other one. Both were hooked on the same Stretch 30. This was Mike's first-ever bluefin tuna. It had a fork-length of 62 inches and weighed 133 pounds. While weighing the fish at Inlet Station Marina, another boat came in with a tuna twice the size of ours. They caught it on a 6/0 after a 3-hour fight. A 47-pound striped bass was also weighed in while we were cleaning our tuna.
Feb. 4, Steve Martin did a lot of running around the Cape Henry area and the lower bay. Birds and bait were all over. They caught and released a 49-inch rockfish at the Concrete Ships off Kiptopeke.
Virginia Freshwater Fishing Reports
POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. – White perch are on their way. At Fletcher's, smallmouth and largemouth bass are showing up in the creels of fishermen using live minnows. Channel catfish are taking cut winter shad, fished on the bottom. Small yellow perch may be found on the flat behind Roosevelt Island, taking small plastic grubs and live minnows. Bass are feeding heavily on slow-moving, minnow-imitating lures, throughout the city. Most productive lures seem to be three-inch, dark-colored plastic grubs rigged on 1/8-ounce leadhead jigs, and dark-colored jig 'n pigs. Chrome Rat-L-Traps, in the quarter-ounce size, and small, wide-wobbling crankbaits are also taking some good bass. These baits should be fished on shallow flats, adjacent to drop-offs. Slow to moderate retrieves will produce best. Catfish and carp are still congregated at the discharge of the Alexandria power plant and Blue Plains. Nightcrawlers, cut bait, doughballs, and live minnows are taking the fish. Bass are also available at Blue Plains on Silver Buddies and Carolina-rigged lizards. Crappie are schooled up and biting well. Try the underwater brushpiles in Belle Haven Cove and The Spoils. Nice crappie are also available around the docks in Washington Sailing Marina. Live minnows and small crappie jigs are the tickets. Yellow perch are taking live minnows, small Hopkins spoons and Roadrunners on gravel points and coves in the Woodrow Wilson bridge area. The island in the back of the Spoils holds a large number of these tasty little fish. Check the discharge from the Pentagon heating system in Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary for walleye. There are nice fish reported on the bottom at the exit pipe under G.W. Parkway. The mouth of Four Mile Run is giving up large numbers of bass and carp to anglers fishing under the bridges.
POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE - Some good bass are being taken by concentrating on drop-offs into 15 to 20 feet of water. Small grubs and jig 'n pigs are producing fish. Most of the fish are in the 1 to 3-pound range, but an occasional 5 pounder finds its way into the stringers. Crappie schools are roaming the drop-offs and brushpiles in most of the tidal creeks and may be taken on live minnows or small crappie jigs. The best areas are adjacent to wood structure that is close to deeper water. Yellow perch have invaded the river, but have not been in great supply in the creeks. Live minnows are the best bait, although yellow 1/8-ounce Blakemore Roadrunners, fished very slowly on the bottom, will take fish. Catfish are taking cut bait, preferably winter shad, fished on the bottom in the main creek channels. Crappie are still schooled in Mattawoman and Aquia creeks.
OCCOQUAN RIVER – Yellow perch have still not put in an appearance. Isolated fish are taken, but numbers are still missing. The boat docks and rock wall on the northern shore of the river are holding largemouth bass. Fishing the drop-offs will produce bass. The key is patience. A jig 'n pig, plastic grub or live minnow, cast into the shallow water and moved very slowly into the deeper water, will entice the bass into striking. Use an exposed hook where possible, as the strikes will be very light, and hooking the fish will be difficult. Bottom-fished shad baits will take some of the large blue and flathead catfish cruising the river at this time.
OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR – Very little action. The upper section of the lake is showing ice. Those bass that are caught are coming from the main lake points downlake. Lots of good crappie are being taken on live minnows and tiny jigs in the submerged brushpiles and standing timber.
BURKE LAKE – The lake is showing lots of ice in the mornings. When the ice abates, catfish action is fair on chicken livers and nightcrawlers, fished in the deeper holes near the dam. Bass and walleye action is slow, but fish are being taken on live minnows, nightcrawlers and plastic grubs, drifted across the bottom and points. Muskie are on the prowl, with jumbo minnows and large, trolled baits being the keys. Panfish are taking small minnows and nightcrawlers.
LAKE ANNA – Near the dam, the water temperature is in the lower 40's, midlake finds 40- to 42- degree water, and it cools to 38 to 40 degrees uplake. Mornings are showing ice throughout the upper lake. Largemouth bass are being caught on main lake points, near the dam, in 6 to 8 feet of water. Best choice for bait is live minnows, spinnerbaits and jig 'n pig. Bass are running 2 to 7 pounds. Crappie fishing is good, with the schools suspended over the creek channels. Live minnows and tiny jigs are the preferred baits. Some striper action is being found around the Splits, with Sassy Shads.
JAMES RIVER – Bass action is still slow in the lower tidal sections. Some yellow perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass are being taken in the stretches below Dutch Gap. Most of the fish are being caught on live minnows, plastic grubs and jig 'n pigs. A few walleye are mixed in. Crappie are biting small minnows in the barge pits. Blue catfish action is hot, with fish to more than 40 pounds caught on cut bait. The Appomattox River is also producing good blue catfish action.
LAKE GASTON – Largemouth bass in the 2- to 3-pound range are taking jig 'n pig baits in the northern ends of the creeks. Larger bass and pickerel are also available just behind the dam. Spinnerbaits are the prime bait. Crappie are biting live minnows, drifted across shallow flats and creek channels. A few stripers are available around the bridges, when the water is moving. Live shad and bucktails are the primary baits for casters, while trollers are using the Cordell Redfin. Action is still good in Roanoke Rapids Reservoir, below the Gaston Dam.
BUGGS ISLAND LAKE – Bass action is fair to good on spinnerbaits and live shad in 6 to 8 feet of water off points. Crappie are taking small minnows over creek channels and brushpiles, particularly in Rudd's, Butcher, Panhandle and Grassy creeks. A fair number of large bass are taking Rat-L-Traps in the back of creeks, particularly on northeastern banks.
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE – Striper and largemouth bass fishing is good. Bass are taking jigging spoons and plastic grubs on humps, while 12- to 14-pound stripers are taking bucktails. Occasional walleye are jumping on jigging spoons in 25 to 30 feet of water. Some larger stripers are taking live shad in the coves on the northeastern side of the lake.
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