Virginia Fishing Reports

The drum beat is on in Virginia! Massive red drum to more than 50 inches are now on the feed on Eastern Shore shoals and in inlets. Anglers have also enjoyed big-game action with black drum at a number of locations in the bay. Striped bass season is open and sea bass season opens May 19. Big rockfish to more than 44 inches have been reported in the past week. Sight fishing for cobia has been fast and furious in North Carolina and anglers in Virginia are anxiously anticipating their arrival in the lower bay. ...

Nice striped bass to 32 inches have been smacking topwater baits fished among the rocks at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands and at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Trollers have also scored with striped bass. There will be renewed interest in wreck fishing when sea bass season reopens on May 19. ...

A few red drum have been hooked, battled and boated along the Eastern Shore. Look for that bite to get better with each passing day. The Third Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel has been a good spot for flounder, which have also been caught in the Back River, at buoy 36A, the Back River Reef, and off Grandview. Speckled trout action has also been reported. ...

While windy weather has created issues for anglers recently, flounder action has been good at Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Oyster and other Eastern Shore locations, while big red drum have also been hooked while prowling the shallows around Smith Island, Fisherman’s Island and other barrier islands. Flounder fishermen in the lower bay have also caught lots of red hake. Big black drum are around. While the bite has been slow, action will come on strong ...

Anglers are getting in their last-minute tog fishing before the season closes, and fish to 15 pounds have been hoisted off ocean snags recently. Big red drum are prowling the barrier islands, where surfcasters and kayakers have tangled with massive fish to 55 inches. Flounder have been hooked by anglers at the Third Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, buoy 36A, off Ocean View Pier, and on the Eastern Shore at Wachapreague and ...

Dr. Ken Neill nailed an incredible 24-pound, 3-ounce tautog which is going through the application process of being recognized as a new state record. His tremendous tog catch was made at the Triangle wrecks. The tog bite has been strong on structure in the ocean and bay, especially at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT). The other big news of the week was the arrival of red drum on Virginia’s Eastern Shore seaside. Flounder have been caught on the Eastern Shore and at the CBBT. Impressive stripers to 48 inches have been reported in the Potomac River. A Delaware state record largemouth bass was caught in a Sussex County pond recently.
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