Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report 3/30/2018 Update:
Although the weather warmed up this past week wind conditions stayed high, preventing most anglers from traveling outside the inlets from Delaware clear down through Virginia. There's still a month and change left for tog, so as weather conditions improve there should still be time to head out to the wrecks when the water temps come up and the wind speeds drop down. Hook 'em and Cook 'em reported that there was a bit of a rockfish bite in Indian River inlet, although it was unclear what guys have been using. Small stripers have also been providing some catch and release action to anglers fishing soft plastics at the the Route 90 bridge in Ocean City.
Reports from Ocean's East in Virginia Beach are much the same, of wind, wind, and more wind. There have been a few stripers caught and released near the CBBT and HRBT, but no more current reports of redfish in Rudee. Those fish should still be around, but it will take some better weather for the bite to improve. On the bright side, we did hear of the very first flounder being caught on Virginia's Eastern Shore sea side, from the folks at Sea Hawk. It was a loner but it was a keeper, and hopefully a harbinger of things to come. Also, the Virginia Beach Fishing Center announced it's re-opened, after their winter renovations.
Coastal Correspondent John Unkart is still down south in Florida and reports that even way down there it's been too windy to fish, with six foot waves crashing the beach and his hurricane sinker being washed right out of the surf.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report 3/23/2018 Update:
WHITE ALERT! Yes, this alert is white, not red, and we're betting you can guess why. Much of our region got pounded by the snowstorm and the areas that escaped have still been saturated and much colder than normal. Spring is officially on hold - and unfortunately, so is spring fishing. From the Delaware beaches to the Virginia shore, everyone we spoke with basically said the same thing: the bad weather hasn't allowed boats to travel outside the inlets, and the inshore water temperatures have fallen too low for decent tog fishing, anyway. Capt. Monty on the Morning Star says until inshore water temps come up a bit and the tautog get active again he's hit the pause button; he did remind us that the OC Reef Foundation's Reef Diner will take place at Seacret's on May 6 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and tickets are $25. The Reef Foundation's raffle is now underway, too, with a rather magnificent over-under Benelli 828U over-under as the grand prize. Visit the Reef Foundation web site or email Monty at [email protected] to learn more.
In the southern reaches of the Mid-Atlantic some Virginians mercifully got rain instead of snow, depending on where in the state you're located, but Virginia Beach and the surrounding coastal areas were treated to rough seas and even this far south water temperatures are below the lets-go-fishing mark, with Cape Henry reporting 42.6 degrees. The monthly average for March in Virginia Beach is 44.8, but this late in the month it should be noticeably higher than that and on it's way up, not down. Fingers are crossed it starts rising soon.
Right about now many people may be thinking "where's the real fishing info in this report?" The sad truth of the matter is that no one we spoke with could provide any information about actual fish being caught this week. Before the front moved through we had the first early reports of a few reds in the area from Ocean's East and there were still being tuna caught out of the North Carolina ports, plus a handful of drum caught from the beach (though it sounds like the bite had slowed a bit from what it was the past couple weeks). North of the NC/VA border, however, we're afraid we've got nothing.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report 3/16/2018 Update:
Wind and weather continues to be the main impediment to coastal anglers in our region. The recent fronts have actually caused water temps to drop a bit along the beaches, and while tog should still be an option at the wrecks and reefs the waves have been to big for anyone we spoke with to get out and try for 'em. However, we do have good news - and the first hint of spring - coming from the Virginia inlets. We're excited that this week Ocean's East began getting a few reports of puppy drum being caught in Rudee and Lynnhaven, a sure indication that spring is on its way. Peeler crab and cut mullet have been the best baits, the fresher the better. The outgoing tide has had the best fishing, as the drum are hunting for bait being pulled out of the crevices by moving water. Considering the early presence of slot-sized reds off the beach in North Carolina the past few weeks, we're hopeful for a strong and early appearance of this species for the 2018 season.
Our Coastal Corespondent John Unkart is still down south enjoying warm weather and speckled trout fishing in Florida, but he has been getting reports from back home about a bit of action. The Route 90 bridge in Ocean City has been worth visiting lately if you need some catch-and-release joy, where anglers casting lures have been reeling in the occasional undersized rockfish. Meanwhile we have zero news from Delaware, where it seems the weather and a lack of inshore fish have kept coastal fishing excitement rather low the past week.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report 3/9/2018 Update:
Sorry folks, but we don't have much info for you on coastal fishing this week. Fishing offshore has been downright un-doable for the recent past, as high winds have made it near impossible to leave the inlet. This weekend it looks from the NOAA weather reports like there may be a short weather-window on Sunday for toggers to try to get out, but it's bracketed by 20 knot winds so make your choices carefully.
Looking for some warmer weather and better fishing, Coastal Correspondent John Unkart reports that after driving all the way to Melbourne, FL for a week of surf fishing, even down there he's been stymied. Winds over 20 MPH and waves to eight feet have made fishing essentially impossible and all his texts and emails have included big, red unhappy-faces.
Meanwhile, the buoys show that water temps have ceased rising for the moment thanks to all this weather and the unceasing wind. Locally, we're just going to have to wait for things to calm down, and warm up. To our south as of the last reports there were still bluefin creating some excitement off the Carolina coast, as well as yellowfin and blackfin. But no one's been able to get out down there lately, either. The recent surf bite on drum also remains unconfirmed as of late.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report 3/2/2018
Close to home, the inshore wrecks have been the only notably productive fishery, as the tautoug fishing and sea bass bites have kept up though the season. Tog was on the slow side in the northern reaches on the Mid-Atlantic recently, getting a bit better as you headed south. Green crab and peeler blue crab remain effective baits. Anglers going for sea bass have been having better luck with clam. Unfortunately, heavy winds will obviously keep the boats at the dock this weekend and probably into next week.
Offshore not much action has been going on north of Hatteras, where winter bluefin tuna are being cranked in by anglers are trolling ballyhoo. Word from North Carolina is that the bluefin are crushing naked and skirted horse 'hoo, and pushing a bit farther out has resulted in decent yellowfin catches. A blackfin or two has also popped up in the mix.
The one other option for anglers who want to remain off the DelMarVa coast might be deep-dropping, which remains do-able when the weather allows since the boats that have made it out in the recent past have only had moderate spiny dogfish headaches. However, we haven’t spoken with anyone who made it to the deep for tilefish during the past week.
If you're willing to hop in the car and make a drive, there have also been redfish at The Point, with surf anglers doing well with cut mullet and large shrimp fished on fishfinder and Doodlebug rigs. Many of these fish have been in the slot.
Many coastal area anglers stayed close to home this week, enjoying the perch run. Pretty much all the coastal tidal creeks in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia which support perch runs are in prime form right now, and anglers fishing minnow or grass shrimp on bottom rigs and shad darts are enjoying this harbinger of spring.