Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 29 Update:
Hopefully it was a great a great Christmas for everyone with Santa bringing some new fishing gear to try out in the new year. Although it is colder, the fishing can still be red hot in this section of the Bay. Striped bass, redfish, and speckled trout are all on the table throughout the winter. The Elizabeth River is offering some of the best speckled trout action out of all the tidal tributaries in this region of the Bay right now. Reader reports indicate a lot of “gator trout” being caught with plenty of fish in the low 20s around. One angler caught his four keeper fish in two hours then continued to catch multiple fish over 20 inches. There are also lots of slot and over slot red drum being caught still.
Oceans East Bait and Tackle let us know that boats heading out for the big ocean run striped bass are finding success slow trolling tandem rigs and umbrellas. Live lining eels has also been very effective. Reel Release Sportfishing was out targeting the big stripers last weekend and had an epic bite with around 15 trophies striking. All the fish they landed were between 45 and 51 inches. Another boat out targeting these fish reported hooking up with seven big fish. Fishing for these trophies is strictly catch and release right now as they are well over the slot. There are still a few days left to keep slot sized stripers as Virginia’s striped bass season ends on December 31st. Catch and release fishing will still be permitted and it is also important to handle the big fish with care; check out Dos and Don’ts of Catch and Release Fishing for a brush-up on how to handle these fish. They will be responsible for the future of the fishery.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 22 Update:
Winter has officially started, but the colder weather doesn’t seem to have slowed the bite down too much. The fish have just changed their patterns but are still very willing to bite. The tidal rivers and tributaries have seen good action for rockfish, speckled trout, and red drum. The Elizabeth River has produced some very big speckled trout this fall and that bite is continuing. One angler reported that the southern branches produced multiple fish into the mid 20s this week. There has also been a good red drum bite in the Elizabeth River along the deeper channels. One boat fishing in the beginning of the week said that they boated many fish over 30 inches. One-ounce jigs were required to get to the bottom where the fish were feeding in around 50 feet of water. Rockfish have also become more numerous in the tributaries this month and they can be caught using similar tactics. Deeper channels with shallow water nearby will be good areas to target all three of these gamefish.
Oceans East Bait and Tackle let us know that the big bluefin tuna are still showing themselves in big numbers off the coast of Virginia Beach. You don’t have to travel far as these fish have been caught as close as one mile off the beach. The bulk of the fish, however, are being caught from three to 10 miles off the beach in 50 to 60 feet of water. Reports of over slot fish have been coming in from the southern grounds near the Chesapeake Light Tower. Most of these fish have been caught by trolling ballyhoo or nine-inch Sassy Shads as anglers look for big ocean-run stripers that are also in the area. Some very nice tuna have been caught and put in the fishbox this week, but a lot of fish are over the 73-inch mark and have had to be released. The tuna have not been this close to our fishing grounds in many years, so if you have the opportunity to get out for them, make sure to take advantage of it.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 15 Update:
The big news along the coast has been the arrival of bluefin tuna, which have attracted the attention of many area anglers. These fish are being caught from Virginia Beach up to Ocean City and it has been quite a few years since we have seen them in such large numbers close to the coast. This week we had boats catch tuna as close as one mile off the beach. Most of the keeper size fish are being caught in the 50- to 60-foot range off Smith Island (the one on the coast, not the one inside the Bay!). Oversized fish have been released a little further south near the Chesapeake Light Tower. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing wants to remind anglers that according to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), anglers who want to catch bluefin tuna must have a valid recreational fishing license and a Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). They must also follow the size, bag, and possession limits set by the NMFS, which vary depending on the season and the area. Additionally, anglers must report their catch to NMFS within 24 hours of landing and use only rod and reel or handline gear. Make sure you have HEAVY tackle if you are going to target these fish. Birds are often disclosing their location, as is the presence of the Omega boats.
Striped bass are also becoming more numerous in the southern Bay tidal tributaries. Big ocean-run fish are being caught in the main stem of the Bay near the islands of the CBBT. Trollers are having the most success catching the big fish and we had a report of a boat that netted and released five over-slot fish. There were also some nice sized rockfish caught by a few different anglers in the Elizabeth River this week with one reporting in after catching 13 stripers between 20 and 33 inches. He was using a four-inch paddletail on a three-quarter ounce jighead. The speckled trout have also been an attraction for light tackle anglers in the Elizabeth River with the southern branch being noted as a hotspot this week. Rudee Inlet has also seen some trout action and Knot Wish’n Charters says the fish continue to bite good inside the inlet on fresh cut bait and paddletails. Fishing is good folks, get out there and catch them while you can!
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Virginia, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 8 Update:
December has brought colder weather and some of the big migratory striped bass along with it to the Chesapeake Bay. A few anglers are trolling around the CBBT where the stripers are migrating through. We even saw a report from an angler targeting tautog who was casting a jig around while switching spots and hooked up with a big striper near one of the islands. There was also a surprise catch of an over 40-inch rockfish caught by an angler speck fishing in Broad Bay. The specks have been drawing the most attention from anglers fishing the tidal tributaries. The Elizabeth River holds big fish this time of year and just about anywhere on the river is good right now with fish up to 30 inches being caught. The docks near the Norfolk Naval Station were noted as a hotspot and one angler checked in after catching a 27-incher and a few more over 20. Southern portions of the ESVA are still seeing some excellent catches, too. One reader checked in after a spectacular day of fishing the shallows somewhere north of Silver Beach. He had two days in a row of awesome sight fishing action with about 10 redfish each day, some making the upper end of the slot.
Oceans East Bait and Tackle let us know that there is a hot bluefin tuna bite right outside the mouth of the Bay. You read that right, the bluefins are being caught just outside of the Bay from Virginia Beach up to Ocean City. They even had a boat check in with a fish approaching giant status last weekend. There seems to be a good number of fish around, so make sure to get on them while the getting is good. The Virginia Beach sea bassers also report excellent action, with a wider range of species including bluefish, ribbonfish, and an occasional flounder popping at the wrecks and reefs. As water temperatures have dipped into the lower 50s and upper 40s in the Bay, tautog have started to move into some of their wintering areas. These fish are being caught at both the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The fish at the HRBT have been on the smaller side and less numerous compared to the CBBT, where the action has been much better. An angler checked in after catching around 20 tog at the CBBT. Five were keepers and they noted that shrimp worked better than blue crab.
ANGLER ALERT: If you partake in striped bass fishing in Virginia, remember, next year’s regulations will be changing to combine all Bay jurisdictions and you only have until December 22 to provide comment on 2024 regulation options! See Chesapeake Bay Angler Alert: 2024 Striped Bass Reg Changes for the details and instructions on how to submit comment.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 1 Update:
Speckled trout are the main target for many light tackle anglers in this region of the Bay right now, and fishing for them has been speck-tacular. They are being caught in most of the tidal inlets, creeks, and rivers. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing let us know that Captain Todd Beck with Knot Wish’n Charters reported a fantastic trout bite at Rudee Inlet last weekend, with almost every cast producing a fish for three hours. However, most of them were undersized. Another angler fishing in an undisclosed location reported having one of his best days on the water in a long time during the cold snap this week. He worked hard in the strong winds and cold temperatures but was rewarded with four citation sized speckled trout all between 24 and 26 inches, plus a bunch more that were over 20 inches. He noted that despite the cold weather, he didn’t slow down his presentation and the fish were still hitting aggressively. A boat fishing in one of the tidal tributaries (they didn’t name which one) had a great day catching redfish in the shallows. In total, they caught 16 mid-to-upper-slot reds using soft plastics during an incoming tide. Surprisingly, the fish were all in two to four feet of water. There was also a report of a 24-inch red caught on a pink MirrOlure in Rudee Inlet.
Striped bass are also increasing in numbers in the tidal tributaries and major rivers like the Elizabeth and York, as well as around the CBBT. These fish are starting to be caught in the same areas as the trout and using the same type of tactics will catch both fish. Fishing at night around docks lights can be particularly effective as the rockfish will be feeding on the baitfish attracted to the lights. Trollers are doing the best out in the Bay where tandem rigs and small umbrellas are doing most of the catching. There have been a lot of big rockfish off the coast of New Jersey and it is about time for some of those fish to head south and enter the Bay. Be on the lookout for some big fish to show up soon. Main stem water temperatures are hovering in the lower 50s which means that more tautog are showing up at structures like the CBBT, wrecks, and reefs. A variety of crab baits work well, but tog will also hit clams and whelks. This seasonal fishery is just getting started and should improve through the winter months.