Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, October 28 Update:
The shallows down south have been very productive for anglers this week. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that trout fishing in the rivers, inlets, and along the oceanfront is good right now with some real quality specks being caught. We had reports this week of multiple specks into the mid 20’s coming over the gunwales. The larger fish seem to be harder to find and more spread out but there are plenty of smaller specks to keep anglers busy. Correspondent Chuck Harrison made it out for a trip to the HRBT and reported catching plenty of small specks. Most fish were caught on one half ounce jigheads with chartreuse Gulp! Swimming mullet tails.
Anglers seeking speckled trout have also been catching plenty of puppy drum and rockfish while out on the water. A kayak angler checked in after some night fishing in the Elizabeth, where he caught both puppy drum and rockfish. MirrOLures and paddletails work well for specks, rockfish, and puppy drum in the shallows so casting them out gives you a good chance at getting a bite. You can never go wrong with a white colored bait, but these fish also have a liking for bright pinks and oranges. When targeting the shallows, try to find clean water and areas with good current or shoreline structure.
There are still big red drum available but most of those fish are heading south as the weather gets cooler, so act fast if you want in on this action. The CBBT and artificial reefs in the Bay are still holding solid numbers of tautog and sheepshead. Multiple fish in the 10-pound range for both species were caught this week. When targeting these fish, you will want your tackle to be on the heavier side, say 20-to-30-pound class and a rod with some backbone. The best baits are going to be quartered blue crabs, marsh crabs, fiddler crabs, or sand fleas. These fish will be tight to structure so make sure to bring plenty of rigs in case of snags. Now is a great time to be on the water, so get out there and get to fishing!
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, October 20 Update:
There are lots of fish willing to bite down south as water temperatures cool. Most species are in feeding mode right now as they look to fatten up before winter sets in. Speckled trout have been providing great action in the rivers and inlets for light tackle anglers in the shallows. These fish have been hanging around grass flats and are biting paddletails and artificial shrimp baits. Both of these work well paired with a popping cork. Rockfish have also been mixed in with the trout in the rivers and inlets. One angler in the Norfolk area reported that he has been catching stripers on a MirrOLure with the largest coming in at a hefty 27 inches. Soon we should start to see some trophy class fish move into the Bay as they work their way down the coast and up the Chesapeake. The big rocks will be feeding on large bunker and can be caught trolling shad paddletails on umbrella rigs. That bite will pick up as we get closer to winter.
Down near Virginia Beach, redfish have the headlines. Slot-sized fish are being caught in the inlets with a reader reporting excellent action on shrimp in Lynnhaven, and surf anglers have continued their success with the larger red drum. The best bait has been fresh cut spot which has produced both slot and over-slot fish. Other catches from the surf have include kingfish and croaker. Oceans East reports that anglers are still boating plenty of flounder at the CBBT, the coastal inlets, and the nearshore wrecks. Just because it is getting cold doesn’t mean the fishing has to stop so get out there this week to take advantage of the great fishing going on right now. Good luck and tight lines!
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, October 14 Update:
October got off to a slow start thanks to some poor weather, but it appears things are kicking back into gear now that we have reached the middle of the month. Hampton Roads Correspondent Chuck Harrison was able to get out on a few trips this past week. On both trips he fished around the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. One trip produced an 18.5 inch flounder along with a ton of undersized speckled trout. On his other trip, he managed to catch three keeper specks but noted they were all under 18 inches. Chuck says that a lot of people were out fishing on both days, however it appeared most boats did not have much to show for their efforts.
Oceans East reported that the speckled trout fishing has really picked up in the rivers. Anglers have been reporting plenty of small specks while fishing and that the keepers have been in the range of 14 to 20 inches. Popping corks paired with soft plastic shrimp baits, paddletails, and MirrOlures are working well. Small red drum have also been a common bycatch for those targeting specks. Since Virginia’s fall rockfish season has opened, we have also seen many anglers enjoying that fishery. The shallows are holding solid numbers of rockfish in areas with structure such as points, rock jetties, islands, and breakwaters. As we move further into the fall and closer to winter, the rockfish will head for deeper water following the bait. The schools will be along channel ledges and can be located using depth finders. Jigging for these fish is the most popular method so stock up soft plastics and jig heads to get ready for the action.
The flounder bite at the CBBT is still steady and fish up to 10 pounds or larger are being caught. Sheesphead can also be found on the pilings and rock structure near the bridge and tunnels. Sand fleas and fiddlers work great for the sheepshead. The fall is a fun time on the Chesapeake so make sure to find some time in your busy schedule to hit the water. Good luck and tight lines!
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, October 6 Update:
The remnants of Hurricane Ian hammered the Bay with persistent wind and heavy downpours for the majority of last weekend and the beginning of this week. This made fishing tough in most areas and not many anglers braved the storm leaving us with few reports from the southern area of the Bay. The storm made water murky and it will likely take a few days for things to settle but once it does fishing should get back on schedule. Virginia’s rockfish season opened on October 4 and will be open until December 31. The slot for rockfish is a minimum of 20 inches and a maximum of 36 inches and the possession limit is one per angler. The fish in Virginia waters will be in the shallows through the end of the month but look for them to move into deeper water and school up to feed on the baitfish coming out of the tidal rivers.
A few anglers have made it out post-Ian at this point, and the reports form the inlets are good. An evening on the kayak produced multiple reds, specks, and stripers on the fly in Rudee, and with the falling temps all of these bites should pick up in the coming weeks. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reported that the speckled trout bite has also been good at the Lynnhaven inlet. Anglers are catching them along with puppy drum on paddletails rigged on light jigheads. VBSF also reported that fishing at the CBBT has been good for sheepshead as well as flounder. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs work great for the sheepshead and small mullet are enticing the flounder. Bottom fishers have been catching plenty of large spot as they make their way south so anglers looking to bottom fish for them should find plenty. Let’s hope for some good fishing this weekend to get back on schedule for the great bites October can provide.