Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 26 Update:
Cooling water temperatures are causing schools of baitfish to concentrate in the main stems of tidal tributaries. Gamefish are keying in on them and other food sources as falling water temperatures trigger them into feeding mode. Anglers heading out to night fish in the Norfolk area are finding good success. One boat reported catching a mix of bluefish, speckled trout, and several striped bass up to 28”. Another angler had a slower bite while night fishing and reported that he pulled a few small trout and a couple low 20’s stripers off a lighted dock. Docks with lights shining in the water or areas with building lights illuminating the water are great areas to fish at night. The striped bass season in Virginia is catch and release until October 4th. Starting October 4th, anglers may keep one fish per person between 19” and 24”.
Sheepshead are still being caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and they should hang around well into October. They can also be caught at other bridges, such as the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Lesner Bridge. Fiddler crabs are the top bait for these bait stealers. Using bottom sweeper jigs or small octopus hooks tied onto a dropper rig are two very effective ways to catch them. We had a report from an angler kayak fishing at the Lesner Bridge who caught a limit of sheepshead and a few puppy drum earlier this week. Bull red drum are still schooling near the CBBT islands and pilings. These fish are getting ready to make their migration south for the fall and winter. October is usually the last chance to catch the bulls before they leave our waters. The bite has been good on the Eastern Shore up near Cape Charles. Anglers are catching them using fresh cut spot, croaker, or bluefish. Surf anglers should start focusing on Sandbridge and other coastal beaches as migrating schools of red drum have been feeding in the surf. The forecast is calling for persistent NE winds which will churn the surf up, but that can be a good thing, as a rough surf usually turns the drum bite on.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 19 Update:
The early onset of fall temperatures has improved the inshore bite in the southern Chesapeake Bay. Anglers fishing in several of the tributaries surrounding Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads are reporting a better bite for puppy drum and speckled trout. Cooling water temperatures have triggered gamefish to feed more aggressively in the shallows, and there is an abundance of bait around for them to forage on, including mullet, bunker, and shrimp. Shrimp numbers are steadily increasing, and the peak season will be from the end of September through October. Anglers are already catching big shrimp in their cast nets, so if you want to get in on the action, try throwing your net at creek mouths and along marsh banks in the Lynnhaven River, Hampton River, York River, or any other tidal tributary in the southern Chesapeake.
Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that puppy drum have been a standout catch this week. These fish are cruising the shallows, feeding aggressively. Anglers should focus on areas with structure such as oyster beds, grass flats, and docks. The reds are spread out in all the tributaries, but local hotspots can include Rudee Inlet, Elizabeth River, Back River, and Fisherman’s Island. While the pups are dominating the shallows, big bull reds are still schooling around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The bulls are concentrated around the rocky islands and bridge pilings. Recent reports indicate that the second and third islands have been productive, but there is a chance to catch them anywhere along the bridge. Live lining croaker works especially well, but you can also catch them on crab baits, or with artificial jigs. Speckled trout are becoming more active throughout the Way South tributaries. Specks have moved back into the shallows, especially in areas with grass flats. We had a report from one angler who spent a morning casting topwater near Poquoson and caught five speckled trout on Heddon topwater spooks. The fish ranged between 15” and 23”, and they also missed a few blow ups as well. Captain Beck of Knot Wish’n Charters reports that Rudee Inlet is also starting to see specks, and other tributaries like the Elizabeth River are worth exploring. Grass beds will be the most productive areas but, drop offs and creek mouths can be good too.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 12 Update:
As fall begins to set in, speckled trout are becoming more active in the Way South region of the Chesapeake Bay. The best time of year to catch a big speckled trout is in the spring and fall. Cooling water temperatures have these fish moving into the shallows, especially in areas with grass beds, to feed. Anglers are finding success with three-to-five-inch paddletails, topwater lures, and popping corks. Lynnhaven inlet has been a reliable area to catch specks this month, and the other tributaries in the Virginia Beach zone should be on your radar going through the fall. These will include The Elizabeth River, Rudee Inlet, Broad Bay, Linkhorn Bay, and several other tributaries. If you want to catch a trophy sized speck, throwing topwater lures is a great way to do it. The big fish respond well to topwater walkers, and these baits also seem to weed out the little fish.
Anglers fishing the shallows should also be on the lookout for shrimp. Not grass shrimp, real shrimp. That’s right, white and brown shrimp are now annual migrators to the Chesapeake Bay. They are already starting to show up in the southern Bay tributaries, but the peak is usually around late September through October. Throwing a cast net at creek mouths and along marsh banks is a good way to catch them. These shrimp get big before they exit the Bay for the winter, making them great to use for bait, or keep them to eat for dinner. The current Virginia regulations for shrimp allow for a daily recreational possession limit of 20 quarts of shrimp with heads on or 15 quarts of tails of shrimp per person or vessel, whichever is more restrictive. All our inshore gamefish will be looking to feed on shrimp, including reds, specks, stripers, flounder, and many more. Puppy drum will especially key in on this food source in the shallows. There was a report from Captain Denny from Botangles Fly Fishing that he had a good bite for puppy drum using a fly rod on the Eastern Shore. Out in open water, bull red drum are schooling up near the CBBT where they will hangout for around another month before they start migrating south. Surf anglers should be planning to hit the coastal beaches soon to catch some of the reds feeding along the beaches. Cobia will also be feeding hard over the next month to gear up for their migration south.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 5 Update:
The fishing improved this week after a rough go last week in the southern Chesapeake Bay. Way South correspondent Chuck Harrison checked in with a recent report. Chuck said that he got out last weekend to fish the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel with a friend. The only fish they caught that was worth mentioning was a 40” bull red drum. After landing that fish, they fished the area hard but couldn’t find any others willing to bite. There has been a decent red drum bite at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The fish are schooling and feeding hard before they migrate out to the ocean and down the coast. The best bait has been fresh spot and croaker. Boats with side scan and live scope tend to have the best luck when searching for red drum around the islands, but anchoring up and dropping down live croaker can work too. It just might be a waiting game. Sheepshead are still being caught at the CBBT pilings. The bite is not red hot, but with enough peeler crabs and patience for fishing several sets of pilings, there have been some big ones caught.
Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that king mackerel have arrived to the nearshore waters off Virginia Beach. September is known to be the month that anglers have a chance at the kings on the oceanfront. AquaMan Sportfishing Charters just caught the first king mackerel that VBSF has confirmed this season. Trolling spoons or live bait is the best method for catching the kings. AquaMan has also been catching bluefish, some Spanish mackerel, and the occasional drum or cobia. Inside the inlets and rivers, puppy drum, speckled trout, and striped bass have been the primary targets. We had a report from an angler fishing in the James River who said that shoreline docks have been consistently producing puppy drum in the mornings. Fishing at night can also be very effective for drum and stripers this time of year. The Elizabeth River has several industrialized sections that include a lot of dock and building lights. The illuminated water usually attracts baitfish, and also gamefish looking to feed. The most exciting catch we heard of this week was a 17-pound tripletail that is the pending new Virginia state record. That is quite an unexpected catch!