Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 20 Update:

The speckled trout are offering great action this month. They are being caught in almost all the Way South tidal tributaries, but the best reports have been coming from the Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, and Broad Bay. The trout can be found at varying depths but are starting to transition to deeper depths of 10’ to 20’. You can still find them in the shallows near areas with warmer water temperatures. Grass beds near deep drop offs, marsh creeks, and even industrial areas can be productive. We had a report from an angler who said they caught a mix of species in 10’ to 25’ of water on a recent trip, and all their bites came on a very slow retrieve. Chartreuse was a hot color, catching a bunch of trout, a few reds, and one rockfish. Schools of puppy drum are being found in Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets right now. The reds will still be cruising in the shallows near oyster beds and marsh edges. Sometimes they will be in as shallow as a foot of water or less but searching for them in depths of three feet or less is a good way to take advantage of sight fishing.

Down at the mouth of the Bay, the rocky islands at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are hosting a good tautog bite as well. The tautog hang around the rocks, pilings, and any other hard bottom structure. They are usually willing to eat blue crab, fiddler crabs, green crabs, and clams. You’ll want to use heavy tackle to get them out of the rocky structure so they don’t break your line when you hook up. The mouth of the Bay should also see the arrival of some migratory striped bass by the end of the month. The big schools of fish are up the coast off the beaches of New Jersey but will be migrating south in the coming weeks. The big stripers usually push into the Bay and Cape Charles has historically been a hotspot to catch them in December. Large numbers of the migratory fish have moved up the Bay during the winter in recent years, so we can hope they do the same this year because they offer incredible trophy fish opportunities.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 13 Update:

The bite in the Way South region has been very good this month. FishTalk contributor David Rudow checked in after fishing at a southern Bay tributary last weekend. David said he found only one speckled trout, but the highlight of the trip was the red drum. He found some slot fish feeding on oyster beds in just one and a half feet of water. Although the water temperatures are cooling off, the reds will continue to feed in the shallows throughout the fall. Often, shallow oyster beds or large mud flats are the best places to find them. Out at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, there are still some bull red drum hanging around, but the main target for many anglers has been tautog around the rock islands. There are a mix of undersized and keeper fish hitting crab, clam, and sand fleas fished on bottom sweeper jigs.

Anglers fishing in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach tidal tributaries are reporting great action for speckled trout. The smaller trout have been abundant, but there are some big fish in the mix as well. They seem to be being caught in several areas of the water column, including smaller tidal creeks and deeper water in some of the larger rivers. The Elizabeth River has been a hotspot lately, and although it is a larger tributary, the upper branches tend to hold good numbers of specks in the fall. Paddletails, swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits are a few of the top lures to use. Striped bass have also been in the Elizabeth in good numbers. Anglers are having the best luck for them while fishing at night near bridges and building lights. One angler caught several slot-sized fish and one over the 30” mark this week. The big migratory stripers are up the coast to the north, but they are steadily making their way south and will hopefully return to the Bay in December. Anglers should be able to find them on the main stem along main ledges once they arrive.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, November 7 Update:

Speckled trout has been the highlight in the Way South region recently. The specks are fattening up for winter and now is a great time of year to catch the big ones. Reports have come in from several tributaries, including the James River, Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, and Linkhorn Bay. The cooler temperatures this week appeared to lead to some sluggish fish, and one angler reported that working paddletails slowly on the bottom was the key for getting bites. Another angler said that he got out this week and found plenty of 16” to 19” fish while throwing paddletails. Red drum are also in these same tributaries and can be caught side by side with the trout. The Virginia Beach and Norfolk area tributaries are wintering grounds for these fish, so they will be available to catch throughout the winter.

The striped bass bite is also improving as water temperatures cool. The bite has been best during low light hours or at night near buildings or bridge lights. The Elizabeth River is a great place to fish for them at night, as the area is very industrialized with plenty of light illuminating the water at night. The James River has also been a noteworthy location for stripers lately. Reports have come in from the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel up to Jamestown. One angler reported a hot bite at a warm water discharge while fishing at night. Out on the main stem of the Bay, the tautog bite is heating up at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and at other reef/wreck locations. Anglers are catching tog around the rocky islands of the CBBT using crab baits on bottom sweeper jigs. The concrete ships at Kiptopeke are another tautog hotspot during the colder months, and there should be some fish showing up there now. There are also still some sheepshead around, but the season is winding down for them.