Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 4 Update:

October has arrived and it is the start of an exciting transition period in the Bay. Many of our seasonal arrivals including cobia and bull redfish will start to migrate out of the Bay as the colder months approach. The area around Virginia Beach and the CBBT is a major staging ground for these fish and as of this week is still a hotspot for anglers to catch them. Cobia fishing is strictly catch and release right now, but there are plenty offering opportunities for anglers still looking to tussle with a big fish. The cobia can still be found along the CBBT pilings as ell as along the shipping channel and shoal areas. Schools of red drum can be consistently found around the islands of the CBBT. Boats with sidescan or livescope have the best luck with locating these fish. 

Sheepshead are still abundant at many of the wrecks, reefs, and bridges found in the area. These tricky fish hold tight to structure and prefer to feed on crabs crawling along pilings or hard surfaces. Virginia is known for producing big sheepshead and there have been some very nice fish caught this week. If you can’t find fiddler crabs to use for bait, peeler crab, green crab, or sand fleas will work, but nothing tops the fiddlers.

As water temperatures have started to cool off in the inlets and rivers, the shallow water bite has been improving. Red drum are offering good action in the shallows over grass beds and along nearshore structure. Speckled trout are also moving into the shallows and are prowling over the grasses searching for bait to feed on. There are a lot of shrimp found throughout the creeks and rivers right now, so cast-netting some and using them as bait is a great idea. Fresh shrimp under a popping cork or on a fish finder rig should have any fish in the area willing to bite.

Anglers looking for a more relaxed style of fishing should be happy to hear that there is excellent bottom fishing going on in the rivers and tributaries with jumbo spot and keeper croaker. Bottom rigs tipped with a variety of baits including blood worms, lug worms, Fishbites, and peeler crab is working well. Also in the mix has been kingfish, white perch, and black sea bass.