Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 6 Update:

Fishing is still slow in the Way South region of the Chesapeake Bay. The good news is that we are right on the brink of several bites kicking off. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 40s, but once they reach that magical 50-degree mark, several species will offer excellent opportunities. There are puppy drum in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlet, but anglers are reporting that these fish are still very lethargic. We had two skunk reports from the area this week, and another angler only had a few bites. They are also still seeing dead speckled trout from the fish kill last month, so don’t have any high expectations for speck fishing at the moment. Some striped bass are being caught in the deeper waters of the Elizabeth River near bridges and docks, especially those with lights illuminating the water at night. The striper spawning migration should start soon when the big fish move up the Chesapeake Bay. We had reports of bunker schools moving in the Bay this week and the stripers usually follow this bait in the spring.

Water temperatures around 50 degrees turn on the nearshore tautog bite, which we should be approaching this month. The larger fish will still be hanging at wreck and reef sites offshore, but keepers and a lot of smaller fish will move inshore to areas such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Crab baits on bottom sweeper jigs or small octopus hooks are the best way to catch them. These fish prefer rocky bottom structure, so be prepared to lose some rigs to rocks and other snags. Black drum should start to make their return to the surfside beaches by the end of the month, and by mid-April, the spring run should be in full swing. These fish will be running in the surf along the beaches, but will also move into the Chesapeake Bay where they can be caught around the CBBT, Kiptopeke concrete ships, and several other areas with bottom structure. These behemoths can grow to over 50 pounds, so make sure your gear can handle these giants.