Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 14 Update:

In the “bad news” department, thanks to the weather and a severe lack of angling effort, this week’s fishing report will be just as lame as you were afraid it might be. In the “worse news” department, there’s scuttlebutt that the February special sea bass season won’t be happening this year. There’s been no official announcement from the regulators that we can find as of yet, but it’s alleged that overages in the recreational harvest are forcing the season’s elimination. As soon as they issue an official press release or make a public announcement, we’ll be sure to pass on the news.

Beyond that, folks, there isn’t much to talk about; there’s always a chance of finding a chilly speck or red in the inlets or the lower Elizabeth, and heading up the rivers should produce perch and catfish for those willing to brave the elements.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, January 7 Update:

Welcome to 2022 anglers! As the new year comes in no doubt we will have plenty of fishing opportunities despite the chill in the air. However, between the precip and the chill there hasn’t been much fishing taking place since the holiday. Big stripers were still being caught — and released when inside the Bay demarcation line, of course — by eelers, trollers, and to a lesser degree jiggers, up until the storm. Water temps at the CBBT rose above 52-degrees last week but have reversed the trend since then and fallen right back down under the 50-degree mark, so catching tog should be difficult in the near term. Hunting for specks and/or reds in the inlets should also hold potential, though again, we can’t confirm and catches in the past few days.

Congrats go out to Hayden Head of Yorktown, who landed an eight-pound, nine-ounce tripletail while fishing near York Spit this summer. The catch was weighed and positively identified by a Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament committee member and now the state of Virginia has accepted the catch as a new official state record. Nice job, Hayden!