Way South Fishing Reports
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 18 Update:
The Way South region is still loaded with late-season variety, although some of the summer visitors are beginning to look toward the exit. Mackerel and bluefish remain available, while cobia, bull reds, sheepshead, and other structure-oriented species are keeping things interesting. With cooling water on the horizon, anglers should enjoy these fisheries while they can. The fall migrations will start kicking in soon, making for very fun fishing opportunities.
There was a report from an angler who spent a day trolling along the oceanfront of Virginia Beach targeting mackerel. They caught several small fish, but towards the end of the day, there were mackerel pushing a small bait ball at the surface. They trolled through the area and caught a few better sized fish. They ended the day with about 20 mackerel caught while trolling. Another boat trolling near Cape Henry reported catching around 30 mackerel recently, but most of them were also throwbacks. Mackerel and bluefish will be around for a few more weeks, but as water temperatures drop, these fish will start to move out of the Bay. The mackerel will likely be the first to leave, and the bluefish will follow shortly after them. Bluefish can be found with the mackerel in open water, but they are also hanging around the CBBT. The east side of the bridge tends to hold better concentrations of them, but they can also be found around the rock islands. Cobia season is over, but there are still plenty in the area for anglers wanting to do some catch and release. We saw a report from an angler who spent a day fishing within sight of the CBBT that caught several up to 40 inches while fishing with live eels. While boating around, they saw close to 30 cobia.
Bull red drum should remain a major early-fall opportunity over the next several weeks, with fish continuing to stage around current-rich structure and areas where bait is concentrated. Kayak anglers are already catching bull reds around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings, where strong tidal flow creates prime ambush points. Live or fresh-cut spot, mullet, hardhead, or other oily bait fished on the bottom with a heavy leader and appropriately sized circle hook is a reliable approach, particularly during the stronger portions of the tide and around the evening low-light period. Jigging large soft plastic paddletails, curlytails, or straight tails can also be quite effective. From a kayak, anglers can work the up-current side of the pilings and allow the bait to drift naturally into the current seam, while also probing the deeper edges around the structure. As water temperatures begin to fall, expect more aggressive feeding as reds take advantage of abundant late-season bait, with the strongest action often occurring around moving water and periods of low light. Sheepshead are providing quality-over-quantity opportunities as we move into the latter part of the season, with several citation-class fish reported recently. Anglers should concentrate on pilings, bridge structure, rock piles, wrecks, and other hard structure. Fiddler crab remain one of the top baits, fished tight to the structure on a bottom sweeper jig. The numbers may not be impressive, but the chance at a truly large sheepshead makes these late-season trips worthwhile.
Shrimp have been a big talk during the fall on the Chesapeake Bay in recent years. These tasty critters are becoming more common during the fall months on the Chesapeake, and anglers are already starting to catch them. In the Way South region, we have reports of shrimp being caught on the James River, York River, and in some of the tributaries surrounding Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Larger shrimp are often found around shallow grass beds, marsh edges, oyster structure, and creek mouths as they prepare for colder weather. Shallow mud flats can be particularly productive areas, especially at night as more shrimp move into the shallows. A simple cast-net approach works well, particularly around moving water where shrimp are pushed along marsh banks and through creek channels. Look for shrimp flicking on the surface or concentrated around submerged vegetation, and make short, controlled throws with a properly sized mesh net. A good way to locate them is to motor around and look for them jumping in your prop wash. Early morning, evening, and periods around a moving tide can be especially productive, and the shrimp can make excellent bait or a great meal.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 10 Update:
As the first hints of an approaching fall cause temperatures to drop slightly the angling action is picking up in a number of ways. Southern species are still present in good numbers and trollers are picking up plenty of mackerel, and there’s been an uptick in the reports of ribbon fish as well. The flounder bite is picking up steam too, though some anglers targeting bigger fish at the CBBT and surrounding areas reported a tougher bite recently.
Many boats trolling small spoons are finding plenty of mackerel in the area with dozen-fish-plus catches common both along the beach and inside the Bay. The blues seem a bit more plentiful from the CBBT in and finding the ribbonfish in open water is likely a matter of luck, however, good numbers of ribbonfish have been reported in the Green Mile to HRBT area. An angler targeting the sheepshead at the bridge pilings there said they managed two nice ones, but conditions made fishing close to the structure very tough. Some relatively small (25” to 30”) black drum have also been showing up for anglers dropping crab baits in hopes of sheepshead.
The flounder bite is picking up around the CBBT as the weather begins to cool off. A pair of anglers fishing around the bridge pilings caught four keepers with the largest fish measuring 23”. Funny enough, that big fish was caught on a piece of crab while trying to catch sheepshead. Another reported three nice keepers over the 20” mark and some throwbacks while jigging bucktails tipped with pink Gulp!. A subscriber who targeted sheepshead reported that they had some bites but not many, and after a while they abandoned dropping fiddlers next to the piers in favor of trolling small spoons along the channel edges. That produced a cooler full of Spanish mackerel in the 12” to 16” range plus a pair of ribbonfish and several bluefish.
The cobia season is drawing to a close and as of this weekend we have just one more week until it ends on the 20th. Unfortunately we didn’t hear much great news on that front this week; a boat targeting reds at the CBBT islands reported spotting and hooking one that was just legal on a pink bucktail with a white trailer. An angler who tried chumming the edges near Latimer reported being covered up with sharks and catching a bluefish on a bunker chunk, and a subscriber who fished with a guide over the holiday weekend said they saw decent numbers and caught several fish but most were relatively small and in the 30” to 40” range.
Anglers at Virginia Beach Fishing Pier enjoyed a steady bite this week for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ribbonfish. One day there were schools of all three species mixed together around the pier willing to hit metal jigs, Gotcha plugs, and other artificial lures. Pier anglers are also catching plenty of bottom fish including some nice spot, though the big yellow-bellies of fall haven’t showed up yet. There are reports of a few schools of pompano showing up, too. They’ve been in the catch for anglers bottom fishing with bloodworms and Fishbites bloodworm, along with some roundhead, in the Fort Monroe area. While the pompano will hit these baits, sharpies targeting them in specific often default to shrimp bits. They’re easily stripped from the hook, but pompano absolutely love them. We haven’t heard from anyone using Fishbites shrimp flavor to target pompano so if you’ve tried it shoot us an email and let us all know how it worked!
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, September 4 Update:
Late-season cobia are providing some final opportunities before Virginia's season closes, with several areas worth targeting with live eels, bunker, or chum. Bull red drum fishing remains strong around the CBBT's bridge islands, shoals, and deeper ledges. Sheepshead are available tight to bridge pilings and rock structure, while spot, croaker, and the first September push of pompano offer good opportunities from the beaches and public piers.
With the Virginia cobia season closing September 15th, there is still time to get after one of the Bay’s most prized gamefish, and the late-season push can be a good opportunity for larger fish. Focus on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia Beach oceanfront, Cape Charles Shoals, York Spit, and the edges of the main shipping channel, looking for cobia cruising near the surface around shoals and current breaks. Sight-fishing from an elevated platform is ideal, but anglers without a tower can anchor near a productive shoal and chum with bunker, then soak live eels or fresh bunker chunks behind the boat. Bull red drum remain another major attraction around the CBBT, particularly near the bridge islands, shoals, and deeper ledges. Side-scan or forward-facing sonar offer major advantages for locating schools before presenting large paddletails, heavy jigs, live croaker, or chunks of peeler crab. Fishing pressure can make these fish finicky, so working weekdays, low-light periods, or nighttime can pay off. As fall begins to settle in, expect the drum pattern to gradually change as cooling water and bait movement encourage fish to roam more widely between the bridge structure, shoals, and nearby shallow areas. September is also a good time to watch the channel edges and current-swept shoals, where reds can stage while feeding on migrating baitfish. The bull red bite should remain a strong option as the season transitions toward fall.
Sheepshead remain a worthwhile target around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, particularly on the bridge pilings, rock islands, and other hard structure where these structure-oriented fish feed on barnacles, crabs, and other crustaceans. The key is getting your bait tight to the structure, with fiddler crabs and sand fleas paired with a bottom-sweeper jig being the go-to presentation. The Lesner Bridge, Rudee Inlet jetties, Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel, and artificial reefs and wrecks are also worth checking. Calmer days can be especially productive because they make it easier to hold a bait directly against pilings and rocky structure in the strong tidal currents of the lower Bay. A kayak angler fishing for sheepshead caught four during a trip to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel this week. All the fish measured between 22” and 25”, so although the numbers weren't great, the size of the fish were good. Another kayak angler reported catching a few sheepshead, but to their surprise, also landed a roughly 30” black drum while targeting the convicts. A few divers spear fishing around the CBBT pilings and rock islands have stuck some spadefish and tautog as well, so there are several species to target near these structures.
Bottom fishing remains a solid option along the Virginia coast, with spot, croaker, and pompano providing opportunities from the surf and public piers. Recent reports have had spot and croaker showing around the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Sandbridge, Rudee Inlet, and area fishing piers, with bloodworms, Fishbites, shrimp, squid, and small pieces of cut bait fished on two-hook bottom rigs producing best. For spot and croaker, concentrate on the deeper troughs and cuts in the surf and the water around pier pilings, especially during moving water, and don't overlook the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, Sandbridge Little Island Fishing Pier, and Buckroe Fishing Pier. Pompano are the wildcard worth specifically targeting as September gets underway. Recent reports point to this being a prime window for a pompano push along the beaches. Small pieces of shrimp, sand fleas, or clam fished on a light bottom rig in the first and second troughs, around cuts, and along the edges of sandbars are good presentations, with warm, clean water and moderate surf favorable conditions.
