Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 3 Update:

It was a nice change of pace to have summerlike temperatures visit the region this week. Fishing activity responded well to the nicer weather and it may have been the best week of spring fishing so far this year. Drum are a main target right now with red drum and black drum running up the Bay. The black drum have been more concentrated around the Eastern Shore of Virginia from the CBBT up to the shallow grassy areas of the Pocomoke. They have also been a common catch in the surf and sand fleas on fish finder rigs are consistently getting bites for anglers.

Reader reports of redfish continue to grow, and this week we heard of some action on slot fish in the Nansemond, the inlets, and the Elizabeth. The schools of bull red drum are finally making a bigger push into the Bay, too, after a slow start to the spring. Fisherman’s Island has been a hotspot along with channel edges running up to Cape Charles on the east side and Mobjack Bay on the west side. Anchoring up near reefs and shoals to drop down chunks of crab is a popular way to lure in these big fish to your line. Make sure you have a medium heavy to heavy setup because both species of drum can get over 50 pounds.

Big news for southern Bay anglers has been the arrival of chopper bluefish running along the beaches and making their way into the inlets. It has been quite some time since we have seen a good run of big bluefish, and this is a bite you won’t want to miss out on. One angler reported in after landing four bluefish ranging from 32 to 34 inches which were all caught on Z-Man jerk shads. Most of the bluefish have been in the 25- to 35-inch range which will definitely start screaming your drag once you hook into one.

Lynnhaven continues to be a hotspot for both speckle trout and redfish, and some keeper sized flounder are now also being pulled out of the inlet. The Elizabeth River has also been a great location as water temperatures are pushing into the low 60s. Anglers have reported that there is a lot of bait in the smaller creeks, but that the main stem of the river is seeing better action now. One kayak angler caught a few slot puppy drum while fishing around lighted docks at night. Speckled trout are moving into areas with grass and are also moving into shallower water in the industrial zones of the tributaries. Soft plastic paddletails are the go-to bait for catching just about everything in the Bay, but soaking pieces of fresh cut bait or chunks of crab on fish finder rigs will also produce fish if you prefer a more relaxed style of fishing.