Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 20 Update:

We are starting to settle into a winter pattern with fish moving to deeper depths and covering more water to find them necessary at times. Contributor David Rudow reported some winter redfish are biting on the lower Eastern Shore, but finding the fish was difficult and on a trip early this week between two kayaks they only managed a handful of slots. At one point a larger school of fish was spotted via drone but it evaporated before they could arrive. Puppy drum action in the Virginia Beach tributaries continues to be good as well with Lynnhaven and the Elizabeth River being highlighted as two of the more consistent locations to find pups. An angler fishing the east branch of the Elizabeth from shore reported catching several puppy drum with throwing a five-inch swim shad along rocky shorelines.

The other big news is that migratory striped bass are making their way up the Bay. There have been several reports of trophy sized fish being caught on the bayfront with Cape Charles being a hotspot. The most effective tactics has been eeling and we have seen fish up to 50 inches caught this week. The Virginia striped bass season will close at the end of the year and the slot limit is still 19 to 24 inches, so the big fish must be released.  

Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that the speckled trout bite remains strong in the rivers and inlets around the Way South region. The anglers braving the colder temps are using soft plastics on jigheads ranging from quarter ounce to half ounce. The weight of your jighead will depend on water depth and current, but you will want to use a heavy enough jighead that you can easily feel bottom. MirrOlures and suspending jerkbaits have also been very effective at times. 

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 13 Update:

Last weekend when the weather warmed up, we had reports of a good bite for redfish in the Virginia Beach tributaries. The warmer weather seemed to have the pups schooled up and pushing into the shallows to feed which offered sight fishing opportunities. Three-to-five-inch paddletail swimbaits worked well to produce bites. As more cold air has arrived, we can expect the reds to retreat to slightly deeper water in the tributaries, but they can still be found around deeper docks, bridges, and channels. The speckled trout have been the highlight in recent weeks with several tributaries fishing well and the Elizabeth River producing some very big fish. Fishing paddletails low and slow is working well right now. Wrecks right outside the Virginia Beach area are also holding a lot of fish right now. There was a report from an angler who ran out and caught over 20 sea bass up to 17 inches, 15 tautog up to 19 inches, six black drum, and four red drum up to 30 inches. All fish were caught on frozen fiddler crabs.

Other big news is that we are seeing the first few reports of large migratory striped bass making their return to the Bay. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing gave us the latest news and best practices for chasing these incredible fish during the winter. The most popular destination in the Way South region is Cape Charles and fishing with live eels is the preferred method. Their recent reports indicate that striper activity is ramping up along the deeper channels and shoals in the area. The fall season for stripers in Virginia is open until the end of the month, but the slot remains 19 to 24 inches. If you catch a fish outside this slot, it must be released. We also want to emphasize the importance of proper fish handling, especially with the larger fish as we are relying on them to help rebuild a collapsing population. If you catch one, it is best to release it boatside in the water. If you pull it out for a picture, do so as quickly as possible and support the fish with two hands holding it horizontally with one hand on the belly and the other holding the jaw. We owe it to these fish to give them the best chance at survival after the catch.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, December 6 Update:

The weather is turning cool, but the bite is still hot in this region of the Bay. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that speckled trout fishing has been excellent in the various rivers and creeks in the Virginia Beach area. They say that the fish are taking Mirr-O-Lures, swim baits, and lead head jigs tipped with soft plastic tails. Lynnhaven Inlet, the Elizabeth River, and Broad Bay are all fishing well and there is a good class of fish being caught with multiple citation size fish being reported. Striped bass are in the rivers as well with the best bite for them happening at night in and around lighted areas. Bridges and docks are holding them as they like to hangout around structure. An angler fishing from shore caught an 18”, 19”, and 26” fish all on a white paddletail. Another angler fishing in the Elizabeth reported catching several fish up to 30” while night fishing earlier in the week.

Water temperatures in the Bay are in the low 50s and there are still plenty of tautog hanging around at inshore locations. The CBBT has been a hotspot recently for tog action and good reports are coming from the second and third islands with a good grade of fish being caught. Green crab, sand fleas, and other crab baits are working well on bottom sweeper jigs. The fish are holding close to the rocks, so you will want heavy leader in case they run into or across the rocks. 50-pound fluorocarbon leader should be a god starting point when setting up your rigs. Sea bass are also hanging around at inshore wrecks and reefs. They will hit a variety of baits including metal jigs, squid, and minnows. Migratory striped bass may soon make their return to our waters if historical trends hold true. The fish still seem to be concentrated along the coast of New Jersey, but the cold may push them south to our waters soon. If they are going to show up, it could be any day now.