Way South Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report 12/29/17:
Fishing in the inlet hasn’t been producing much, however Ocean’s East reports that when the wind allows them to get out anglers heading to the inshore wrecks are enjoying some stellar fishing. Flounder have become less common than in past weeks, however some doormats are still hanging around. Bishop’s reported that there's been no particular way to target them, but that anglers have been catching them mixed in with the sea bass bite, on strips of squid. Tautog remain active, and anglers are looking forward to taking them home in the coming weeks as efforts shift to this species (note that the bass go out of season the last day of the year).
A few stripers are showing up in state waters and at the CBBT, but finally, we’ve had a few reports of stripers in the ocean this week and can confirm that they’ve been within the legal three-mile mark. See the Coastal report, for more details. Farther up the bay the reports of some final stripers for the season in the mouths of the Rappahannock, the York, and the stretch of main-stem bay between these two tributaries are still coming in, but not with nearly the same volume as just a week ago. The dip in temperature is probably as much to blame as anything for a drop-off in angler efforts.
Way South Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report 12/22/17:
Happy holidays, anglers! Bayside fishing has slacked off and become slower as we wrap up December, however according to Chesapeake Bait and Tackle fishing at the inshore wrecks has continued to be productive this month. Although tautog are out of season, they’re coming back in on January 1st and have been heavy on the wrecks. Meanwhile, sea bass have been providing plenty of action and are primarily taking chunks of squid. Some flounder are still showing up in the catch as well.
Action at the CBBT is still not what one would hope for. The big run of early winter stripers simply hasn't materialized, and while trollers and eelers are taking a few fish, including some true trophies, it's a slow pick. Reports put the main body of coastal fish still north in New Jersey waters (see the Coastal report for more details) so the chances of them showing up in serious numbers before the end of Virginia's striper season seem remote, at best.
Anglers looking to close out the season with fish for the flying pan may be better off looking farther inside the Bay, to the western shore river mouths from the York up to the Rappahannock. There are still schools of mostly mid-20's to 30-inch fish, with a few larger ones showing up, sometimes marked by bird action. Trollers are doing best pulling tandem rigs, Mojos, umbrellas, and Stretch 30's. Jiggers are taking fish with heads of an ounce and white plastics in the seven to 10-inch range. When fish are spotted deep, jigging spoons have also been effective.
Way South Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report 12/15/17:
The Elizabeth River has been a hotspot this past week, for speckled trout. GULP and MirrOlures have been the best lures for catching the specks, according to Chesapeake Bait and Tackle. Catfish have also been active up the rivers, and will bite on cut bait sitting on the bottom along channel edges and holes.
Oceanside, not much has been going on besides the continued sea bass bite around the wrecks. Weather kept most of the boats off the open water this week but those making a run should expect the flounder to be thinning out in the area, as water temperatures drop. According to Ocean’s East, there are still some doormat flounder in the inlets but that bite has slowed down significantly.
Farther up the bay the mouth of the Yorktown (from the bridge on down), and the mouth of the Rappahannock are still seeing solid action including working birds at times. Jiggers have been enjoying the action using soft plastics in chartreuse, white, and pearl. Trollers have also been doing well, pulling (heavily) weighted umbrellas, Mojos, tandems, and Stretch 30’s, in the stretch of the open Bay between these two rivers, in deeper areas (30-plus feet out to 50 feet of water). Although the opportunities to hit open water were limited by the wind lately, those who got out between windy spells did report a few fish breaking the 40-inch barrier.
Way South Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report 12/8/17:
With cold weather taking hold on fishing in the south, anglers are still enjoying a steady run of flounder near the inshore wrecks and reefs with some still at the CBBT as well. Doormat sized flounder have been reported to Oceans East, keeping fishermen satisfied even though the fishing offshore has more or less ended. The inshore wrecks also continue to be hotspots to catch tautog, sheepshead, and black sea bass on top of the flounder, although tog are no longer in season in Virginia (nor Maryland) waters. Dropping clam and squid on top and bottom rigs is the ticket but we're sure that when tog come back in season, green crab will be added to that list. The flounder are best targeted with big GULP Swimming Mullet and/or Jerk Shad dropped on heavy jig heads or weighted Fluke Killers.
Bishops reports that the inlet is holding some small rockfish, making for a fun day of catch and release, but the bulk of the big fish still haven’t arrived. Reports from the CBBT are similar, with a few large stripers showing up for those eeling (mostly at night) and a few more falling to trollers, but certainly not what you’d term “hot” fishing. The reports from along the coast up north are improving with some of the migrators now off Delaware (see the Coastal Report) so with a little luck, they’ll get to Virginia waters soon.
Up inside the Bay there are still stripers being taken by light-tackle anglers jigging white and silver soft plastics, who have enjoyed some excellent action the past couple weeks. Off the mouth of the York, Fleet’s Bay, and especially the mouth of the Rappahannock have been good bets, at times with working birds giving the fish’s location away. Though the bulk of these fish haven't been huge there are plenty of keepers mixed in. These areas have been running just a degree or two warmer than areas of the Bay farther north, so the cooler weather expected this weekend could make things a bit tougher as water temperatures drop a bit more and the bird action slacks off, as it has in many areas to the north.
Way South Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report 12/1/17:
The final report for November has both good news, and bad news. Although flounder have moved out of the bay area, anglers willing to take the trip out to the inshore wrecks are experiencing some stellar fishing. Doormat-sized flounder have continued to hang around the area, and are taking jigs bounced off bottom, according to the Ocean’s East report as well as Bishop’s. Five- and six-inch GULP swimming mullet in white, chartreuse, and pink are always a good bet for fooling the flounder. They can be rigged on a jig head or slid on the hook of a Fluke Killer rig. The inshore wrecks are also holding a good amount of taugtog, which are expected to provide a productive catch and release fishery through the next month, as the season closed on November 26th. It will reopen on the first day of the new year.
Bayside, some rockfish in the mid-twenties are being caught, as well as a few scattered thirty-plus-inchers. Trolling down the channel edges past the CBBT has been the best option, according to Chesapeake Bait and Tackle. Night fishermen have also been catching some bigger fish on eels. Most are in deeper water. The main body of fish is still to the north, and whether they’ll show up any time soon in numbers is anyone’s guess.
A bit farther north, anglers jigging soft plastics have been taking some keeper fish mixed in with (many) more throw-backs around the mouth of the York and Rappahannock rivers, inside the Rappahannock above the Route three bridge, and also in Fleet’s Bay. White and chartreuse have been the best colors, and there have been working birds in many of these areas. At times it's been fast and furious catch-and-release fishing with enough keepers here and there to keep a limit.