Way South Fishing Reports

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 10 Update:

Spring is on our doorstep, and we have already seen the first signs of its return. This is an exciting time of year for many anglers as warmer weather means more fishing opportunities on the horizon. The mild winter we had should hopefully make for a great year of speckled trout fishing. The bite is still slow but anglers willing to put in the work are finding some fish willing to bite. One angler fishing on the Elizabeth River near Portsmouth caught a 26-inch, five-and-a-half-pound speck this week. We did hear reports of a decent speck bite on the peninsula side of the Elizabeth with one angler picking up five fish all around 20 inches. The frequent changes in weather that is a staple of our region can turn the bite on or off depending on the day, but in the spring, a warm front is always a good time to fish for the specks.

Puppy drum are still being caught in Lynnhaven Inlet this week, but the bite isn’t on fire. Shallow water on an outgoing tide has been the best bet for catching these fish. Anglers catching fish are finding that slowly bouncing soft plastics along the bottom is enticing the drum to bite. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that water temperatures at Thimble Shoal are in the low 50s and they expect the black drum to begin showing up at their usual areas along the bayside of the Eastern Shore. They said good locations for the drum run include the Cabbage Patch, the Concrete Ships, Buoy 13, and near the high rise of the CBBT. The best baits are clam and crab which can be used separately or together.

The tautog bite continues to be good when the weather cooperates. Larger fish, up to 20 pounds, have been found at the nearshore wrecks and reefs over the past several weeks, and smaller ones should be biting at the Bay locations. Fresh crab baits always work best but Fishbite E-Z Crab strips are popular as well.

Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 3 Update:

Puppy drum are starting to show up at the inlets and it reports show that a fair amount were caught inside Lynnhaven inlet this week. One angler fishing Lynnhaven found a decent school of drum in three feet of water on the outgoing tide. Slowly bouncing soft plastics along the bottom got a few fish to bite. Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that the speckled trout are becoming more plentiful in the Elizabeth and York River tributaries. An angler fishing undisclosed backwater areas from shore reported catching puppy drum and speckled trout on Salt Strong Slam Shady Paddletails. His largest trout was four and a half pounds and measured up at 23 1/2 inches. If the weather continues to trend warmer, these fish should push into shallower water. Spring is almost here folks and the fishing should only get better as these fish become more active.

The Virginia Special Black Sea Bass season came to a close on Tuesday and many boats enjoyed excellent fishing all month. Fishing charter Wreckless Sport Fishing LLC got out over the weekend to target the sea bass one more time and reported catching a limit with many over three pounds. They also caught four bluefish over 10 pounds and plenty of pesky dogfish to round out an awesome end of season trip. Captain Drew on the Big Worm was also still enjoying excellent action before the season closed. When the season comes back in on May 15, there should be plenty of bass out there just waiting to be caught. Tautog are also still plentiful at the nearshore wrecks and reefs off Virginia Beach. Water temperatures in the Bay have hit 50 degrees so the tog should become more active at areas such as the CBBT islands, but they can be found anywhere with structure. Popular areas include the CBBT, the Light Tower, and the Triangle Wrecks. Crab baits work best but strips of clam, whelk, and Fishbites E-Z Crab will also work