Article by Julie Ball
The spring saltwater fishery is now in full swing as more species become active in local waters. Most anglers are on the hunt for either drum or flounder.
Anglers are experiencing improving red drum action along the shoals and breakers lining Smith Island and Fisherman’s Island. Some of these fish are impressive, with brutes pushing to over 50-inches released last week. The best bait for reds is blue crabs and menhaden fished on the bottom near drop-offs along the shoals. These fish will begin to spread out more onto Nautilus Shoal and the Nine Foot Shoal areas soon.
Nice-sized black drum also showed an upward trend last week, with big black drum stretching to over 48-inches taking clams and crabs in their usual haunts along the Bayside of the Eastern Shore, especially near Buoys 13 and 16 and 36A.
The emerging flounder scene continues to provide anglers working the Eastern Shore seaside inlets and back waters of Oyster and Wachapreague with limits of respectable flatfish, with several flatties exceeding 5-pounds. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets also produced some keeper flounder measuring up to 21-inches last week.
Bluefish and puppy drum are hitting inside Rudee Inlet, where anglers are experiencing very good catches of decent blues weighing up to around five pounds.
Croaker are becoming more active all over the lower Bay, with Buckroe and Ocean View hosting some medium-sized hardheads, especially after dark on squid and bloodworms. Some small spot and sea mullet are also available in these same lower Bay locations.
With tautog out of the picture for now, folks are anticipating the opening of black sea bass season next week on the 15th. Both nearshore and offshore wrecks can provide some good sea bass catches, along with a smattering of cod. Once the season opens, anglers can keep up to 15 sea bass stretching to at least 12.5-inches.
Rockfish can provide some variety for folks during the Bay’s Spring Trophy Striped Bass season, but review the new guidelines carefully and be sure to get your striped bass permit before you go. You can keep one fish per person measuring at least 36-inches until the 15th, then the rules change again.
Although most anglers are becoming interested in other species, the deep drop scene is still luring a few boats to the deep when they can get out. As the dogfish sharks begin to move out, more boats will target tilefish, black bellied rosefish and grouper along the 50-fathom curve and beyond.
Offshore fishing will begin to improve this month as the action off Carolina starts to move northward. The fleets out of Carolina are finding yellowfin tuna, big mahi and now a few billfish in the mix.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
