Article by Julie Ball
Anglers are anxiously waiting for the water to clear up after more than a week of gusty weather and rain. Once anglers can get back out and the silt has settled, saltwater fishing should catch up to the usual springtime standards.
The spike in the drum action that usually occurs by now each spring could happen any day now. Nice weather on the horizon for the upcoming week could present a good opportunity to wrestle a red or black drum on the Eastern Shore side of the Chesapeake Bay. Black drum are making a slow start, with a few larger fish coming on chowder and sea clams from around the bayside shoals, especially near Buoys 13 and 16, but this bite has room for improvement. Red drum action is still somewhat scattered. Big reds are responding best for surfcasters right out of the wash along the barrier island shorelines, along with some huge striped bass. The reds will begin to spread out onto the shoals, where they will join the black drum. Expect this trend to improve over the next few weeks.
With the recent muddy water and excess freshwater from the rain, the flounder scene is still slow within Bay waters around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The best numbers of keeper fish are still coming from the Eastern Shore seaside inlets, and the back waters of Oyster where anglers working hard for their bounties are filling modest limits using gudgeons, Silversides or squid drifted on a bare hook or with Chartreuse skirts. Some keeper flatfish also came from within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets last week.
Nice-sized speckled trout, with some going to around 21-inches or more, along with big puppy drum are hitting a different array of lures within Rudee Inlet. Specks are also active within Lynnhaven River, the Eastern Shore seaside inlets and the back waters of Oyster, but the Elizabeth River speck bite remained non-existent last week. Plenty of snapper bluefish, and even some bigger chopper bluefish pushing to nearly 35-inches, are shredding plastic lures within Rudee Inlet and near the CBBT last week also.
Rockfish are making up for some of the lull with other species lately. Striped bass measuring up to 38-inches are hitting near the 3rd and 4th Islands on top water lures, especially at first light. According to the folks at Ocean’s East 2, top water lures are working best in the mornings, while Gulp jigs have been the most effective in the evenings. Be sure to review the Bay’s trophy striped bass season regulations if you go, as these fish must be reported.
The lower Bay rivers are still giving up large croaker, while Little Creek, Buckroe and Ocean View are hosting nice hardheads pushing up to around 2 lbs.
Pier anglers are also thrilled with a variety of small sea mullet and snapper blue fish in these same lower Bay locations.
Anglers will have the opportunity to target black sea bass once again beginning on the 19th, which will be a nice by-catch for those trying out the deep dropping scene.
Blueline tilefish and black bellied rosefish fish are the mainstay for deep water droppers, and plenty of these bottom dwellers are available in water over 300-feet, along with a variety of grouper and other deep water species.
Offshore fishing will begin to improve toward the end of this month as the action off Carolina begins to move northward. The fleets out of Carolina are finding nice yellowfin tuna, scattered billfish and respectable dolphin pushing to around 20-pounds.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
