Article by Julie Ball
The local spring saltwater fishing scene continues to heat up nicely as the waters become warmer.
Anglers are watching the developing red drum fishery closely as reports of scattered catches of big reds caught off the Eastern Shore barrier islands continue to filter in. With the full moon this week, experts are hopeful that conditions are prime for drum activity, encouraging a boost in the action over the next several days. The best offerings for these fish are peeler crabs, blue crabs and menhaden.
Smallish black drum, ranging to around 35-pounds, are active in these same areas with the red drum. The black drum bite will continue to evolve over the next few weeks, and larger fish will become more common.
Tautog action was going strong, but the skids on the tog fishery went into effect last week. As of May 1st, tautog season is closed until September. Prior to the closure, anglers were loading up with respectable fish from structures all over the lower Bay, and bigger fish were becoming more active on the offshore wrecks. As for wreck fishing, tautog are no longer an option, but anglers can look forward to the black sea bass season reopening on May 15th.
The flounder bite took an upward turn before the recent blow, but now the muddy water may create a setback. Following the usual trend, the shallows and backwaters of the Eastern Shore area are leading the way in flatfish catches. Folks trying their luck out of Oyster and Wachapreague found some decent limits of nice fish, with some flatties pushing to over 5-pounds boated last week. Rudee Inlet also reported some flatfish last week. Drifted strip baits and gudgeons are still the mainstay bait combination for this popular species.
Pier anglers are thrilled with a decent showing of croaker along the lower Bay and oceanfront shorelines, with a smattering of tailor and snapper-sized bluefish to round out catches. The folks at the Ocean View Fishing Pier report that the best croaker action is still at night on bloodworms and squid. Bluefish are still the word inside Rudee Inlet, where anglers are experiencing good catches of decent blues, with some fish pushing to over five pounds.
For those who are interested, as of May 1st you can now target rockfish within Bay waters, but be sure to review the regulations since they have recently changed. For the 2015 season, you are allowed only one fish per person, and the fish must stretch to at least 36-inches long. In addition, you now must also possess a no-cost Trophy Season Permit to target striped bass.
The deep water off the Virginia coast is still producing nice blueline and golden tilefish, black bellied rosefish and grouper in over 300 feet of water. Plenty of dogfish sharks are still ready to compete for your bait, but these pests will begin moving out soon.
Offshore anglers are still enjoying the tuna bite off Carolina, with 30 to 40-pound class yellowfin tuna and gaffer mahi keeping the fleet busy lately. Bluefin tuna and blackfin tuna are a possibility off Virginia once boats are willing and able to make the run.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
