By Alex McCrickard/DWR The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is tasked with managing freshwater fisheries across the state of Virginia using best available science. DWR biologists utilize a variety of fisheries Of particular interest to Virginia anglers are the numbers of citation largemouth bass that are caught annually from public waterbodies throughout the … [Read more...]

Apparently, the puppy drum on the Outer Banks are not impressed nor discouraged by cold weather. The pups are biting down at Nags Head. TW’s Tackle says surf anglers and those tossing baits from Jennette’s Pier and catching fish of all sizes. A few speckled trout have also been reported. Offshore, one boat landed a 110-inch bluefin weighing over 900 pounds. That’s a lot of tuna … [Read more...]

A fun-for-the-whole-family event takes place in a couple weeks when the 37thAnnual Western Virginia Sport Show comes to Augusta Expo in Fishersville. The event will be held on Feb. 21, 22 and 23. There will be multiple seminars from the outdoor pros, plus over 200 vendors with special deals on equipment, guided hunts, and fishing trips. There is a trout catch-out pond for the kids, plus lots of … [Read more...]

For the past several years, the Game Department has been stocking hybrid striper fingerlings at Lake Anna. Sometimes these experiments work and sometimes not, but in this case, it worked. Anglers are catching not only stripers, but the hybrids, even in this frigid weather. Hybrids to 14 pounds have come to the scales. Hybrid stripers are known for their fighting ability. They are … [Read more...]

It takes a tough son-of-a-gun or a lifelong Canadian to brave the weather we’ve had and go fishing, but the few that did have had some exciting catches. Big bluefins, for example. Off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, the giant bluefin tuna continue to attract lots of attention. The ocean temperature around the Chesapeake Light Tower is currently in the low 40s, presenting a unique … [Read more...]

Over the years, I had caught a number of black sea bass, but nothing larger than 7 or 8-inches, most smaller. They were bait stealers as far as I was concerned. When we fished for flounder at Chincoteague, the little black devils were quick to steal a prime, live minnow. My opinions of black sea bass changed dramatically on an offshore trip out of Topsail, NC when our guide put us on a school … [Read more...]

They are not very glamorous fish, in fact most anglers consider a Spiny Dogfish to be a “trash’ fish. But if you’re heading to the coast of Virginia or the Outer Banks between now and March 1, they are likely to be one of the few fish you can catch from a pier or the surf. They have many names - dogfish, dog sharks, or spiny dogfish and they love cold water. They are carnivorous and … [Read more...]

The saltwater scene is winding down in Virginia waters though boats just offshore are still finding a few king-sized bluefins. Tog fishing is good for cold weather enthusiast near most any bay structure and there are lots of stripers, but it’s catch and release. On the OBX, it’s dogfish (spiny sharks) and a handful of sea mullet from the piers and surf. Specks and pups continue to bite back in … [Read more...]

The 2024 striper season has largely been disappointing. The big fish are just not coming into the bay as they once did, and who can blame them? The shelves are empty. The once plentiful menhaden have been turned into fish oil and shipped off to Canada. The food simply isn’t there anymore. Yet, some big stripers have been caught in their usual haunts off Cape Charles and live eels have been the … [Read more...]

Large bluefin tuna are actively feeding off the Virginia coast, with numerous reports of surface activity in several locations. Most boats are concentrating near the windmills, where the action appears to be most consistent. The water temperature is in the low 50°F range, which is ideal for these highly adaptable fish that thrive in temperatures between 50°F and 60°F. Many of the bluefin being … [Read more...]