The prime time for the croaker bite in the bay and up in to the tidal rivers is mid-May. But this year, it’s not happening, at least to any degree. The numbers just aren’t there – yet. Maybe soon.
Elsewhere in Virginia waters, the black sea bass season reopened May 15th and runs through the 31st. The bite has been very good with several boats catching limits of jumbos. The Triangle Reef is a popular spot.
The spring black drum bite continues to be excellent. The best action is coming from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where fish are being caught seaside and bayside. Some have topped 70 pounds, but the 20- to 25-pounders are best for the table.
Red drum are in their usual spots and now cobia have joined them. This week a couple of boats returned with both on board. Cobia will hit just about anything you put in front of them. Live eels, spot, menhaden, mullet, large spoons, white buck tails, plastic eels, swimming plugs or cut bait. Look for them around buoys and other structure, like the islands and pylons of the CBBT.
Sheepshead are feeding on crustaceans clinging to the CBBT pylons. They can be caught by fishing fiddler crabs, mole crabs or clams tight against the structure. Some large fish in the 12-pound range have been caught.
Flounder fishing inside Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets is picking up, some nice keepers have been caught. After a good start to the Eastern Shore flounder season, things have slowed a bit. Most fish are in the 15- to 18-inch range; larger fish are rare. The best flounder baits are on bucktails dressed with a Gulp or a minnow/squid sandwich fished on a Sea Striker Fluke Killer.
Spanish Mackerel and bluefish are being caught along the oceanfront. They will hit very small spoons like the 0S Drone or Clark pulled behind a small plainer.
Virginia Beach Pier anglers are catching nice Spanish, blues, roundhead and keeper trout.
Outer Banks
Surf anglers are catching, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and croakers. At Avon and Hatteras some pompano are hitting. A couple of citation drum were beached near Ramp 45.
Those fishing from the little bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway are catching lots of small trout, but few keepers.
On the piers: Avalon had blues, Spanish, mullet and speckled trout. Nags Head had Spanish, trout, blues and flounder. Jennette’s produced bluefish and triggers. The Outer Banks Pier had bluefish and Spanish.
Nearshore boats are slaying the Spanish and bluefish. Inshore boats caught cobia and red drum with some citations. There are plenty of trout inshore. Sheepshead are biting around the bridges.
The offshore fleet laid lots of dolphin out the docks with some yellowfin tuna and tilefish. There were also citation big-eye tuna and sailfish caught.
Hatteras Island anglers had nice pompano, plus bluefish caught on bait and Sting Silvers, Sea mullet and scattered trout are being caught. The Hatteras Village Offshore Open is underway and several large blue marlins have been weighed.
Freshwater
Stan Cobb at Greentop says the tidal rivers are the place to be for bass fishing. The strike zone has expanded with the warm water temps. Topwater baits are quite productive, as are Texas rigged soft plastics, such as the Brush Hog. Crankbaits are coming back into play, as the bass enter post spawn patterns. Spinnerbaits are always an option, especially on cloudy days. Late May, and early June is also a good time for tidal crappie. The Chick and James is especially good right now. The bass bite has picked up on the tidal Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Soft plastics and topwaters have been best so far. The catfish bite has become overwhelming on the tidal Rappahannock. The upper James is at 5.54 ft. at the Westham gauge. This is a good level and the time of year for many presentations. Like the tidal rivers, topwater action can be quite explosive. Cloudy days can offer prolonged action, sometimes all day. The water is usually warm enough for wading at this time. Senkos, Flukes, and grubs are good choices. Things have tightened up at Kerr for the bass. During a two-day event over the weekend, only few of bass over 4-lbs. were weighed. Some reported only catching fish early, on topwater baits. The lake elevation is at 301.13′. The bass seem to be moving out, or have already moved out to open water, and/or offshore structure. Crappie are reported on brush piles in 9’-25′ of water. Many are now drifting for catfish. Kerr Lake is known for giant cats.
Other lakes, such as Anna and Gaston are also harboring post spawn patterns. Piers and boat docks are good spots. Crappie are again being pulled from the bridge areas. This weekend usually marks the start of heavy traffic on our bodies of water, making angling a bit difficult It may be wise to consider the smaller, horsepower restricted lakes for easier boat control and no recreational boating. The bluegill spawn seems to have come and gone in a hurry.