It’s December and local tackle shops, marinas and boat ramps are buzzing with activity as anglers prepare to hit the water in search of giant stripers.
December is big rockfish season on the lower Chesapeake Bay and it’s off to a good start. Some monsters have already hit the scales over on the Eastern Shore. These big fish usually show first around the Plantation Light and the area between the CBBT and Cape Charles. Anglers drifting live eels generally catch the larger fish. With each incoming and outgoing tide, anglers should find fish all along the CBBT. A smaller class fish is usually encountered on the south side with the larger fish coming from the north end of the bridge. Dr. Ken Neill says boats fishing up the bay, around the Buoy 42 area, have found lots of fish on the surface.
Speckled trout fishing has been outstanding inside Lynnhaven Inlet for a couple of weeks. Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle has weighed a number of citation fish. Most fish have been caught on Gulps or on MirrOlures. As the weather continues to cool, MirrOlures retrieved very slowly will work best.
With striper season wide-open, tautog fishing has taken a back seat, but the bite should continue to improve for anglers targeting that species.
Fishing over ocean structures has been excellent for sea bass, triggerfish and chopper bluefish. The tilefish have been cooperating for those running offshore to deep drop. The Rudee Inlet head boat will be running sea bass trips throughout December. Boats fishing in 500 fathoms have found good numbers of bigeye tuna.
A giant bluefin tuna encounter this time of the year is always a possibility for anglers trolling the ocean for stripers or bluefish. These giants usually show somewhere between Virginia Beach and Morehead City NC each winter.
Outer Banks Report
Anglers fishing the Outer Banks of North Carolina are catching a few trout and bluefish. Hatteras Island anglers have been catching sea mullet, bluefish, some trout, blowfish and a few drum. Sound fishermen are catching stripers. Stripers usually hang around the bridges on the west side of Roanoke Island in December.
When the wind lets up, the OBX offshore fleet is catching lots of meat fish – yellowfin, blackfin tuna, dolphin, swordfish and wahoo.
Freshwater Update
According to Green Top Sporting Goods, Little Creek Reservoir has been producing some qualitycrappie, along with pickerel and largemouth. Little Creek typically remains clear despite heavy rains. Weights were up this week for the 3rd Winter Series Bass Tournament out of Sturgeon Creek Marina on Lake Anna. A catch of 18.08 lbs.by Josh Hall and Matt Martin was the winning weight. Jeff Bailey was 2nd, with 13.36 lbs. Swim baits and jigs seemed to workbest this week. An interesting note, a 3 1/2 lb.spotted bass was weighed in by one of the tournament anglers. The lower James has been good for big crappie. On the Chickahominy Lake, Capt. Conway and Ryan Beale caught 12 crappie, 2 white perch, and 1bass. Tom Porter had 1 bluegill, 21 crappie, 4 roach minnows, and 1pickerel on his Chickahominy outing.
The upper James is slowly returning to normal conditions and levels. It is currently at 6.36 feet at Richmond Westham gauge. December is an excellent time to target big smallmouth all up and down the James.