How badly do you want to catch a 10-pound flounder? If you are willing to bundle up and sneak out one day when the wind isn’t blowing 20 to 30, and if you head out into the ocean and find some nice structure, you just well might catch a 10-pound flounder – or two. They’re biting for those willing to track them down.
The Chesapeake Bay striper season closed on December 31, but the ocean season kicked in on January 1st, with a minimum keeper size of 28 inches and a maximum size of 36 inches.
There are still lots of large stripers in the Bay, some over 50 pounds were caught and released near Cape Charles this weekend. Most were landed while drifting live eels.
Speckled trout are still available inside Lynnhaven Inlet and Rudee Inlet. Tautogs are being caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and on ocean wrecks and reefs. Fresh crab is the preferred bait for the Togs.
Our excellent sea bass season has come to a close, but a special permit-only season will open for the month of February. You can obtain a special season Recreational Black Sea Bass Permit from the Marine Resources Commission. They can be obtained online or from a VMRC Licensing Agent. Every trip must be reported online within 7 days of the trip through the Saltwater Journal or using forms provided by the VMRC.
OBX
Stripers are still being caught in the sounds behind Nags Head and as long as the weather doesn’t turn frigid, they should hang around. One party fishing for stripers out of Oregon Inlet hooked, landed and released a sturgeon, and that doesn’t happen every day.
When boats can sail out of Oregon Inlet and find a party willing to pay for the boat ride, they are loading up on yellowfin tuna.
Down at Hatteras Island, the Tuna Duck made an offshore run and returned with 61-inches of bluefin tuna. The boat also landed some triggerfish and king mackerel to 42-pounds.
Freshwater
In freshwater, some hardy New River anglers are finding a few muskies. At Lake Moomaw, bass fishermen are catching some nice fish on Sting Silver Spoons in deeper water. At Claytor Lake, the walleye action is beginning to percolate at the upper end of the lake near the rapids. Anna is fishing well for largemouth and stripers. Some big blue cats are stirring in the lower James near Hopewell. Bass, pickerel and stripers are biting in the Chickahominy Lake.