October is here, and with it comes a change in the fishing scene. Some of the summer fish start to leave, the waterways become less crowded, and the fish become more active. It’s a wonderful time of the year to be on the water, weather permitting.
Flounder fishing in the Bay is winding down, but Captain Craig Paige still managed to land a couple of citation-sized flounders on a recent trip out of Lynnhaven Inlet (pictured above).
The large red drum are still around, but not as abundant in the Bay. They should be feeding in the surf along Sandridge and the wildlife refuge, especially when the surf is rough.
Speckled trout anglers are finding some nice fish. Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle reports speckled trout and puppy drum biting inside Lynnhaven Inlet. They can also be found in shallow water in all our local rivers and inlets.
Pier anglers on the Virginia Beach Pier are catching puppy drum, trout, spots, croakers, and small flounder. Virginia had a great Cobia season, which ended on September 15th. They are now migrating out of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay fall Rockfish season opens October 4 and runs through December 31. Minimum size limit is: 20 inches. Maximum size limit is: 31 inches. Possession limit is 1 per person.
Those who can get offshore are catching sea bass, tilefish, swordfish, blue and white marlin, wahoo, dolphin, and tuna.
OBX
It’s drum time off the Outer Banks. The big “reds” that have patrolled the lower Chesapeake Bay since April are now making their way down the coast of Carolina. Surf fishermen are in their element and the even the guys on the piers are catching them as well. Rough seas have made
for difficult conditions, but some big bluefish were reported early this week.
Freshwater
The lake temperatures have dropped to the low 70’s and the bass and crappie have put on the feed bags. Fish are shallow and vulnerable. The smallmouth bite is also on, but the rivers are terribly low. Trout stocking will soon get underway, but those streams are low as well. We need some rain.