There are a few hale and hardy fishermen willing to brave the December elements and make runs out to the ocean wrecks off Virginia Beach. And they are catching fish! Jumbo sea bass have been bending rods over the rambling wrecks along with tautogs, trigger fish and some big bluefish. Fresh strips of bait are catching nice flounder, as well.
Inshore, speckled trout are biting non-stop. Small rockfish and a few puppy drum are being caught as well. The waterways inside Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, Little Creek, and the Elizabeth River are all fishing well.
Slot size rockfish are hanging around the CBBT. The best bite is at night under the lights. The big rockfish are now arriving, there has already been a few 40-inchers reported. The larger fish are in the deeper water off Cape Charles. Live eels are the favored baits. The best bites usually occur when the tide is ripping. Rockfish season in Virginia waters is open through December 31st for fish in the 20-to-36-inch slot.
OBX
Don’t let the cold weather keep you away. There are sheepshead, black drum, puppy drum, speckled trout, and stripers being caught on the Outer Banks.
At the Bonner Bridge, anglers are catching plenty of black drum and sheepshead. The ocean side piers are reporting small trout, skates, and dogfish.
Sound side fishing continues to be the best bet with some nice size speckled trout, puppy drum, and stripers. Anglers are finding stripers around the Bridges from Manteo to Currituck to Elizabeth City. The best trout fishing comes from the western side of the sound. Puppy drum are scattered with the biggest concentration to the south around Hatteras.
Surf fishing has been slow at Nags Head with a few skates and dogfish reported. To the south, from Avon to Hatteras, anglers are catching bluefish, sea mullet, and puppy drum.
Freshwater Update
It was just a matter of time – and temperature – before the stripers at Lake Anna would turn on. And now’s the time. Stripers are hitting live bait and artificials such as 4-inch swim baits, jerk-baits, spoons and topwater lures. The upper sections have been more productive. Anna has a 20-inch minimum size with a 4-fish creel limit. Bass and crappie are also active. Buggs Island stripers have also been biting. The Chickahominy River is giving up nice catches of crappie and yellow perch. Big smallmouth are available on the upper James River. Rains this week will improve trout stream conditions.