After three months of nothing to report except dogfish and skates, things are finally starting to happen in Nags Head, so if you’re heading down for Spring Break, bring your rod and reel.
Capt. Reese Stecher has been mixing it up with stripers for the past week or so, The season is open back in the bay and sound till the end of April, with a two-fish per day per man creel limit of stripers 18-inches or better.
“We finally got some good weather here,” Reese said. “Today we had 10 keepers up to 24-inches out of 18 fish caught in the sound waters.”
Reese and his parties have been scoring in both the Albemarle Sound as well as Croaton Sound (Mann’s Harbor).
Reese noted that anglers at Hatteras had caught some nice 3-pound bluefish as well as some big red drum, so they’re heading north.
If you need a good skipper at Nags Head, contact Stecher at Beach Bum Fishing, beachbumfishing.com, or by phone at(252) 449-0232 or (252) 202-1701.
Outer Banks
The winds have been ruthless, keeping bluewater boats in port since the end of March. Puppy drum were reported on the south side of The Point and Ramp 49 and 48 anglers landed blow toads and sea mullet. Ramp 55 reported blow toads and sea mullet as well. There were some gray trout and bluefish beached at Hatteras, a good sign.
A skate was caught on Jennette’s Pier on Wednesday morning at Nags Head. That doesn’t sound like much, but at least with all the recent wind someone was fishing.
Virginia Saltwater
The tautog bite is picking up, especially over structure such as the Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Cell, Tower Reef, the Concrete Ships, Cape Henry Wreck, the Santore, the Winthrop, and the Triangle Wrecks. Stripers are heading upriver at Weldon and shad are on the move in the James and other tidal tributaries. They say when the dogwoods blossom, things really start to happen, and that should be soon.
Lake Orange is coming alive. Darryl Kennedy at Angler’s Landing (540.672.3997) says that water temperatures are in the low 50s and rising. With the pre-spawn in full swing the bass and crappie moving into the shallows to spawn and live bait being the bait of choice.
Potomac River
Stripers are being caught around the 301 Bridge, mid channel markers, at the mouth of Monroe Bay, and as far down as the mouth of Nomini Bay.
Rappahannock River
The shad are biting but the white perch run is slow thus far. Bass, catfish and stripers in the tidal sections are active.
Shenandoah River
The river is lightly stained, but dropping and clearing. Smallmouth bass are beginning to respond to tiny crankbaits, plastic grubs, spinners and live bait.
Lake Anna
Big bass are taking crankbaits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater lures on secondary points. Crappie are biting well around shallow beaver lodges, submerged brush and boat docks. Stripers are active around the splits and the mouth of Contrary Creek.
James River
The river is high but clearing from Scottsville to Lynchburg and anglers are catching some nice smallmouth. The crappie bite is on in the Richmond area and big blue cats are taking cut bait at Hopewell.
Chickahominy River
Lots of bass are being caught along the edges of the lily pad fields and around cypress trees. Catfish and crappie are plentiful. Yellow perch are still biting.
Buggs Island
Striper and white bass fishing is good below Kerr Dam. With the lake level at 301 and stable, fishing has picked up. Currently, the larger bass are on windblown points. Crappie action is excellent on medium minnows over submerged brush piles and around bridge pilings. Two pounders are not uncommon.
Smith Mountain
Good striper action, with fish to 25 pounds, is coming at the lower end of the lake. Up lake, anglers are catching largemouth and smallmouth bass, and crappie.
Bass Tips
By Capt. Steve Chaconas
Look for good things this week as water warms and clears. Fish are up shallow and covering water is the key.
If you’ve never used a chatter jig, now is the time to learn. In general, black blue skirts with a small swimbait trailer will produce. Pay attention to the vibration. When it changes, that’s usually a fish. Using faster Quantum HD Smoke reels enable catching up to fish for a hookset, especially when fish bite on a pause or when snapped free from grass. Various retrieves are working like slower speeds, contacting grass, or a lift and drop.
Lipless crankbaits on medium action rods and the same line are also producing, generally fished the same way, adding a slow bottom crawl. Red ¼ ounce lures when it’s cloudy or when water is stained. Chartreuse with clearer water and sun.
Cloudy skies, chop on the water and stained water make spinnerbaits another option. Same line, rod and reel as the chatter jigs. Slow presentations in grass or across the bottom will produce. Gold blades and white skirts.