Virginia Saltwater
Dr. Julie Ball
Yet another front will roll through this weekend, but that’s just how the weather behaves starting in October along the Mid Atlantic coast. A few decent days during the week gave some anglers a chance to get out on the water, while surf anglers continue to line local shorelines. Not much has changed from last week on the fishing front, except that we now know more about the offshore bite.
Meanwhile, inshore anglers continue to look for the larger speckled trout – but without much luck. Expert speck hunters report that folks are still finding decent numbers of smaller fish in all the usual Southside and Eastern Shore inlets and creeks, with scattered keepers pushing to about 21-inches in the mix. Dropping water temperatures over the next few weeks will reveal the impact of the hard freeze from earlier this winter. Puppy drum are also hitting in these same locations, while nicer catches of drum are coming from lower Bay piers and around the CBBT. Surf anglers are also experiencing good pup encounters on cut bait from Fort Story down to Sandbridge.
Spot are still around, but the bite could dissipate after the recent blow. Anglers are still finding some decent catches of nice spot in Rudee Inlet and along the surf along Virginia Beach. Within the Bay, folks are still catching spot from the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier, to the Buckroe Fishing Pier on bloodworms, with some days better than others.
Boats trolling along the ocean front continue to find limits of Taylor bluefish, while small blues are also hitting within lower Bay inlets and around local Bay and ocean fishing piers.
Striped bass are beginning to show more promise for the season. Most reports indicate that some schoolies pushing to over 30-inches are taking lures under the light lines after dark and along the tubes and pilings of all the lower Bay bridge-tunnels and crossings. Some snapper bluefish are also in the mix.
A few flounder are cooperating this week within the Bay, with anglers finding keepers along channel edges off the Eastern Shore, and along the CBBT and southern shorelines. Those boats venturing to deeper water wrecks this week found good luck with flatfish, with one boat reporting limits of fish up to around 8-pounds. Nice trigger fish and decent-sized sea bass are also available on these same wrecks, but remember that sea bass are out of season until the 22nd. Tautog action is on when boats can get to them within Bay waters along the CBBT, inshore structures and the concrete ships. This bite will pick up as water temperatures continue to drop, while triggerfish and late season sheepshead are still available mostly over the tubes of the CBBT, but not for much longer.
Deep droppers can look forward to decent tilefish and grouper selections along the Canyon edges when boats can get out.
A recent break in the weather allowed a few boats to make it offshore. Wahoo provided the best catches, with fish ranging from 25 to 65-pounds. Captain Josh Wentling, skipper of the ‘Instigator’ out of The Fishing Center in Rudee Inlet, boated big wahoo to over 60-pounds as well as 40-pound class yellowfin tuna while working an eddy of water in about 30 fathoms on the 400 line this week. Some mahi and false albacore were also common catches this week, while swordfish and bigeye tuna are also available for overnight trips.
Nags Head
TW’s Bait and Tackle reports:
Surf Fishing Report: Nov. 5 is a beautiful day on the Outer Banks. The wind is light and the water has a small swell. There are small Bluefish and Trout scattered along our beaches. The winds are SE at 7 and the water temp is 64 degrees.
Sound Fishing Report:
No report for the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway but anglers in boats are finding lots of keeper stripers throughout the sounds.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Bluefish and loads of little Trout.
Nags Head: Blues and Trout.
Jennette’s: Bluefish, Puffers, Gray Trout and 1 Red Drum release.
Outer Banks: Blow Toads, Black Drum, Blues and a couple of Sea Mullet.
Inshore Boats/Nearshore Report:
The nearshore anglers caught Sea Bass, Bluefish and Flounder.
Oregon Inlet
The Fishing Center reports:
Nov. 3 was another chilly, rainy day here on the Outer Banks but the fishing was excellent. The Off Shore charters that went out today brought back their limit of Yellow Fin Tuna and also reeled in Black Fin Tuna.
On Nov. 4 one near shore boat had a catch of 8 different species with anglers hauling in flounder, bluefish, and black sea bass, just to name a few. Off-Shore fishing yielded good numbers of yellow-fin, black-fin, and mahi mahi. Congrats to Mrs. Theresa K for her trophy citation 65 pound wahoo.
Hatteras Surf
Red Drum & Tackle reports: The Wednesday afternoon bite at the Point produced Big Drum, Puppy Drum and Yearlings. Daniel Elmakis caught and released his first 40-inch Drum. Michael Creech “Mullet… see more 0 replies | 529 view(s)
On Wednesday morning, Michael (Mullet Man) Creech had a 2 pound 3 ounce Sea Mullet along with a cooler full of other sea mullet.
On Tuesday, the Drum were active. Forty plus citation Drum were caught from the Point. Puppy Drum and Yearlings mixed with the Big Boys. Lots of Sea Mullet behind the Motels.
On Monday, Ramps 30 & 32 last night had 40-inch plus big Drum. Behind the Motels to the Jetties, there were nice 2-1/2 pound Bluefish and Puppy Drum. The Point had Puppies.