Virginia Saltwater
By Dr. Julie Ball
Water temperatures are starting to plunge as the moderate weather gives way to the colder, winter influence.
If you want some decent rockfish action, you will have to travel either north in ocean waters, or up the Bay to reach them. Since the close of the Bay season, boats have been combing Virginia ocean waters with no sign of striped bass as of yet.
The ocean fish are still to our north, and will travel south, but who knows if they will come close enough to shore for boats to target them. In Bay waters, rockfish anglers are still enjoying catch and release action with big striped bass in the mid-Bay area off Exmore and the Range Tower areas. Smaller school-sized fish were reported around the Buoy 42 area. Some of the larger fish are well over 48-inches.
Folks are beginning to show more interest in tautog since the ocean striper bite has yet to develop. Water temperatures are still allowing for good tog action in Bay waters, especially along the Bay Bridge Tunnel and some inshore wrecks. Deeper wrecks are becoming productive, with several tog pushing to over 10-pounds caught over the past few weeks, with most using the most attainable bait right now, green crabs. Keep in mind that you can keep up to three tautogs per person at a minimum of 16-inches. Big bluefish and sea bass are still a possibility in some of these same locations, but the sea bass season is now closed.
Inshore, speckled trout are still not making the showing of past years, but there is enough action to keep speck anglers interested. Rudee Inlet has been producing some solid catches of trout to around 6-pounds. Lynnhaven Inlet is also giving up decent catches of trout pushing to around 3-pounds, with live bait working well. Right now, anglers can keep up to five fish per person measuring a minimum of 14-inches, with one of those fish exceeding 24-inches. School-sized rockfish and puppy drum are also possibilities in these same areas.
Although a few boats are searching, no one has confirmed any bluefin tuna activity, but this fishery is hit and miss. Boats venturing out to scour the deeper ocean floors this past week found some dogfish to contend with, but most anglers were still able to hoist some nice blue-line tilefish pushing to around 16-pounds and golden tilefish pushing to over 50-pounds from the depths. Other species such as grouper, black-bellied rosefish, bluefish and jumbo sea bass are also providing some variety in deeper water along the Canyon walls, but remember the sea bass season is closed.
Nags Head
Little to report with cold weather and high winds. Anglers are hoping for a run of stripers in the surf, but nothing so far. Last weekend, the winds were WNW winds at 12 and the water temp was 48 degrees.
Hatteras Surf
Cold, cold, cold weather has kept anglers inside. A few blow toads were biting. Over the weekend, there were some trout caught north of Buxton and in front of the lighthouse. Bluefish were caught at Ramp 49.
Hatteras Offshore
A couple of boats took parties offshore for some good bottom fishing last Friday with catches of Rosefish, Barrelfish, and Golden Tilefish. A few King Mackerel were caught as well. Since then – no action.