Despite three nor’easters in a row, Virginia saltwater anglers have found small windows of fishable weather.
Tautogs are available on the ocean wrecks and at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Last week Jamal Esfahani and crew had an incredible day. They weighed their largest fish (9 lb. 13 oz.) at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle. They tagged and released 27 citation size taugs.
Local head boats are catching codfish, red hake and pollock.
The speckled trout and puppy drum should start arriving on the shallow flats inside Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, on the James River and in the Eastern Shore creeks as waters warm.
Bluefin tuna are still around. Last week, the boat Seawolf caught a monster 116-inch, 835-pound new NC State Record bluefin tuna while fishing off the Outer Banks.
Current Water Temps
Cape Charles: 43.3 F
Cape Henry: 43.0 F
Kiptopeke: 43.7 F
Duck NC Pier: 43.3 F
Oregon Inlet Surf: 47.1 F
OI offshore Buoy @ 60 feet: 55.8 F
Hatteras Surf: 51.1 F
Diamond Shoals Tower: 73.6 F
Outer Banks
Northeast storms have halted or slowed down most fishing on the Outer Banks. In Hatteras, puppy drum are being caught on the south side of Cape Point and around Ramp 48. There was a big Red Drum run at the Point.
At Hatteras Harbor, a couple of charters headed offshore Saturday and they reported a good Albacore bite with scattered Blackfin Tuna thrown in.