Now that a good bit of the snow/ice has melted and temperatures have returned to moderate readings, there are a few, good winter fishing options – mostly freshwater. Not much is happening in the ocean and bay unless you want to go offshore and try for bluefin tuna or sea bass on the wrecks. The bay is dead for the most part and surf fishermen will find only skates and dogfish – and who wants … [Read more...]

(Our smallmouth had a 9-inch trout in its stomach) If you live long enough, you’ll see some strange things. One of the strangest things I’ve seen in the outdoors happened about 25 years ago on the Jackson River in the upper Hidden Valley area. I had been invited on a shocking expedition with the Game Department. For several years, I had urged the state to make the … [Read more...]

The big bluefins are dominating the Gulf Stream scene, a handful of pups and specks ae biting in Virginia’s rivers, and tautogs are out there if you can stand the cold. An occasional red drum is caught at Hatteras while a few skates and sharks are biting at Nags Head. Some nice bass are being caught at Lake Anna, and the yellow perch are beginning to make their move in the Rappahannock. Some … [Read more...]

Giant bluefin are now prowling the waters off the Carolina coast and dozens of charter captains are eager to put you on a fish that weighs as much as a Mini Cooper automobile. One such outfit is Phideaux Fishing Charters out of Wanchese. Contact them at 252-473-8051. There were good numbers of winter drum beached at Ocracoke over the holidays along with a few sharks. Speckled trout, puppy drum … [Read more...]

The fishing reports are going to be both sparse and redundant in the next month or two. There will be some catch and release striper fishing in the bay and reports of speckled trout caught at the Hot Ditch in the Elizabeth River. Tautogs will bite for those lucky enough to find bait and crazy enough to go fishing in a deep freezer. One the OBX, boats heading offshore will find huge bluefin … [Read more...]

With water temperatures at the Chesapeake Light Tower hovering around 50 degrees, the stage is set for the bluefin tuna season, which reopens January 1. As colder water pushes bait offshore, anglers are closely watching temperature breaks and deep-water structure east of the Virginia Capes and the arrival of giant bluefin. For recreational anglers in the HMS Angling category and charter vessels … [Read more...]

The end of the 2025 fishing season is fast coming to a close, but the stripers in the lower bay are keeping things interesting. Big -as in 60 pounds – stripers are eating live eels whenever they see one. The bite is on near the CBBT, Hampton Roads, Moniter/Merrimac Bridge Tunnel as well as pilings, channel edges and rock lines. The ocean run stripers are now merging with resident fish and the … [Read more...]

The tuna season lasted just a few days as the commercial quota was quickly reached. A few of the big boys were wrestled in and they are still out there – just off the Virginia coast to be caught on a catch and release basis. At Nags Head, boats are hooking up with lots of blackfin tuna when they sail. A few big drum were beached at Ocracoke. In Virginia, the best action is over the wrecks and … [Read more...]

As we ease into December, the cold-water fish are taking center stage. The croakers, spot, cobia, flounder and spadefish have moved out of the bay. Remaining are the rockfish, speckled trout, tautogs, sea bass, bluefish and red drum. December is the peak time for big rockfish as they migrate down the Atlantic Coast and hang a right into the Chesapeake to gorge on baitfish. The best action is … [Read more...]

Some fishing improves as the waters warm while some fishing gets better when it cools. Right now, the speckled trout and puppy drum is scorching hot, with great reports coming from the Rappahannock River down to the Rudee Inlet and Lynnhaven areas. Peak action often ramps up after sundown, when these feisty fighters prowl the shallows under cover of darkness—ideal for those who don’t mind trading … [Read more...]