Fishing for rockfish, speckled trout and puppy drum is excellent, offering a perfect opportunity for those with extra time off this weekend.
Speckled trout are being caught in Lynnhaven, Rudee, and Little Creek inlets, Poquoson Flats, creeks along the Eastern Shore Bayside, and the York and Elizabeth rivers.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings are holding striped bass, with school-sized rockfish abundant throughout the lower bay, particularly at night near lit bridges and piers. Sizable puppy drum are being caught in inlets, rivers, and ocean surf.
Tautog fishing is strong, especially around Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands, using fresh cut crabs.
Offshore, black seabass, triggerfish, Atlantic bonito, and bluefish are active on coastal wrecks, like the Hanks and Ricks.
Deep droppers can expect sea bass, tilefish, snowy grouper, and swordfish.
There are rumors of large bluefin tuna near the Triangle reef area, just before the wind kicked up. How close will they come to the beach this year? Who knows?
OBX
If you’re on a pier on the OBX, chances are good you’ll get a cooler full of sea mullet. Dogfish are also being pulled over the rails.
A few drum caught in the surf along with some trout and mullet. One angler was catching plenty of flounder this week. However, he wasn’t thrilled when they told him they weren’t in season but at least there was something at the end of his line.
Freshwater
Falling temperatures have crappie on the move. They can be here one day and gone tomorrow. But if you find them and put a bait out there, they’ll eat it. Community docks, bridge areas, and mid to shallow depth brush, and stumps have been prime spots. good targets for ambush. Casting with 1-1/2 baits and jigs has been more productive than still fishing with bait
