As the water in the bay dips beneath the 50-degree mark, big rockfish are piling up along Cape Charles. Many now have sea lice, a sign they have moved into the Bay from the ocean. The best baits for the big fellows are live eels bounced along the bottom. With just 2 weeks left in the season, the lower Rappahannock has also been producing lots of nice fish. Good catches are also coming in from the James River, especially near the JRB.
Elizabeth River anglers are catching specks, redfish and stripers. Some very nice drum have been caught inside Rudee Inlet.
The tautog bite is red hot near CBBT structure. Off the coast of Virginia Beach, anglers are catching some jumbo sea bass, along with an occasional doormat flounder and lots of tilefish and triggerfish.
Yellowfin are biting in the Gulf on days when boats can sail.
OBX
Nags Head has been slow as the water gets colder. Some sea mullet and black drum were caught from the piers and in the surf. Rockfish are thick back in the sounds, especially near the bridges.
Offshore, the few boats that made it out returned with limits of yellowfin, sea bass and triggerfish.
At Hatteras, boats are bringing in nice catches of king mackerel and some big Wahoo. Some specks, sea mullet, and black drum are being caught from the Buxton surf.
Virginia freshwater
Bot Lake Anna and Buggs Island are low, and water temps are near 50, but the bass fishing has been good, stripers, too.
Some nice pickerel are coming from Chickahominy Lake, a great choice for winter fishing. The rivers are very low and clear, Crappie are going deep in all the lakes, but will still snatch a live minnow when given the opportunity.
