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 daylight for dinner. Slot-sized puppy drum are tagging along in the same zones, falling for identical presentations. Look for them shadowing structure like drop-offs and creek mouths where they ambush prey. Rockfish action is steadily improving inside the bay’s rivers and creeks, with larger breeders staging up for their late-fall migration. Striped bass are open year-round in most areas, but November’s 19/31-inch slot and 1-fish creel (or 2 at 20-28 inches in some zones) mean measuring twice before keeping—check VMRC for zone-specific tweaks.
Tautog are holding strong on bay wrecks and artificial reefs, with the CBBT and lesser-known inshore structures delivering consistent pulls.
Surf casters from Sandbridge to the Outer Banks (Hatteras) are mostly pulling in red drum and sea mullet on fresh shrimp or Fishbites in the troughs— sea mullet are schooling up for their spawn.
Offshore crews are pounding black sea bass, triggerfish, and bluefish over wrecks and ledges in 20+ fathoms.
There’s a massive 72–74 °F warm-core eddy that has parked right over the Norfolk Canyon and adjacent fingers, pulling tunas into a concentrated, red-hot bite.
Daytime and nighttime swordfishing is very much in play right now off Virginia Beach. Most fish are running 80–250 pounds, with a few true giants mixed in.
Bluefin Tuna season kicks off December 1. This aligns perfectly with the fish’s late-fall migration push down the coast from New England, drawing schools of 100- to 300-pound bruisers within striking distance of Virginia Beach and Rudee Inlet – sometimes within sight of the resort strip. Early buzz from offshore scouts suggests a stellar run is brewing, fueled by nutrient-rich upwellings in the cooling Atlantic; last winter’s action was described as “nothing short of spectacular,” with both recreational and commercial anglers landing trophy-class fish on chunk baits, live eels, and heavy spinning gear over wrecks and ledges in 40-300 feet.
OBX
Fishing from the surf and piers has been good with reports of sea mullet, bluefish and black drum. fishing around our area. South of Oregon Inlet, there have been catches of drum, sea mullet, black drum, blow toads, bluefish, and flounder.
Inshore fishing is producing trout with stripers being caught around the bridges. The offshore boats are catching some blackfin, yellowfin, a few Wahoo, and king mackerel.
