Way South Fishing Reports
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 15 Update:
Croaker fishing in the Way South region continues to show signs of improvement, with anglers catching increasing numbers of keeper fish around the lower James River, local piers, and tidal areas on bloodworms, shrimp, and squid. Black drum, sheepshead, and large bull red drum are also providing good action around bridges, tunnels, and shallow grass flats throughout the Virginia Beach and Norfolk region, while slammer bluefish continue pushing farther north into the Bay. Offshore fishing has also been excellent to start black sea bass season, with boats quickly finding limits of quality fish over wrecks and reef structure off Virginia Beach.
The croaker fishing in the Way South region is a shell of what it once was, but there are signs that the fishery is trying to improve. We have seen more keeper fish being caught in recent years, but still nothing like it was in the 90s and early 2000s. A subscriber reported there were croaker moving into the Bay in force, and bloodworm bits fished on bottom produced dozens in an afternoon of fishing in the lower James near Hampton. Most were five to seven inches but a couple of eight and nine inchers were in the mix. Other anglers have been encountering great numbers of croaker and some whiting in places such as the Sandbridge fishing pier, Green Mile fishing pier, and Ocean View fishing pier. Several baits work well for croaker and other bottom dwellers, including bloodworms, shrimp, and squid.
There have been plenty of black drum around the various bridges in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk areas. One kayak angler reported catching a mid-size black drum and a keeper sheepshead while fishing at some of the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The drum can also be found at the bridges and tunnels at the mouth of the James River, the mouth of Lynnhaven inlet, and at shoals and other hard bottom structures on the main stem of the Bay. The grass flats near Poquoson have been home to schools of big bull reds cruising the shallows. These fish are not easy to track down, but water conditions have been very clear, so sight fishing is often on the table. Reliable electronics with side scan is another very helpful tool when drum fishing, especially if they are in slightly deeper depths of six to 15 feet of water, where they are harder to sight fish. If you can cast a jig or other artificial lure in front of them, they are usually willing to eat.
Big slammer bluefish are being caught along the oceanfront of Virginia Beach, and at areas just inside the mouth of the Bay. These fish are starting to push farther north, and have now been encountered near the mouth of the James River, up to Mobjack Bay, and over to Cape Charles. Anglers fishing the tributaries and inlets between Virginia Beach and Ocean View are finding them with more regularity. While these fish are providing great inshore opportunities, there are also some excellent offshore opportunities right now. A reader checked in after heading down to Virginia Beach for the opening of black sea bass season in Virginia. He went out with Wreck Dawg Sport Fishing and had an excellent trip. The crew ran about 50 miles out and were fishing in depths of 80 to 100 feet of water over wrecks and other reef structure. Dropping double rigs tipped with squid led to quick hookups and plenty of keeper sea bass coming over the rails. It only took them two hours to box a boat limit of 90 fish. He also dropped a metal jig and caught a few fish on that as well. The big fish were around four pounds, and he mentioned that there was no need to pull the ruler out. All their keepers passed the eyeball test when going in the box.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 8 Update:
Large bluefish have arrived along the Virginia Beach oceanfront and are providing exciting action in the surf, around Rudee Inlet, with many fish topping 30 inches. Red drum are also beginning to mix into the surf bite, while inshore anglers continue to pick away at striped bass and slot-sized reds in rivers and inlets despite inconsistent conditions. Croaker and kingfish are steadily moving into the Bay and showing up around area piers, and black drum fishing remains productive around major bridge structures for anglers fishing by boat or kayak. Meanwhile, the annual migration of cow nose rays has begun, which could soon impact some of the region’s inshore fishing patterns.
Chopper and Slammer sized blues have shown up along the oceanfront of Virginia Beach this week. They will likely run through the surf for a few weeks and should also start to move into the Chesapeake Bay. Several reports rolled in from anglers catching bluefish over 30 inches. If you are fishing with light tackle gear, these fish will give you a run for your money and, often times, will break you off if you don’t have a heavy enough leader. Rudee Inlet has been one of the better reported locations for these big bluefish this week. Anglers are catching them both inside the inlet and just outside of it along the jetties. Paddletails have been working better than spoons. Surf fishing has also been working very well for the blues. Your best bet is to use chunks of fresh cut mullet or menhaden, but we have even seen a few blues caught on sand fleas. More red drum are also showing up in the surf, and they can be caught on these same baits.
The inshore bite in the rivers and inlets has been inconsistent, but anglers putting in enough time are having decent results. One kayak angler reported catching half a dozen striped bass in the upper 20s to low 30-inch range. They also caught two red drum around the same size. All the fish were caught throwing paddletials. Take advantage of any decent bites right now because the inevitable return of cow nose rays is right around the corner, and they may be showing up as we speak. There were reports from the area around the Sandbridge fishing pier this week that hundreds of rays were seen migrating just off the Pier. There is not anything inherently bad about them, but they will turn off a fishing bite if they move through an area in mass numbers. They can also be a nuisance when fishing with cut bait. If you are fishing from a boat and happen to come across an area with a lot of these rays around, it is worth moving to get away from them.
Croaker are continuing to move into the Bay. There have been recent reports from the Sandbridge fishing pier, Buckroe fishing pier, and areas near the James River Bridge. The fish are not jumbos by any means, but the average seems to be eight to nine inches with a few bigger ones being caught too. Kingfish, also known as roundhead, are being caught at some of the area’s fishing piers too. They are a delicious eating fish, and a lot of fun to catch while surf fishing on the beaches or bottom fishing from the piers. Black drum can also be found around the various bridges, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, and Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. These areas must be accessed by boat or kayak. Just make sure to check weather conditions if you plan to fish these bridges from a kayak. When targeting black drum, chunks of blue crab or clam are the best way to go. Hook sizes of either 8/0 or 10/0 will be best when using big chunks of bait. Tie these onto a fish finder rig and match your weight to the current and depth of the area you are fishing for the best results.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 1 Update:
The Virginia coast is lighting up with the arrival of multiple spring and early-summer species, as big bluefish and increasing numbers of red drum headline the surf bite, with even more bull reds expected to push in over the coming weeks. Bottom fishing remains productive with steady croaker and kingfish action, while tautog are providing consistent opportunities around structure both inshore and offshore, including some true jumbos. Meanwhile, the first sheepshead of the season are starting to show, signaling the continued transition into a diverse and action-packed fishery across the region.
Big bluefish are making their return to our waters. The chopper blues were encountered by anglers fishing at the mouth of Rudee Inlet, and several locations along the beaches this week. One angler fishing at Sandbridge reported catching several fish between 24 and 30 inches. The seaweed was thick, but throwing out chunks of finger mullet still got fish to bite. These fish should start to move into the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries in the Norfolk area. Red drum catches are also increasing in the surf, and several fish in the 30-inch range were caught this week along the oceanfront. Puppy drum and bull red drum numbers should steadily increase throughout the month of May. Some schools of bull reds have already been around for a few weeks now, but we should see a large push of migratory fish over the next few weeks. When they first arrive, they are often encountered in the shallows over grass flats, near Fisherman’s Island, and around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Croaker and kingfish have been abundant for anglers bottom fishing in this region. The croaker bite has been good at the mouth of the James River, but the larger fish are only around nine inches. That is not to say that larger fish aren’t around, but the theme for croaker for many years now has been that there are a lot around, but they are mostly small. Kingfish, also known as roundhead, are also showing up. An angler fishing near the Lesner Bridge boxed several nice sized kingfish earlier in the week.
Tautog fishing has been good at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. While there are plenty of fish to catch, a lot of the fish are sub-legal sized. The tog can also be found at various reef sites, the concrete Kiptopeke ships, and the mouth of Rudee Inlet. Ocean’s East Bait and Tackle reported that there are some jumbo tautog at offshore reef sites. A few of their anglers checked in after catching six fish over 10 pounds, with the largest fish weighing over 18 pounds. Sheepshead should be moving inshore, and we had our first report of the season come in this week. A kayak angler fishing the Lesner Bridge caught a few sheepshead using fiddler crabs, but they said the bites were very subtle. Look for more to arrive at the bridge tunnel and other area bridges this month.
