60 Degrees, Drum Roll Please!

Knot Wish’n Charters, Rudee Inlet

The first black drum were landed in the surf on Virginia’s eastern shore last week. Look for good catches to develop bayside near the Cabbage Patch, the Concrete Ships, near Buoy 13, the high rise of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, around 36A and off of Cape Charles. Best baits are clam and crab used separately or together.

Bay water temperature at the CBBT has reached the upper 50’s. Red drum usually show up by the time it hits 60 ….. and big red drum reports are already coming in! Their numbers will peak in May. Look for them around the islands, on the shoals at the mouth of the bay, Latimer Shoal, the shallows and near the northern end of the CBBT.

Flounder are starting to show up inshore. The best early season action usually occurs in the seaside inlets on the Eastern Shore. A few short flatties have been caught inside Rudee Inlet already. Remember large baits catch large flonder.

Some trout have been caught inside Rudee Inlet. Captain Todd and crew on the Knot Wish’n landed a couple this week. Captain Todd said the water temperature inside Rudee is 60F now.

Rudee’s Inlet Station Marina, 17 1/2 pounds!

Tautog fishing remains good. Look for them around structure like the CBBT, Back River Reef, the Cell, Tower Reef, the Concrete Ships, Cape Henry Wreck, the Santore, the Winthrop, and the Triangle Wrecks. Best baits are crab, clam or a combination.

OBX, NC

Bluefish, sea mullet and blow toads are scattered along Hatteras Island beaches. A few big drum and large sharks have been caught at the point.

The piers are catching blow toads, shad, trout and bluefish.

Nate Howard and crew from Virginia Beach, with Release Sport Fishing Hatteras, NC

Offshore, captains sailing from Oregon Inlet are finding plenty of hungry yellow fin tuna … and dolphin numbers are on the rise. Down in Hatteras boats are catching LARGE black fin tuna over the offshore rocks. Sharks have been a problem, taking many fish before they can be boxed.