Speckled trout and puppy drum fishing is great just about everywhere. Some big reds continue to be caught in the Bay and along the coast.
There have been good numbers of king mackerel along the Virginia Beach oceanfront the past few days.
Large sheepshead continue to be caught on Bay structures.
Tog fishing is picking up in the Bay.
Coastal wrecks, like Triangles are producing sea bass, flounder, and a few red snapper.
Anglers fishing off the Virginia Beach fishing pier are picking up small spot, small black drum, small trout, roundhead and few puppy drum. The water temp is 65 degrees.
Surf anglers fishing near Sandbridge continue to land big reds from the beach. Frank Marble picked up his third last week.
Offshore swordfish catches have been very good.
VBSF Contributor Reports
Captain Jake Beck at Knot Wish’n guide service at Rudee Inlet enjoyed quality speckled trout fishing inside the inlet last week. He said it’s still a bit hit and miss depending on the day and tides, but there are plenty of nice size fish around. His ocean trips got in on the hot king mackerel bite. The kings have been skying through menhaden bait balls regularly he said. There are still some spanish mackerel lingering and there are plenty of bluefish.
Rudee Tours offshore headboat fishing has been great! Numerous citation blueline tilefish have been landed weighing up to 17 pounds. Their inshore trips are picking up seabass, triggerfish and red drum. The bluefish are starting to show up on the inshore wrecks as the water temperature is starting to cool down.
Captain Nolan Agner at Aquaman Charters said they have been deep dropping for sea bass and tilefish. They’ll be running sea bass trips through end of year.
Dr Neill spent a couple of days wreck fishing inside the bay and trolling along the oceanfront. At night, he fished from his dock. Small sea bass and oyster toads were a problem at times, but he managed to also catch sheepshead, tautog, pufferfish, pigfish, pinfish, porgy, flounder, bluefish, king mackerel, red drum, perch, speckled trout, and gray trout. Nothing big. He said there’s a good amount of bait around and he saw a number of whales, as many as a half-dozen at a time. It should be a good whale-watching season.
Captain David Wright and crew on the charter boat High Hopes had an awesome day last week. They caught a limit of blueline tilefish, four of which were citations. They landed some beautiful black sea bass. Then topped the day off with two swordfish, one 78 pounds and the other 201 pounds.
VMRC Cobia News
Virginia has exceeded its recreational cobia harvest quota in the last few years and must adhere to the regulations set forth by Amendment 1 of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic cobia. To keep the recreational fishery in compliance, Virginia must adjust management measures to achieve a 42% reduction to the recreational cobia fishery for the 2021-2023 seasons. Virginia must adjust seasons and vessel limits according to specific language in the Fishery Management Plan.
We are soliciting public input through this survey to provide feedback to the Commission. This information along with VMRC staff and the Finfish Advisory recommendations will be brought before the Commission for deliberation at the December 8, 2020 meeting. Final regulations for the 2021-2023 recreational cobia fishing seasons will be decided at that meeting.
The link for the recreational cobia survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9VKQQR
The survey will be open until close of business (2:30 PM) Friday, October 30, 2020. Feel free to distribute.
Fisheries Management Staff
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Rd., Building 96
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA 23651-1064
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