March and Beyond Fishing Forecast

Nice Tautog

March can be a busy month for anglers. Good fishing is right around the corner. Charter crews are working on their boats, tackle shops are servicing reels and replacing old line. Marinas are prepping for the season, Long Bay Pointe Marina patrons can look forward to new fish cleaning tables.

New cleaning tables

March will have some angling opportunities. Puppy drum should be available in Rudee Inlet, Lynnhaven Inlet, the Elizabeth River and other inlets and rivers. In fact Connie at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle reports a few puppy drum coming from the back waters near the shop on warm days. Speckled trout could be in the same areas.

Tautog are available on ocean wrecks, which should be home to bluefish and Flounder as well. For sure sea bass, but they are out of season.

Deep droppers will be looking to put their crews on golden tilefish.

Bluefin tuna catches off the OBX have been good. Haven’t heard about any being hooked in Virginia yet.

Virginia anglers have a lot to look forward to over the coming weeks. By the end of March tautog action will pick up inshore. Local charter captains are taking advance booking for taugtog trips now, so if plan to go you should contact one asap. As April rolls around the taugtog action will continue approve and flounder will become a possibility. By mid April the big black drum roll in. Bluefish and gray trout will also be a possibility. The flounder bite should continue improving and speckled trout will become more numerous. By the end of May plenty of large red drum will have made their way into the lower bay. In June everything starts to peak, inshore and off! Black drum, red drum, cobia, croaker, flounder, gray trout, round head, sheepshead, spadefish, spanish mackerel, speckled trout, small striped bass, mahi, yellow fin tuna and school size blue fin tuna.

Once fishing picks up, we’ll return to posting weekly VBSF reports. Until then check back often for any fishing news we receive.