Virginia Beach Fishing Report

Spring is almost here and the fishing will get better this month.

With the water temperature at Thimble Shoal reaching 52 F black drum should start to show up in their usual haunts along the bayside of the Eastern Shore. Good locations are the Cabbage Patch, near the Concrete Ships, Buoy 13, near the high rise of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, around 36A and off of Cape Charles. Look for boats anchored close together in these areas. Best baits are clam and crab, used separately or together on the same hook.

Connie at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle said a number of puppy drum were caught back inside Lynnhaven inlet this week. Shallow water on an outgoing tide is prime. Try slowly bouncing soft plastics along the bottom.

Speckled trout are becoming more plentiful in the Elizabeth and York River tributaries.  Dr Neill fish on the Peninsula side recently and picked up five, all around 19 inches He lost at least as many as he caught.

Our tautog bite continues. Look for them anywhere there’s structure. Popular areas include the CBBT, Back River Reef, the Cell, Tower Reef, the Concrete Ships, Cape Henry Wreck, the Santore, the Winthrop, and the Triangle Wrecks. The best bait is fresh crab but strips of clam, whelk, and Fishbites E-Z Crab will also work.

OBX, NC

Surf fishing is a couple of weeks ahead due to the unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing. Nice Puppy Drum have been caught at ramp 4 at Oregon Inlet. Down south the water is 62.0 F in the surf and there has been reports of big drum at The Point and on Ocracoke Island. Puppy drum, sharks, a handful of sea mullet and bluefish are starting to show up to the south as well.

Big speckled trout and puppy drum are being caught on the western side of the Pamlico Sound. Some nice trout were caught at Little Bridge on the Manteo causway this week. Striper are still hanging near the Manns Harbor Bridges.

Giant bluefin are still around for catch and release. Blackfin, kings, and a few wahoo are in the mix.

Be sure and book a VBSF sponsor boat and then send us your pictures for our next report!