
Great Togging with Captain Paige onboard the Paige II
Tautog
Excellent tautog fishing continues around wrecks, reefs, rocks, and CBBT pylons. Blue or fiddler crabs, clam, or whelk are highly effective baits for tautog. Captain Craig Paige, Paige II Charters is booking Tautog trips until the season closes on May 15.
Red Drum
Large red drum, weighing between 25 to 50 pounds, are making their presence known on shoals at the mouth of the bay, especially around Latimer Shoal and the shallow waters near the northern Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT). Their numbers will continue to rise throughout May, peaking in early June. For successful trolling, try using 3 1/2 Drone spoons around the shallows, or anchor on the shoals with 7/0 or 8/0 long shank hooks baited with peeler crabs. Short shank or circle hooks also work effectively when using cut spot or menhaden as bait.

Rudee Inlet has been red hot!
Puppy Drum and Speckled Trout
Both Puppy Drum and Speckled Trout have been abundant in the shallows of lower bay rivers, inlets, and creeks. Captain Todd and crew on the Knot Wish’n have had an outstanding April fishing inside Rudee Inlet. And Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle is reporting good fishing in the Lynnhaven River shallows.
Puppy Drum offers an exhilarating experience on light tackle. When fishing for them, consider using 3-4 inch paddle tail soft plastics, shrimp imitations in natural or red colors, topwater lures, or live shrimp/crabs suspended under a popping cork. Targeting depths of 1-4 feet in grassy-bottomed creeks, inlets, and bays is ideal. Work soft plastics slowly near the bottom or twitch topwaters at dawn and dusk for explosive strikes. Setting popping corks 1-2 feet above the bait can yield deadly results, especially in cooler water.
Black Drum
Anglers are catching impressive black drum, with some specimens exceeding 50 pounds and having the potential to reach up to 100 pounds. You can find them along the shallow channel ledge from Fisherman’s Island to north of Cape Charles. Prime fishing spots include Kiptopeake, Cabbage Patch, Concrete Ships, and the high-rise and 2nd/3rd Islands of the CBBT. The best times to fish are during running tides, late afternoons, evenings, or on full moons. Use whole clam, peeler crab, whelk, or combinations of these baits for optimal results.
Flounder
Flounder activity is on the rise in seaside inlets, with strong catches reported at Wachapreague and Chincoteague. Drift using live minnows or strip baits behind bucktails to attract flounder. For larger flounder near the CBBT, use live spot or small mullet in deeper water. The average size of flounder is between 1-3 pounds, though the state record stands at an impressive 17 pounds, 8 ounces, caught at the CBBT.
Bluefish
Currently, small numbers of bluefish are appearing in Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets, with a higher influx expected soon.

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OBX, NC Tuna
The tuna bite has shifted offshore, with crews catching Yellowfin, Big Eyes and some Kings inside. There’s still a chance of finding Bluefins near the beach.
The spring fishing scene in Virginia is picking up steam, and Cobia, Sheepshead, Spadefish and Spanish Mackerel are on the way.
Whether you’re trolling for red drum, drifting for flounder, or targeting tautog around the structures, the abundance and variety of fish promise an exciting and rewarding season. Get out there and enjoy the action—spring fishing is firing up!