While waiting for the Virginia charter season to reopen, Captain Charlie has put together another great how-to video. This time the crew covers tautog fishing and cleaning.

Rudee Inlet Headboats sponsor our VBSF website. They run trips offshore, nearshore and inshore virtually year around. With proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, the bite out of Rudee Inlet is always promising and action packed!

For an experience you and your family will never forget, book’em up guys!

https://www.facebook.com/rudeetours/videos/505070556840302/

Tautog fishing remains good to excellent. Look for them around underwater obstructions like wrecks, reefs, rocks and the pylons of the CBBT. The Virginia season closes May 15th, so you need to go ASAP! The taugtog state record was set in 2012, a 24 lbs 3 oz fish caught by Ken Neill.

Red drum are on the shoals at the mouth of the bay, Latimer Shoal and the shallow bar near the north end of the CBBT. Next month as the water warms and the number of fish increases, anglers will begin having success sight casting near the islands of the CBBT.

I’ve heard very few black drum reports. But they should be along the shallow channel ledge running from Fisherman’s Island to north of Cape Charles. Look for boats anchored close together near Kiptopeake, the Cabbage Patch and the Concrete Ships.

Flounder, speckled trout and bluefish are starting to bite inside local inlets. There have been keeper size specks caught in Rudee Inlet this week. The best flounder catches will come from Wachapreague, Oyster and Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore. Flounder should be showing along the CBBT. Numbers will continue to improve as the water warms.

It’s time for sheepshead to arrive in the bay. Their numbers will increase in May and peak in early June. The best baits are fiddler crabs or mole crabs, fished very close to structure.

Anglers fishing off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier are catching skates, sand perch, spots, pufferfish, roundheads, trout and bluefish. The water temp is 56°. Anglers are using bloodworms, clam bites and gulps.

Sea bass, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, black belly rose fish and dogfish are available this time of year to Virginia offshore deep droppers. Make sure to keep up with seasonal regulations for each. In June the Rudee headboats start offering 17-hour deep drop trips on Thursdays and daily half day inshore trips. There will be pent-up demand, so book early.

OBX, NC

Trout fishing is good in the sound and along the beach as far north as Kitty Hawk. A few puppy drum are being caught with the trout in the sound.

Surf fishing on the northern beaches is good with blues, sea mullet, toads and trout available.

Down south on Hatteras Island anglers are catching plenty of sea mullet, blues and toads. Some nice big reds are being caught at the point in Buxton.

Offshore slowed a little this week, a few yellowfin and few blackfin tuna were caught. It’s time for dolphin to start to showing up.

Kyle and Ethan have put together another great how-to video. This time they show you a good flounder setup.

Rudee Inlet Headboats sponsor our VBSF website. They run trips offshore, nearshore and inshore virtually year around. With proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, the bite out of Rudee Inlet is always promising and action packed!

For an experience you and your family will never forget, book’em up guys!

https://www.facebook.com/rudeetours/videos/3350206668323399/

Hatteras, NC Red Drum

Large schools of drum were encountered off Cape Point near Buxton NC this week. Captain Rom Whitaker says the town of Buxton itself is a ghost town these days. Dare County is only allowing residents in right now. He hasn’t run a charter since March 8th, needless to say that’s financially devastating for these guys.

Captain Jeff Ross on Obsession ran a private trip and got in on the Cape Point action, catching 30 citation reds. These fish are headed for their summer home in the Chesapeake Bay …… A few have already arrived, Dr Ken Neill has been catching them on the shoals near Fishermans Island for two weeks.

Oddly I haven’t seen many black drum reports, surly they are in their usual spots by now. If you’ve caught them send us a picture and report.

Photo from Lauren Harper

Tautog catches at the CBBT, on near-shore wrecks and artificial reefs has been outstanding. These tasty fish can’t resist a hook baited with fresh crab.

The Virginia Beach Pier reports catches of skates, sand perch, spot and croakers. Most are using bloodworms for bait. Best time to fish is: 8am to 11 am – 2 PM to 8:00 PM.

Speckled trout reports continue to come in and puppy drum are available in their usual locations. Stan and Johnny via the PSWSFA Facebook page reported good speck action recently. Fishing both the outgoing and incoming tide they landed 18 fish between 15 and 20 1/2″. They also had probably another 20 bumps and lost several fish at the boat before they could net them. Most were released for another day.

Flounder are showing up in many of the barrier island backwaters along the sea side of the Virginia eastern shore.

Outer Banks, NC locals say surf fishing is good for blues, trout, blow toads on the north beaches and sea mullet, toads, blues, and drum on the south beaches.

NC sound fisherman have been catching plenty of trout and puppy drum and a few stripers.

Offshore Tuna action to our south has been fantastic all winter. A few Rudee Inlet captains have made the long run to get in on it. Lately boats departing Oregon Inlet have been picking up quick limits of yellowfin tuna. One boat reported 40 in just a few hours of fishing.

Be sure and send us your pictures and reports. Send them to [email protected]

Speckled trout action is picking up in local inlets and along the beach. The best action is in the inlets, trout prefer shallow, grassy areas. Live shrimp works well. Guide Todd Beck on the Knot Wish’n  picked up a few keepers in Rudee Inlet this week.

Black Drum are showing up along the shallow channel ledge running from Fisherman’s Island to north of Cape Charles. Look for boats anchored close together near Kiptopeake, the Cabbage Patch and the Concrete Ships.

Nice Drum Are Here

Large red drum have arrived on the shoals between Fisherman’s and Smith Islands. The most popular angling technique for them is anchoring on top of the shoal and positioning yourself so your baits drift back to the deeper waters. Chumming helps draw the fish in. Dr Ken Neill picked up one on Saturday.

There’s been some nice early season flounder action on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The best catches are coming from Wachapreague, Oyster and Chincoteague. The minimum size limit is 16 1/2 inches, with a limit of 4 per person. The Virginia capture citation is 6 pounds. The release citation is 26 inches, if that’s your thing. The state record: 17 lbs. 8 oz and was caught in 1971 by Charles E. Cross.

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Tautog fishing remains good to excellent. Look for them around underwater obstructions like wrecks, reefs, rocks and the pylons of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Tautog like fresh crab. Dr Ken Neill caught a few togs along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Saturday. You have until May 15th to catch yours. The season closes from May 16th, 2020 to June 30th, 2020. The limit is 4 per day at least 16 inches in long.

Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle says tilefish, grouper, swordfish, tuna and sharks are available offshore.

On Thursday, April 9, another decommissioned tugboat was purposely sent to the bottom of the ocean in a continuing effort to boost the Outer Banks’ newest artificial reef, AR-165.

Kyle and Ethan put together a great how-to, rigging video for croaker, black sea bass, and tilefish.

Rudee Inlet Headboats sponsor our website, they run trips offshore, nearshore and inshore virtually year around. With proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, the bite out of Rudee Inlet is always promising and action packed!

Their experienced captains have been fishing the coast of Virginia Beach for over 35 years. They have all the tackle you need and mates are onbboard to help every step of the way.

For an experience you and your family will never forget, give them a call.

https://www.facebook.com/rudeetours/videos/838567576657524

Kyle and Ethan with some rigging tips

Between windy weather and COVID-19 restrictions, there hasn’t been a lot of fishing to report on this week. There’s been some confusion over exactly what the current regulations are regarding who can and cannot fish. To the best of my knowledge there will be no chartering in Virginia until early June. June will be peak fishing on the lower Chesapeake Bay and along the ocean front for cobia, big red drum and spanish mackerel. By then everyone will be going nuts to get out on the water. I look for VBSF charters to be book rather heavy in June, July and August. So, if you plan to take the family out, you should book ahead.

But for now, all Virginians have been directed to stay at home except for allowable travel including: to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members obtain goods and services like groceries, prescriptions, and others as outlined in Executive Order Fifty-Three, and engage in outdoor activity using strict social distancing practices.

https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/

When and if you get to go, tautogs are around the reefs and wrecks, biting on fresh crabs. Flounder and speckled trout are starting to show up in the inlets and coastal bays.

The first black drum of the season showed up in the Eastern Shore surf last week.

Kyle and Ethan from VBSF sponsor Rudee Tours shared an old how-to rigging video for croaker, black sea bass, & tilefish. Looks like we’ll have plenty of time to work on tackle, so now’s a great time to share some tip. Thank you guys, great video!

https://www.facebook.com/rudeetours/videos/838567576657524

Photo Captain Jake Hiles, Matador Charters

Virginia anglers have lots to look forward to in the coming weeks and the action might start early this year. We didn’t have much of a winter, which should be good news for species like speckled trout. And it could signal an early arrival for other species.

Tautog are already at the CBBT and on nearly all near-shore structures. VBSF charter captains are booking taugtog trips, so if plan to go you should contact one asap.

Speckled trout have been biting in the rivers for a couple of weeks. Connie Barbour at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle  says they’re available inside Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets now. Our sponsor Knot Wish’n Guide Service plans to look for them this weekend. Hopefully he’ll have some good news for us.

Red drum are making an early showing at the point in Buxton, I sure hope the Covid-19 emergency action doesn’t keep anglers away from the point the entire season. Currently only locals have access.

Anglers fishing the northern OBX are catching blow toads, trout, flounder, puppy drum and sea mullet.

Tuna action out of Oregon Inlet North Carolina has been fantastic all winter. Yellowfin, bluefin and blackfin. And of course, there are plenty of sharks available.

Here’s a look ahead!

Inshore fishing was off the charts last year and there’s a very good chance this year will be even better.

As April rolls in our tautog action will continue and flounder will become a possibility. Some good flounder reports are already coming from Wachapreague, Virginia.

Photo By Wachapreague Inn

By mid-April the big black drum will be here, in fact one has already been landed this year. 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.

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Light Tackle Action On The Sea Breeze – OBX

As water temperatures in the bay rise this month look for the tautog bite to pick up. Also called tog or blackfish, they are arguably one of the best tasting fish in our area. Their feeding activity is based on water temperature. When the water is above 44 degrees they should be available. When the bay temperature reaches 50 degrees the rock islands of the CBBT is an ideal location, but they can be found 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, the Triangle Wrecks, and any other wreck or structure you can find. The best baits are crabs … blue, fiddler, green and mole crabs. Strips of clam and whelk will also work.

There have been some good speckled trout reports coming from the rivers. But nothing much to speak of in area inlets so far. It should pick up any day.

OBX surf anglers are catching dogfish up and down the beach. At the point in Buxton they are catching puppy drum, sea mullet, and blowtoads.

Sea Breeze

Crews fishing offshore from the Outer Banks are catching limits yellowfin, blackfin, school size bluefin tunas and an occasional wahoo!

Captain Ned Ashby on the Sea Breeze had a crew from Japan on board this week. They were doing some light tackle jigging for giant blue fins  …. They were not disappointed. Captain Ned ran out to a report of bluefins jumping all over the ocean Thursday morning. Captain Ned said ….. “The report was true! Huge fish feeding on top! What an awesome site! We had several bites that pulled off, but finally hooked a really nice fish and caught it! Estimated 500 lbs!”

Eye On The Water Temps

Cape Henry VA Surf: 49.0 F
Cape Charles VA: 47.9 F
CBBT: 49.7 F
Entrance to Rudee Inlet: 50.0 F
Entrance to Lynnhaven Inlet 49.0 F
Duck NC Research Pier: 50.6 F
Oregon Inlet NC, Soundside: 51.0 F
Buxton NC, The Point: 56.0 F
Hatteras Inlet Soundside: 56.3 F
Diamond Shoals Light: 71.0 F

WEEKLY REPORTS START MARCH 28th