First VBSF Black Drum Report!

Just as our spring species are arriving in coastal waters the Virginia charter boat closure has been lifted!! Captains are booking trips again, check with your favorite captain for the latest COVID19 chartering regulations.

We received our first black drum report and picture from Craig Irwin this week. Black drum love fresh clam. Craig said they should be available until mid-June. The black drum minimum size limit is 16 inches and you are allowed one fish per person. Virginia Citations are awarded for fish 80 pounds and over and release citations for fish 46 inches and greater. The state record is 111 pounds caught in 1973 by Betty D. Hall.

Captain Todd Beck (Knot Wish’n Charters) says trout fishing in Rudee is good, but crowded. Weekends are especially crowed with the popularity of kayak fishing. He reports the ocean temperature along the beach at 60 degrees now, just right for additional large schools of reds to make their way up from Carolina, its time. Last week he did some scouting south of the inlet looking for them, but didn’t run across any. Some are already on the shoals near Fisherman’s Island, fishing for them should continue to improve over the next few weeks. Dr Ken Neill is off to a good start; he’s already caught reds on the shoals on multiple trips. Fishing fresh crabs or live bait produces the best action. Remember, all red drum over 26 inches must be released. The slot limit for keepers is 18 inches to a max of 26 inches. The limit is 3 per person. Virginia Citations are awarded for released fish 46 inches and greater.

Tautog action is still good and should remain so until the close of the season. The tog season closes from May 16 thru June 30. Minimum size limit is 16 inches and the possession limits are 4 per person. A Virginia Citation is awarded for fish over 9 Lbs. The state record is 24 lbs 3 oz and was caught in 2012 by Dr Ken Neill.

Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle has beautiful fiddler crabs, peeler crabs, and female hard shell sponge crabs in stock

This time of year Eastern Shore inlets near Assateague, Chincoteague, Oyster and Wachapreague are the hot spot for flounder fishing. There should be a few flounder available inside Rudee and Lynnhaven inlets and near the CBBT, but we haven’t received many reports yet. Drifting flounder rigs with a minnow tipped with a strip of squid works well. The minimum size limit is 16 1/2 inches. The possession limit is 4 per person. Virginia Citations are awarded for fish 6 pounds or greater. The state record stands at 17 lbs. 8 oz., caught in 1971 by Charles E. Cross.

Striped bass and bluefish are hanging around the bridge tunnel islands and inside local inlets. The Bay’s spring striped bass season runs May 16 through June 15. The minimum size limit is 20 inches, maximum size limit is 28 inches. The possession limit is 1 per person.

Sheepshead and spadefish should be arriving. Look for the sheepshead on structure and around the bridge tunnel piles, and the spades around bay buoys and the light tower.

Croaker should be available under piers on the lower bay and in the York River.

Anglers have started seeing and now catching cobia off Hatteras. They should start arriving in Virginia waters within 2 weeks. Remember the Virginia capture season does not open until June 1. Captains of vessels fishing for cobia must obtain a Recreational Cobia Permit from VMRC and report all cobia fishing activity (trips with harvest, trips without harvest, and no activity if permit is not used) for all individuals on board. Individual anglers that target cobia from a pier or a shore must obtain a Recreational Cobia Permit from the VMRC and report all of their cobia fishing activity (trips with harvest, trips without harvest, and no activity if permit is not used). Permits can be obtained online here or at an MRC Licensing Agent. Reporting can be done online through the Saltwater Journal or using forms provided by the VMRC.

Offshore yellowfin tuna are available for anglers making the long run to the southeast. Fishing should pick up closer to home in the coming weeks. Deep-dropping is producing blueline tilefish and some big golden tiles. A few snowy grouper and bluefish are also available.

The Rudee headboats are booking 17 hour offshore trips for May 16, 21, 28th. Daily, half day trips start on the 16^th May. Give them a call and book’em up.

OBX, NC

Photo from Sea Breeze Charters

On North Carolina’s Outer Banks the red drum fishing continues to be good around Hatteras Island. Surfcasters are catching bluefish, speckled trout, puppy drum, blow toads, a few striped bass and lots of skates.

In the sound, speckled trout and small striped bass have been caught.

Boaters are finding a few cobia off Hatteras Inlet. That action is only going to get better in the coming weeks. Spanish mackerel fishing is excellent.  Coastal wrecks should be holding amberjack, spadefish, triggerfish and sea bass.

Yellowfin tuna are providing outstanding action for boats sailing from both Oregon and Hatteras inlets. Many boats have caught their limit by 10 am. The tunas are averaging 40 to 50 pounds. Dolphin numbers are on the rise. The season’s first billfish has been boated.

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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