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

Captain Jake “Fishing was slow but any trout in February ain’t bad. A couple of degrees in water temperature can make a big difference”.

Virginia anglers wrapped up another short February black sea bass season. When weather permitted access to the reefs and wrecks, bottom fishing for sea bass and tautog was good. Unfortunately our sea bass season is over …… but the tautog season continues.

There’s been reports of speckled trout. Louis Glaser and Douglas Wilburn posted about a good bite on the Elizabeth River. They caught 10 specks Sunday using MR 27 Mirror Lures and Z man baits on 1\4 oz heads.

It’s time to keep an eye on the water temps as they start rising. Usually when you see 60 degree water at the point in Buxton NC, red drum are a possibly. Bay temperatures in the low 50’s usually supports a good tautog bite at the CBBT.

Water Temps
Cape Henry VA Surf: 45.0 F
Cape Charles VA: 45.0 F
CBBT: 45.7 F
Rudee Inlet: 46.0 F
Lynnhaven Inlet 47.0 F
Duck NC Research Pier: 42.6 F
Duck NC Wave Buoy: 46.6 F
Oregon Inlet NC, Soundside: 44.4 F
Buxton NC, The Point: 60.0 F
Hatteras Inlet Soundside: 47.3 F
Diamond Shoals Light: 73.0 F

Nice tuna, Wanchese NC

North Carolina tuna fishing has been excellent. Bluefin tunas have generated most of the excitement. Boats fishing from Oregon Inlet are finding bluefin tuna in the 400 to 900-pound range. The recreational season is over …. the commercial guys enjoyed a few extra days …. but now that our quote has been reach its all catch and release. Many captains say “just” the strike alone on a hookless bait is worth the price of admission.

During the recreational season, Captain Jake Hiles and Jeff Landis fishing onboard the Toro made a long run from Rudee Inlet to the Tuna Hole in federal water off North Carolina and fished with the Carolina boats. They picked up a fish measuring 109 inches and weighing 708 lbs. By departing from and returning to Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach it qualified their catch as the new Virginia State record. Congratulation to the crew on the Toro. Quite an effort.

Yellowfin, blackfin, school size bluefin and big eye tuna are also available off the OBX. Most of the blackfun are being caught off Hatteras Inlet, jigging.

Some great news on our Menhaden fishery, New legislation has been approved by Virginia House And Senate

The Virginia House and Senate have passed bipartisan legislation to transfer management of Virginia’s menhaden fisheries from the General Assembly to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). This comes after many years of work by the conservation and angling communities to move management of Virginia’s largest fishery to VMRC, where all other marine species in the Commonwealth are managed.

https://www.cbf.org/news-media/newsroom/2020/virginia/menhaden-legislation-approved-by-virginia-house-and-senate.html

Saturday and Sunday, VBSF sponsor the Rudee Angler took advantage of favorable weather and Virginia’s special February black sea bass season.

Anglers caught black sea bass, bluefish and even released a few blueline tilefish!

https://h1q.f32.myftpupload.com/virginia-beach-charters/head-boats-rudee-inlet/

Nice Sea Bass on the Rudee Angler

Virginia’s sea bass fishery is open until the end of the month, it’s a special one-month fishery. A special no-cost permit is required by the boat captain, reporting is mandatory, and you must tell VMRC when you are fishing so they have the opportunity to have a biologist meet you when you return.

Regulation: “It shall be unlawful for any person fishing recreationally to take, catch, or possess any black sea bass, from February 1 through February 28, without first having obtained a Recreational Black Sea Bass Permit from the Marine Resources Commission. It shall be unlawful for any black sea bass permittee to fail to contact the Marine Resources Commission Operation Station at (800) 541-4646 before returning to shore at the end of the fishing trip during the February black sea bass season. The permittee shall provide the Operations Station with his name, VMRC ID number, the point of landing, a description of the vessel, and an estimated return to shore time. 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.”

All this is an effort to collect data on this wintertime fishery that was closed for several years.

Limits of Big Black Sea Bass being caught!

VBSF sponsor the Rudee Angler (Head boat) enjoyed a successful sea bass trip last week. Fishing was excellent, with everyone catching a limit of sea bass. A few bluefish were caught as well. Weather permitting trips are scheduled on February 16th, 22nd, 23rd, and the 29th. These trips can sellout, so if you want to get in on the action call ASAP.

https://www.rudeetours.com/fishing-trips

Dr Ken Neill and crew on the Healthy Grin did some wreck fishing February 9th. It was a beautiful calm day with an easy run in and out. They caught a 6-person limit of sea bass. They also caught a lot of bluefish, one weighed in at 18 pounds. They caught a couple of tautog to 12 pounds and a monkfish.

Anglers are finding tautogs on bay and ocean structure and tile fish at the canyons.

Captain Jake Hiles, 90 inch Bluefin, Pretty Work!

Giant bluefin tuna are showing up south of Virginia Beach, down to Morehead City NC. There have been some nice size yellowfin and blackfin tuna caught off the OBX.

OBX, NC surf anglers are catching nice size sharks. Anglers fishing nearby artificial reefs are finding hungry tautogs waiting. On the sound side there continues to be some speckled trout and stripers available.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program, in partnership with the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee, sank the first of three tugboats off the coast of Pea Island recently.

The towing vessel American is the first addition to AR-165, a new reef site, about 7 miles south of the Oregon Inlet sea buoy off Dare County. This tug is part a project to place three vessels and 7,000 tons of concrete pipe on the reef that was organized by the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee. Funded by a Coastal Recreational Fishing License grant and a large donation by TW’s Bait and Tackle of Nags Head, the project will be ongoing through early spring.

The American is an 88-foot tugboat built in 1951 by the Chesapeake Marine Railway Company of Baltimore for the Consolidated Gas and Electric Company of Baltimore. Originally named G&E #3, the tug has since gone through several owners and name changes and was retired from service in 2012.

The tug was cleaned of environmental pollutants in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations prior to reefing. Its placement leaves a navigational clearance of approximately 30 feet.

The division plans to sink remaining tugboats, America (104 feet) and Valley Forge (110 feet) later this winter. Concrete pipe deployments will occur in early spring.

GPS coordinates for AR-165 are: 35° 41.672’ N, 75° 26.313’ W.

NEXT REPORT: February 29th