Although blustery weather is not allowing much opportunity for fishing on the open water, not many anglers are complaining since sheltered water is providing impressive speckled trout action. Plenty of fish averaging to three pounds are keeping casters busy. The most consistent speck action is happening in Rudee Inlet, Little Creek, Lynnhaven River, Back River, the Eastern Shore shallows, the Poquoson flats, and the Elizabeth River. Todd at Bayside Bait and Tackle reports that anglers are lining the beach in front of the old Duck Inn near the Lesner Bridge and leaving with buckets full of keeper specks, just like the “old days.” The best lures are chartreuse or red and white Mirrolures. Smoke-colored grubs and Gulp grubs are also producing.

Spot reports are scarce, with the great bite of the last few weeks dwindling to almost nil within the lower Bay inlets. Croaker catches are also slowing, but a few big heardheads are still providing some action in Lynnhaven Inlet, Rudee Inlet, and near the lower Bay Bridge Tunnels. Puppy drum are still generating a stir in the backwater areas, where hopeful die-hard spot anglers are scoring with nice pups in the 5 to 12-pound range in both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. Surf anglers are also experiencing good puppy drum encounters on cut bait from Fort Story to Sandbridge.

Although this season’s king mackerel run was a good one, the recent string of blows has dropped water temperatures into the upper 60’s, which may have cut the run short. The same goes for cobia. Dave Trax, skipper of the Oblivion and a local king expert, maintains that 67 degrees is the cut-off for Virginia king mackerel action. The king bite out of Carolina is fantastic lately though, with several boats reporting limits of kings each day. Big red drum are still a possibility along the ocean front, along the Eastern Shore shoals, and near the 3rd island of the CBBT. The bull red action off the Little Island Fishing Pier and the surf line slowed up this week.

Striped bass are becoming more active, but not much bigger…yet. But, since the water temperatures are finally beginning to drop, bigger fish should begin moving in soon. Chunking and live baiting is still your best bet for a larger class of fish. Casters are scoring with schoolie-sized rockfish between 20 to 22-inches along the Monitor Merrimack, the James River Bridge, the HRBT, and the CBBT, especially during night time hours. Wire liners are also boating fish ranging from 24 to 26-inches from the tubes of the CBBT this week. Lots of bluefish to around 5-pounds and small gray tout are rounding out most catches.

Flounder are scarce with the muddy water right now. Drifting strip baits along the Baltimore Channel, near buoy 36A, along Cape Henry, and the small boat channel are good places to try when the wind breaks. Working bait and jigs around the CBBT structure can also prove effective for big flatties. These fish are fat in preparation for their migration offshore.

The inshore and bay tautog bite is beginning to draw more interest as reports of keeper fish up to 8-pounds are trickling in. Several keepers were boated from around the artificial islands of the CBBT this week on blue crab. Wreck action is also taking off nicely with ample numbers of respectable seabass in the 3 to 5-pound range becoming active on both inshore and offshore wrecks, with trigger fish still available in the same areas. Chopper bluefish are circling offshore structures. Captain Skip Feller of Virginia Beach landed the new State Leading bluefish when the chopper took his seabass while wreck fishing with Dr. Julie Ball and crew. His fish tipped the scale at 19-pounds, 15-ounces. Also look for a possible bluefin tuna sighting to surface soon in these same areas.

Offshore, it has been difficult to get out due to weather. When boats could make it to the deep, wahoo were providing some action, along with a few bill fish and bailer dolphin. This line-up can change considerably since the good water has moved out. Once overnight trips resume, more swordfish are a good possibility.
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative

Virginia’s Eastern Shore Fishing Report
Chincoteague - According to Donna at Captain Bob’s, fishing has been slow out of Chincoteague. Windy conditions kept fishing at a minimum over the past few weeks. On the good nights, a few large striped bass were caught under the Queen’s Sound Bridge.

Wachapreague -At Captain Zed’s, anglers were looking for flounder, but found very few keepers. From the dock at Wachapreague, bluefish, spot, and croaker were landed. Offshore, there was little action. One citation black sea bass (5 pounds, 2 ounces) was reported from the wrecks.

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “This was a speckled trout week.  We weighed three citation-sized fish and recorded one release citation through Saturday, one of the weight citations was not validated because the fisherman was using a NC license.   Water temps were about 70 degrees until the winds came.  2-3 days of the NE blow should finish the spot. There are still a lot of Blue fish in the creeks and rivers and along the bars in the bay. Keeper grey trout continue to be caught in the Piankatank with best numbers coming at the edge of dark. There are also a lot of small red drum in the shallows, especially in grassy areas and in areas with hard bottom. Flounder catches have improved in the Buoy 36A and 38 areas.  One of our employees had 2 keeper flounder near the Coleman Bridge Friday night along with a limit of grey trout, six speckled trout and two puppy drum. Mobjack Bay is producing good numbers of speckled trout and the Piankatank is becoming more productive as well. Striper anglers fishing for school-sized fish are better off fishing at first light and just before dark and sticking to the shallows and/or structure with small jigs and soft plastics or live bait.    Schooling activity won’t start until the water temps fall below 60 degrees.

CITATIONS:
SPECKLED TROUT
26″, 6 lbs, 8 oz caught  10/14 by Jim Ruliffson of Hudgins in the Piankatank on a jig and an artificial minnow.
24.5″, 5 lbs, 4 oz caught  10/18 by Craig Balderson of Aylett in the Mobjack on a Mirrolure.
Release, 26.25″, caught and released on 10/18 in the Ware River by Keith Nuttall of Gloucester on a Mirrolure.
CROAKER, 20.75″, 3 lbs, 8 oz, caught 10/15 at Cape Charles on squid by E.W. Inge of Moon.”

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