October 5, 2007

With more howling winds, many anglers stayed off the water this past week. The main event has been the inshore scene with puppy drum, speckled trout, and spot providing most of the news due to their accessibility to anglers in protected areas.

Speckled trout action is improving with each day. Decent fish were caught within the lower bay inlets and Back River this week, with the Poquoson flats a good bet once the water clears a little. Some speck casters are reporting a few dozen fish in a single outing. Nice specks around the five pound mark are also hitting in the Elizabeth River.

The lower bay is becoming loaded with decent sized spot. Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, the HRBT, and Ocean View are productive. Reports of yellowbellies are also coming from the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge tunnel, where anglers are scoring using bloodworms and Fishbites. Croaker pushing 2.5 pounds are providing good results in the Lynnhaven basin, and at the north and south islands of the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, where anglers are choosing peeler crabs as the top bait. Scattered keeper grey trout are showing in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, as well as the HRBT.

Some species thrive with wind and turbulent water. The drum bite lit up during the windy weather. Puppy drum are jumping on cut spot and mullet for surf anglers, while jigs are working well for backwater casters. The Fishing Center reports puppy drum action in Rudee is also picking up. The bull red run flourished through the blow, with big fish coming from the Little Island Fishing Pier, as well as the Sandbridge surf, the Barrier Islands of the Eastern Shore, and around the CBBT, with the first island and the Seagull Fishing Pier a favorite area.

The other big news is that the striped bass season debuted in the bay this week. Expect good things for those casting along the structure of the HRBT and the CBBT, where school sized stripers and chopper bluefish are available. Those testing live bait over the tubes are focusing on rockfish up to about 15-pounds. Be sure to follow the new regulations for the bay. For now, anglers can keep two fish per person ranging from 18-inches to 28-inches, with no fish to be kept within the closed slot size from 28 to 34-inches. One of the two fish may exceed 34-inches. This will stand until the regulations change again in December.

Even through the blow, the flounder are cooperating when anglers can reach them. Drifters are finding decent keeper fish near the Thimble Shoals Channel, and the along the CBBT, especially near the first island. While on the Eastern shore, the deeper channels off Kiptopeake and Cape Charles are still producing. Fishing inside the inlets works when it is too windy to get out. Twelve year old Joshua Regula of Windsor, landed a 5-pound flatfish from the dock in Long Creek using a sabiki rig this week. Offshore wrecks will also continue to offer nice flatties through the month, along with increasing numbers of seabass. Tautog action within the bay waters is good, with keepers coming from the CBBT structure, and lower bay wrecks.

Smaller king mackerel, with a shot at a smoker, are still showing near the Chesapeake Light Tower. It is hard to say what the recent blow will do to the jack bite. These fish have been on the run for the last few days, but may revisit the tower before heading south. False albacore are a possibility between the tower and the shoreline.