May 26, 2007

Although not off the charts like last week, the drum action has returned to a more normal pattern, which is still excellent. Regardless of the state of the bite, anglers are out in droves hoping for a chance to tangle with a bull or a big black. Black drum are showing along the Eastern Shore bayside shoals near buoys 13 and 16, where clams and sea clams are the top bait. Big fish weighing to over 80-pounds are available to those willing to put in the time. Huge red drum are still scavenging the shoals off Fisherman’s Island, but more fish are now showing on the nine foot shoals near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where blue crab has worked well all season. Janice Martin of Chesapeake released a 48-inch red near the 4th island of the CBBT on crab this past weekend. Several boats are also experiencing very good luck trolling spoons over the seaside shoals.



Flounder action is steady, with most anglers reporting limits of fish with many throw-backs. Legal sized flatties, with several in the 21 to 26-inch range, are taking strip baits near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Hump, and the small boat channel at the CBBT. The best bite is occurring on the flood tide this week. Striped bass are supplementing the flounder catches near the bridge at the small boat channel, but live baiting over the tubes is providing the best striper hauls. The basin within Lynnhaven is producing consistent numbers of keeper flounder, but snapper bluefish moved into the inlet this week, which will make catching anything else a challenge. These schools of blues have also shown all over the lower bay.



Tautog have not slowed at all with the warming water. These fish are very active, with reports of limits of very fat keeper fish coming from all over the lower bay, with the 4th island a favorite this week. Offshore wrecks are still giving up big fish, along with nice seabass. Lester Johnson of Newport News secured the probable Virginia state leader with a massive 22lb, 2oz tautog he tricked with a hunk of crab from a wreck this week.



Look for sheepshead to begin taking bait intended for tog very soon, along with spadefish. The folks at the Fishing Center conveyed reports of sightings of a few spades at the Light Tower, but the water was still too cold for them to bite.



Croaker are active within the tributary rivers, with the York River the best location. Squid and shrimp get the nod this week. Hard heads are also still available off Little Creek Inlet. Puppy drum are still dominating the lower bay inlets. Some folks are also targeting pups within the Elizabeth River with good success. Good numbers speckled trout, and lots of bluefish are biting within Rudee Inlet, where folks fishing from the jetties are scoring with minnows, and smoke and green colored grubs. Keeper flounder are also available in the same areas. A few gray trout up to 3-pounds are lurking about within the inlet, but catches are not great. Some grays are available around the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the CBBT where catches are sporadic.