By Dr. Julie Ball

IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach

 May 9, 2008 

The spring saltwater fishery is escalating, with catches improving most everywhere. And as expected, the emerging drum scene is motivating anglers to gather peelers and clams, and head for the Eastern Shore shoals as the chances of hooking into a trophy drum improve daily. The red drum continue to provide action among the breakers and sloughs near Smith and Fishermans Island, with scattered reports of bulls also coming from the seaside portion of the 9-Foot Shoal area, especially at night. Expect this action to improve as we approach the full moon cycle later this month. Larger black drum are also becoming more active along the Eastern Shore seaside inlets and along the Latimer Shoal and the Cabbage Patch areas on the bayside. Steve Kendall of Portsmouth released a 46.5-inch black while fishing on Latimer Shoal this week. This trend will also continue to heat up over the next few weeks. 

The flounder scene is still hit and miss, with the best numbers of keeper fish coming from the Eastern Shore seaside inlets, Oyster, Magothy Bay, and Back River Reef. Plenty of undersized 18-inch flatfish are coming from within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, with a few keeper fish to 4-pounds biting strip baits and jigged grubs. Tautog are still lurking on lower bay and inshore structures, but these fish are only available for catch and release until late June. 

Croaker are hitting in many areas around the lower bay, with the tributary rivers still providing the largest fish. The best hauls from the rivers are coming from the James and York Rivers where squid and crab are doing the trick with fish to 2.5-pounds. According to Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, the best catches of medium-sized hardheads are coming from the small boat channel at the CBBT, off Ocean View, Little Creek, and Willoughby Bay. The HRBT is also giving up croaker, along with the usual mixed bag of schoolie stripers, Taylor bluefish, small gray trout, and sea mullet. 

Snapper and Taylor bluefish are all over the lower bay, especially within the inlets, where anglers are experiencing excellent catches of decent blues to five pounds.  

Speckled trout anglers are faring well in most all the usual haunts. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are producing good numbers of specks ranging 3 to 4-pounds, with a few citations also available up 5.5-pounds caught lately. The Eastern Shore seaside inlets and the back waters of Oyster are also good places to seek out specks using peeler crabs and swimming lures. Puppy drum are also available in these same areas, as well as near the CBBT and on inshore structures. 

Although not stirring much interest, the spring trophy striped bass season is open with nice fish coming mostly from the CBBT area. Rockfish ranging up to 32-inches are coming from the third island of the CBBT, while 42-inch fish are coming from the vicinity of the first island this week. Todd adds that he is also stocked with peelers, crabs, sea clams, and fresh bunker for any drum expedition.