By Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach
This is the month of change on for anglers along the Mid Atlantic coast. As the warmer Spring weather kicks in, the climbing water temperatures will usher in new species for the warm season.
While newly arriving species bring a welcome transition from the mostly uneventful winter fishery, the cold-water mainstay will continue to provide good opportunities for a while longer. Tautog have provided good catches in deeper water over the cold months, and will now become more active on Chesapeake Bay and inshore structures this month. Anglers can usually count on good numbers of keeper fish with a few citations in the mix along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and nearby wrecks. And with fiddler crabs now emerging from their winter dormancy, anglers are able to offer the best inshore tog bait available to tip their hands. Action on the deeper wrecks can still be very good this month, with many larger fish already caught this season. Nice seabass will get in your way on these same structures, but you must continue to throw them back right now. Remember, tautog will become off-limits on the 1st of May.
The Spring debut of red drum is always a much-anticipated event this month. These fish are a local favorite, offering a challenging battle for catch-and-release enthusiasts. As schools of big drum filter into the lower Chesapeake Bay and spread among the shoals and breakers lining the Eastern Shore barrier islands, local anglers will race to intercept these early season takers using blue crabs, menhaden, and live bait. This action will continue to improve over the upcoming weeks, especially with an impending full moon. Some of these bulls will measure to well over 50-inches, and weigh in excess of over 50-pounds! Black drum will also filter into the Chesapeake Bay this month, but this fishery has not been as productive as years past. These large drum can weigh more than 80-pounds, with clams the favorite offering for these docile fish.
Flounder are a mainstay in the early Spring months, with catches improving over the next several weeks. Be sure to check the regulations for the season, with possible changes still on the way. Decent Spring catches of keeper flatfish can often be found in the Eastern Shore seaside inlets, as well as Back Bay, the Hampton Bar area, and other local inlets such as Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. Drifters always fare best during the early season trend, with fresh strip baits and gudgeons the best producer.
Puppy drum and speckled trout are good options within lower bay inlets, with Rudee, Little Creek and Lynnhaven Inlets the best locations to try your luck. Top water lures often provide good action this time of year for specks, while puppy drum may opt for grubs and cut bait.
Croaker will keep local pier anglers busy this month, with most lower bay piers faring well during the spring introduction of these popular panfish. Other good locations to try for hardheads include off of Ocean View, Buckroe, and the James River Bridge, where some of these fish can push to over a pound. The biggest fish will come from the lower bay rivers, with squid and bloodworms working well as bait. The arrival of small bluefish, spot, and sea mullet will also offer a good variety for surf and pier anglers.
Deep dropping is always an option with cooperative weather, but until the dog fish thin out near the end of the month, accessing the preferred bottom-dwelling species is a chore. Blueline tilefish are available off the coast in water over 50-fathoms, along with a variety of grouper.
The offshore action out of North Carolina is usually good in April when boats can get out. Boats can look forward to catches of bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, dolphin, and scattered wahoo.
Dr. Julie Ball IGFA Representative,Virginia Beach
For more information, go to www.drjball.com