By Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach
As we gain momentum heading into spring, we say good bye to a somewhat barren winter season. Anglers are cautiously optimistic for a bountiful warm-water season, but lawmakers are not offering inspiring news for the 2017 fishing season. As for now, fishing regulations seem to be only tightening. With a closed cobia season in federal waters, a likely reduction in seabass limits, more pending decisions for flounder and deep dropping species, and with several already established closures, opportunities for the rest of the year could be slim.
With limited prospects for other species, most interest is centered around tautog lately. In March, very large fish are a possibility, with the best action found on deeper water structures and wrecks. The bite will begin to resume closer to shore as the water continues to warm towards the end of the month. Some tog trips are yielding some very nice fish, while other trips are resulting nothing at all. Remember, the regulations for tautog allow three fish per person, stretching to at least16-inches long. Blue crabs, green crabs, and Jonah crabs are the best bait of you can find them, although some folks are having some luck with clams. Big seabass will also compete for this same offering on these structures, but these fish must be tossed back since they are still out of season.
Rockfish were missing in action for the coastal season this winter, as massive schools of fish again opted for the deeper and more bait-friendly, as well as angler-free haven beyond the legal 3-mile limit. Well out of reach of recreational boats, these fish flourished, with official tag-and-release research teams reporting tons of released fish in the 50 and 60-pound range. As the coastal striped bass season officially closes at the end of the month, most anglers will hardly notice since folks gave up on rockfish earlier this winter. This month, stripers can be intercepted heading into the Chesapeake Bay as they rush into the tributary rivers for their spawning rituals, but again, interest is low.
Anglers will anxiously await the first reports of flounder catches, which could happen any time from mid to late March. This trend usually debuts in the shallow water and inlets on the Eastern Shore. Be sure to check the regulations for any updates before you go. Hook and line catches of croaker, bluefish and sea mullet could also happen around the same time-frame in the lower Chesapeake Bay and in the tributary rivers. After that, the next anticipated debut will be black and red drum.
On the deep-water scene, nice blueline tilefish and other deep bottom dwellers are available along the ocean floor and near the edge of the Norfolk Canyon in over 300 feet of water. Dogfish continue to pose a nuisance for deep droppers, so expect to weed through these trash fish in order to reach bluelines, blackbellied rosefish, grouper, and wreckfish. Seabass will also take your bait in these areas, but you must throw them back for now. The blue water bite will begin to improve to our south as the Virginia fleet keeps a close eye on movement of this action to the north.