Fishing Report Virginia - April

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wgbassgirl
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Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:11 am

Fishing Report Virginia - April

Post by wgbassgirl »

Fishing forecast for week of April 17-23
LEE TOLLIVER
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 17, 2008

Article Source

Any guesses?

That's right, it's the tautog - that bottom dweller with the human-like lips and teeth.

The tog, as it is affectionately referred to, is a mainstay in the Virginia saltwater fishing community. During the months when there aren't as many available species, tautog supply a consistent alternative to striped bass fishing.

At the same time, they are also relatively easy to access, making wrecks, rubble piles and other inshore structures their home.

The tasty tog also can provide a lesson in frustration. While it can be easier to catch in shallow-water scenarios, it can be difficult to hook at times.

The tautog's reputation as a bait-stealer is well-deserved.

It favors fiddler crabs, but also likes cut blue crab. Pieces of clam also will work, as will the muscle sections of conk.

In a pinch, squid and shrimp also will catch tog, especially when they are aggressive. Don't hesitate to try squid- and crab-scented pieces of Fishbites or Gulp baits. The DOA crab also is a good tog-catcher.

As frustrating as bait stealing can be, another stressful thing about catching togs comes from where they choose to live.

They like the nooks and crannies of structure, which means that if a hooked fish isn't yanked quickly from its home, a break-off could easily happen.

Tautog also are one of the best-tasting fish around.

Area waters produce some of the biggest togs in the world. The International Game Fish Association all-tackle record is a 25-pounder caught in 1998 off Ocean City. The Virginia record is a 24-pounder caught in 1987 off Wachapreague.

There is a 14-inch minimum to keep tog in Virginia. Anglers can keep four a day, and there is a closed season from May 1 through June 24.

FORECAST

HAMPTON ROADS

Mother Nature continues to frustrate anglers with high winds and yo-yo temperatures.

Tog continue to offer action along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and around wrecks and rubble piles out to the Chesapeake Light Tower.

While tog fishing around the Triangle Reef, Ric Burnley of Virginia Beach caught what would have been an International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record red hake. The current record is 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Burnley's fish weighed 10-12, but it was filleted for dinner.

Flounder numbers are improving, but waters continue to be muddied by wind-driven waves. When things calm, as forecast for this weekend, it shouldn't take long for catches to increase.

Anglers also are anticipating the arrival of the first big black drum around the inner middle ground shoals. Action usually heats up around the first of May, and smaller fish already have been caught.

Puppy drum, speckled trout and gray trout have been hooked around the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and in Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. Rudee has been known to harbor big gray s this time of year and a few already have been caught.

Croaker numbers are on the rise, with areas around the James River Bridge and the HRBT serving as the top early-season locations. Anglers around the mouth of the James River also could hook up with a few blue catfish.

Anglers working deep-water wrecks are finding good numbers of wreckfish, tilefish, sea bass and grouper.

EASTERN SHORE

Flounder and drum are attracting the bulk of fishing efforts when anglers can beat the wind.

Flounder numbers are good in the deep channel at Fisherman's Island, westward past Cape Charles. Buoy 36A always is a good early-season starting spot. Flatfish numbers in seaside channels near Wachapreague are producing better numbers of fish. Anglers from Maryland have registered several fish heavier than 4 pounds. The Capt. Zedd's annual flounder tournament starts Friday and continues through April 28.

Lots of small black drum have been available throughout the lower reaches of the Shore. Bigger fish should start to arrive any day. Red drum also have started to show, and numbers will be on the rise as weather improves.

OUTER BANKS

Tuna fishing remains the hot ticket for blue-water trollers working out of Oregon and Hatteras inlets.

Most are yellowfin, but a few bluefin and blackfin also have been caught.

One of the season's first billfish - a sailfish - was released prior to last weekend's big cold front.

Anglers also are catching scattered wahoo and king mackerel. Small dolphin are available in abundance.

Deep-drop bottom fishermen are getting good numbers of sea bass, grouper, snapper and tilefish.

Inshore action is centering around finding schools of big red drum working their way north from south of Ocracoke. Cobia soon will follow. There are plenty of bluefish and some trout available.

PIER AND SURF

While action along Virginia's shorelines has been limited to small croaker, some sea mullet and a few trout and flounder, catches along the Outer Banks finally have started to improve.

Most notable have been increasing numbers of big red drum in the Cape Point surf.

Anglers also are catching plenty of toadfish, along with some flounder, small bluefish and lots of puppy drum.

While action isn't as good along Virginia's beaches, things are getting better - especially along the Eastern Shore, where several big red drum have been beached along the barrier islands.

FRESHWATER

The warmer weather predicted to start today and continue through the end of the weekend could make this a bonanza weekend for crappie fishermen.

Many speckled perch likely will spawn around Sunday's full moon. Look for them to be tight to cover, especially wood, in most lakes and rivers. Lake Cahoon in Suffolk typically is the hot spot this time of year.

White perch fishing also should be outstanding in most area waters, with the Nottoway River and Back Bay as the likely top producers.

Largemouth bass fishing also should be good, especially with winds shifting away from the east and bringing rising waters to area river systems.



CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Largemouth bass

Kendall Griffin 14, Suffolk, 23 1/2 inches, private pond.

Rick Hodges, Knotts Island, N.C., 6-1, Currituck Sound.

Kyle Sawyer, 13, Virginia Beach, 25 1/2 inches, private pond.

Red drum

Grover Roberson, Portsmouth, 23-inch release, Ocracoke.

Red hake

Ric Burnley, Virginia Beach, 10-12, Triangle Reefs.

Sailfish release

Dearl Neal, Camden, off Hatteras.

Speckled trout

Andrew Kocan, Virginia Beach, 5-1, Rudee Inlet.

Tautog

Dave Arnold, Suffolk, 11-8, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Ric Burnley, Virginia Beach, 9-12, Triangle Reefs.
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