The past few summers have brought above average water temperatures to the region. As we slip into October, cooler evenings have dropped the water down to a more reasonable 70 degrees from August highs in the mid-80s. With cooler weather, we can look forward to hot action on redfish, trout, rock and more. The best action will be in-shore during October but by early November the gates will open with strong migration and heavy feeding throughout the bay.
Red drum, also known as puppy drum or redfish, continue their fall run throughout October. These fish tend to school with the speckled trout in shallow water and are often landed while casting lures inshore around structure of grass beds, sandbars and oyster beds. In deeper water, larger drum are caught while trolling for bluefish along the edges of the shipping channel. A slower speed of 3-4 knots works well for the larger specimens along the channel areas. Red drum have a creel limit of three per person with an 18-26 inch slot.
Speckled trout are the most targeted species. They are primarily found in shallow water, particularly around marshes, areas of hard bottom with grassy flats, and other areas boasting natural structure like oyster beds and along drop-offs. Most anglers prefer to cast artificial lures like small jig heads with soft baits, including paddle tails, twister tails or jerk baits, along with shallow running plugs and poppers. I prefer using lures with single hooks. It reduces mortality when releasing undersized fish. My fly fishing clients use a variety of colored clouser minnows. Fly fishing has become very popular locally, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to try it, this is the perfect time of year to indulge in a different discipline. Trout have a creel limit of 5 per angler with a minimum size of 14 inches and a max of one fish over 24 inches per day.
In-shore fishing
It’s amazing how many folks participate in the in-shore fishery. With miles of shoreline holding a favorable environment for fi sh to frequent, options are endless. Anglers fishing from kayaks and canoes have had great catches fishing in the natural areas nearby.
Spot and croaker are a popular choice among anglers. This fishery, which is currently mixed with whiting and grey trout fades with the close of October. This mix of fish is often found along channel edges during the daytime but can also be found in the shallows during the evening hours. Spot action is good over hard bottom locations boasting oyster beds in rivers and creeks. The mouth of the Rappahannock River always seems to hold an abundance of these tasty little fish.
Rock arrive
The arrival of rockfish season attracts anglers from all over the state to our region. This is by far the most sought after species in the bay.
Virginia’s striped bass, or rockfish, season began on October 4 and continues until December 31. It is now that 3-6 pound schooling fish become available for light tackle enthusiasts in the form of chumming, jigging and casting. There are several artificial reefs and wrecks in the region that are very productive. In the bay, chumming is the preferred method early season, yet drifting live spot works well. Casting into surface feeding schools has been very good as we enter the cooler weather of November.
By mid-November, emphasis shifts to the trolling scene. The larger specimens usually arrive in December. We continue to experience a decline in the large cows over 36 inches in length. This year the regulations were tightened to offer only one fish per person in the 20-31 inch slot limit. We are hoping that cycle reverses with tighter regulations.
Trolling is performed mainly along the channel edges both in the bay and its rivers. These edges are where menhaden, the rockfish’s primary staple, travel during their migration. Anglers use lures that resemble the menhaden mainly in the form of spoons, buck tails, parachutes and rubber shad. It’s all about the presentation and matching your lure to the size of the food source. The rockfish will school heavy when the water drops into the lower 50s. Until then, we will be fishing mostly structure.
We are fortunate to have good seafood restaurants that use locally sourced seafood in our region, so if you want to take a break from cooking, try a fish cooked at your favorite place. Speaking of restaurants…. Did you hear about the fight that broke out at the seafood restaurant? Two fish were battered.
Fish hard and laugh because life is good. Until next time….Fair winds.
