CCA VA - Best Catch

The best inshore bets for late March and April are tautog and gray trout. As the water warms into the 48 - 55 degree range, these fish will start to show in the Bay. Flounder will sometines join them. Tautog are best caught with crab baits on hard structure during periods of slack tide. Back River Reef and the CBBT are the hot spots. Trout love small jigs and can be found in schools almost anyplace in the lower bay this time of year.

A best bet in early May is the croaker. The rivers are full of them and they will be moving into deeper waters in the Bay as water temps rise. Citations are being caught in every day the wind slows enough to get out. Webmaster Bob Pride (pictured above) caught one that weighed 3 pounds, 6 ounces, so it must be easy! Flounder are also on the same structure with the croaker, so fish some cut strip baits.

Virginia's Trophy Striped Bass season will open May 1 and run through June 15. This special season carries a 32-inch minimum size limit coupled with a one-fish bag limit. From May 1 through May 16, anglers may possess one-fish, 32 inches or greater. From May 16 through June 15, anglers are allowed to possess two striped bass within the 18 and 28-inch slot, but one fish of the two-fish allowed during the May 16 through June 15 slot season may be 32 inches or greater. Most important, anglers must report all fish caught during this special season over 32 inches. Forms are available at all Citation Weigh Stations, many other tackle shops and marinas, and VMRC's web site.

Catching the big ones in the spring season is not easy like it is in December. For trolling, use HUGE Clark, Drone or bunker spoons, parachute lures, deep diving lures like Mann's Stretch 30 series, and wire line rigs with buck tail jigs. Some folks add planers or downriggers to the mix if the fish are feeding deep. Live bait trophy fishermen prefer using eels, but will use any other available live bait. Most trophy fish are caught on live bait in the spring.

Spring is also a great time to head to the offshore wrecks for sea bass. These tasty beauties can be found on every structure from the Chesapeake Light Tower to the Triangle Wreck and beyond. Use Sting Silver jigs to find the fish, then anchor up and use bottom rigs baited with fresh squid for the main event. Big seas bass eat first, so when you start catching smaller ones, move to another spot. Current restrictions limit anglers to 25 fish each and to a minimum size of 12 inches. Before fishing for them in deep water, you should learn how to puncture their swim bladder to allow them to regain the bottom when released.

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION VIRGINIA

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