Fishing Forecast for week of April 10-16

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT'S fishing forecast is under way for this year, as is another flounder season.

And flounder anglers again are dealing with tighter restrictions.

Virginia's 19-inch minimum length and five-fish bag limits are the toughest regulations flounder anglers have ever dealt with.

Anybody remember the days of the 15-inch keeper? It wasn't that long ago.

If there is good news, it is that anglers who have been able to fish have been finding decent numbers of flatties big enough to qualify for the skillet.

The typical early spring locations again are producing the best fish. Inshore wrecks have yielded good numbers, as have certain stretches of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The deep channel running from the southernmost tip of the Eastern Shore northwest past Cape Charles also is producing, with big fish coming from the area of the 36A buoy.

Creek channels and marsh ditches around the southern barrier islands along the Eastern Shore's ocean side also are producing a few keeper flatties.

The standard minnow-squid strip sandwich is hard to beat as a bait of choice. Colorful rigs equipped with spinners are all the rage these days, but many old-timers would say that they are all flash.

And when small spot and croaker become available, big-fish hunters likely will make the switch.

With larger fish needed for keeper status, many anglers also are worried about increased numbers of gut-hooked fish that have to be released. So it might be a good time to learn how to fish with circle hooks, which greatly increase the number of hook sets in the mouth.

When spring weather starts to stabilize and makes fishing easier, catches of big flounder will be on the rise.

FORECAST

HAMPTON ROADS

Although flounder are the chief target, they hardly are the only species available.

Tautog catches have been outstanding for anglers who have been able to beat strong winds.

Togs have been caught by anglers working the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and many inshore wrecks and rubble piles. These tasty bait-stealers will take fiddler crabs and cut blue crab. Clams - and strips of crab-flavored Fishbites - will work in a pinch.

Puppy drum have been available inside Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. Anglers working Rudee also can expect speckled trout and possibly a few gray trout. Grays have been caught in limited numbers around the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

Croaker have been in the area for some time now, and finally are starting to hit rod-and-reel offerings. The James River Bridge and Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel are good places to start looking. Anglers working around the James River span also can expect to catch a few blue catfish, especially when there has been lots of rain.

Some speckled trout remain in the Hot Ditch area of the Elizabeth River.

Big sea bass should be available around many inshore wrecks. Expect to find decent numbers of bluefish in these locations.

Better numbers can be caught from deeper wrecks and the edge of the Norfolk Canyon, where anglers have had great success with tilefish and grouper.

EASTERN SHORE

Flounder are the main target for nearly every angler working seaside channels and ditches.

Typically at this time of year, catches are best on the outgoing tide, when warmer waters filled with all kinds of food flow out of marshes.

Green and Drawing channels, as well as Bullshead, are the favorite locations.

Most catches the past couple of weeks have not met the 19-inch minimum.

The Capt. Zedd's annual flounder tournament out of Wachapreague this year is April 18-28.

OUTER BANKS

Tuna fishing has been pretty good when seas are calm.

Yellowfin as heavy as 65 pounds have been caught, and numbers of bluefin are good. Dolphin have been scattered.

Inshore anglers have been finding a few red drum working their way north from south of Ocracoke. Numbers will improve greatly when the weather gets better.

Speckled trout and striper have been available to anglers working the sounds.

PIERS AND SURF

Croaker and a few sea mullet have started to cooperate around Virginia's fishing piers. A few small flounder also have been caught.

Action has been best at Norfolk's Ocean View Pier.

Things have been tough along Outer Banks beaches because of high winds. When anglers can fish, they have caught speckled trout, dogfish, skates and a few puppy drum. Big red drum have shown in limited numbers at the Point.

FRESHWATER

If you are a crappie fisherman (species, not level of talent) this is your time of year.

Although speckled perch already have spawned, most haven't. So from now until the April 20 full moon, action for these tasty panfish could be outstanding.

Ponds, lakes and rivers are holding fish. However, Lake Cahoon is one of the top spots for bigger slabs. Back Bay also is seeing a resurgence in good crappie action, with deeper ditches leading into the marshes being the best spots.

Most rivers and Back Bay also should yield good numbers of white perch in the coming weeks.

Largemouth bass action is outstanding and is going to get better the next couple of months. It's time to find good places to look for bass that likely are in their spawning transition stage - meaning they are moving to shallow locations to prepare for mating. Bass can be hungry and aggressive this time of year, making success a little easier.