Saltwater fish species in Hampton Roads

BARRACUDA

Seasons Summer and early fall.
Locations Usually found around Gulf Stream waters, rarely - but sometimes - caught caught north of the Carolinas.
Methods Cudas love live bait, but will hit trolled artificials. Casting plugs or jigging bucktails or spoons also will produce.
Regulations Virginia: none, and no awards. North Carolina: none. Release awards only for fish 45 inches or longer.

BIGEYE TUNA

Seasons Summer and early fall.
Locations The Gulf Stream and warm-water eddies that drift westward towards the coast. Like to locate around the Norfolk Canyon and over several offshore seamounts.
Methods - Trolling balao (ballyhoo), squid or artificial plugs. Also like cedar plugs. Can be taken by jigging spoons.
Regulations Virginia: size and bag limits are self imposed. Awards for fish of 70 pounds or larger. North Carolina: Must measure at least 27 inches long and no bag limit. Awards for fish of 100 or more pounds.

BLACK DRUM

Seasons May through September, although juveniles can be taken later into the fall, especially along the Outer Banks.
Locations Favorite places are around Kiptopeke and the Cabbage Patch, as well as along the deep channel running from Fisherman's Island northwest past Cape Charles.
Methods Fish-finder rigs with whole clam, peeler crab, or a clam/crab "sandwich." Can also be caught in the summer sight-casting bucktails to schooling fish around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Regulations Virginia: 16-inch minimum and 1 fish-per-day bag limit. Awards for released fish of at least 46 inches, or at least 80 pounds. North Carolina: None. Awards for releases of at least 40 inches or weights of at least 35 pounds.

BLACK SEA BASS

Seasons April through December, although fish can be found on offshore coastal wrecks in deep water year-round.
Locations Coastal and offshore wrecks, reefs and rubble piles.
Methods Bottom-bouncing with cut bait, especially strips of squid.
Regulations Virginia: 25 fish per day, 12-inch minimum size limit. North Carolina: 25 fish per day, 12-inch minimum size limit.

BLUE MARLIN

Seasons Very late spring through early fall.
Locations Gulf Stream waters offshore.
Methods Trolling mackerel and balao (ballyhoo) and artificials.
Regulations Virginia: 1 fish per day per vessel, 99-inch length minimum. North Carolina: 1 fish per day per vessel, 99-inch length minimum. (These are federally-mandated regulations, but most fish are released alive).

BLUEFIN TUNA

Seasons June through September, although there have been years when fish have shown in the winter.
Locations Offshore waters, although some bluefins have been caught inshore.
Methods - Chunking with butterfish, jigging and trolling dead baits.
Regulations Regulations coast-wide are set by federal fisheries managers and change repeatedly during the year, based on catches.

BLUEFISH

Seasons Year-round, although April through December typically is best.
Locations Inshore waters for smaller fish up to 5 pounds, and coastal and offshore wrecks for bigger fish.
Methods Trolling spoons and surgical tubes, and casting jigs, spoons and plugs.
Regulations Virginia: 10 fish per day, no size limit. North Carolina: 15 fish per day, no size limit (only five fish per day can measure longer than 24 inches).

BLUELINE TILEFISH

Seasons Year-round.
Locations Norfolk Canyon offshore, and other edges along the Continental shelf.
Methods Bottom-bouncing with butterfly jigs or strips of cut bait.
Regulations Virginia: 7 fish per person, no size limit. North Carolina: 5 fish per day (grouped in with other tilefish and grouper species), and 20-inch minimum length.

COBIA

Seasons May through September in Virginia, and starting in late April along the North Carolina coast.
Locations Coastlines of both states, around buoys and bridges in Virginia.
Methods Fish-finder rigs with cut bait and live eels, or sight casting with jigs, or live spot, croaker or eels.
Regulations Virginia: 1 fish per day, 37-inch size minimum. North Carolina: 2 fish per day, 33-inch size limit.

CROAKER

Seasons April through October.
Locations All coastal and inshore waters.
Methods Bottom-bouncing with pieces of squid, and casting small leadhead jigs tipped with plastic grubs.
Regulations Virginia: No size or bag limits. North Carolina: No size or bag limits.

DOLPHIN

Seasons May through October, sometimes later along the Outer Banks.
Locations Offshore waters.
Methods Trolling with various dead baits and plugs, or casting jigs and plugs. Fish also can be taken with small pieces of cut bait when a school is found around offshore grass lines or debris.
Regulations Virginia: No size or bag limits. North Carolina: 10 fish per day, no size limit.

FLOUNDER

Seasons Late March through November, sometimes later if it has been a warm fall.
Locations Most coastal waters and inlets, and around inshore wrecks and reefs.x
Methods Bottom-bouncing with squid, minnows or a squid-minnow "sandwich." Small bucktails or leadhead jigs also will take flatfish.
Regulations Virginia: 5 fish per day, 19-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 8 fish per day, 14- or 15 Ω-inch minimum depending on which sound you are fishing in, or 15 Ω-inch minimum along the coast south to Brown's inlet.

GRAY TROUT

Seasons May through November, but some fish are caught in the early spring in Rudee Inlet.
Locations Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnels, and some inlets.
Methods Jigging or casting bucktails and leadheads with plastics, or bottom-bouncing with cut bait or crab.
Regulations Virginia: 6 fish per day, 12-inch minimum size. North Carolina: 6 fish per day, 12-inch minimum size.

GREATER AMBERJACK

Seasons - June through October.
Locations Around ocean structures, especially navigational and weather towers.
Methods Casting live spot or croaker, or various artificials like jigs, spoons and plugs.
Regulations Virginia: 2 fish per day, 32-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 1 fish per day, 28-inch minimum length.

KING MACKEREL

Seasons June through October.
Locations Coastal waters, especially around wrecks and buoys.
Methods Trolling with artificial "king rigs" or slow-trolling or drifting with live bait.
Regulations Virginia: 3 fish per day, 27-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 3 fish per day, 24-inch minimum length.

POMPANO

Seasons Summer.
Locations - Coastal shorelines and around fishing piers and jetties.
Methods Small pieces of squid or whole sand fleas worked around pilings or along shoreline breakers.
Regulations Virginia: No size or creel limits. North Carolina: No size or creel limits.

RED DRUM

Seasons May through November, depending on size of fish. Smaller fish - puppy drum - can sometimes be found year-around.
Locations Bigger fish along the coast, and around the shoals near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Smaller fish along shorelines and in various inlets and sounds.
Methods Bigger fish taken on fish-finder rigs with fresh mullet, spot, menhaden or peeler crab. Puppy drum taken on finger mullet, cut bait, and jigs teamed with plastics.
Regulations Virginia: 3 fish per day, must measure between 18 and 26 inches. North Carolina: 1 fish per day, must measure between 18 and 27 inches.

SAILFISH

Seasons June through October.
Locations Offshore waters.
Methods Trolling balao (ballyhoo), mullet or mackerel
Regulations Virginia: 1 fish per day, 63-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 1 fish per day, 63-inch minimum length. (These are federally-mandated regulations, but most fish are released alive).

SEA MULLET

Seasons May through October.
Locations Also known as kingfish and roundhead, sea mullet can be found in most coastal shorelines waters.
Methods Bottom-bouncing with pieces of bloodworm, shrimp, squid or whole sand fleas.
Regulations Virginia: no size or bag limits. North Carolina: No size or bag limits.

SHEEPSHEAD

Seasons May through October.
Locations The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and many inshore structures like navigational towers, wrecks and artificial reefs.
Methods - clam, fiddler crab and sand fleas worked around structure pilings.
Regulations Virginia: 4 fish per day, and no size limit. North Carolina: 20 fish per day in combination with various "reef complex species, and no size limit.

SPADEFISH

Seasons - May through September.
Locations The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and most inshore towers and structures like wrecks, artificial reefs and marker buoys.
Methods Small piece of cut clam fished with in-line weights or under bobbers.
Regulations Virginia: 4 fish per day, and no size limit. North Carolina: 20 fish per day in combination with various "reef complex" species, and no size limit.

SPANISH MACKEREL

Seasons - June through September.
Locations Waters, especially where tidal rips can be found.
Methods Trolling or casting small spoons.
Regulations Virginia: 15 fish per day, 14-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 15 fish per day, 12-inch minimum length.

SPECKLED TROUT

Seasons Can be caught year-round, but fall is the best time of year.
Locations Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets, along the beaches, the Hot Ditch area of the Elizabeth River, and North Carolina beaches and sounds.
Methods Live bait under corks works, but casting jigs and plugs along marsh shorelines is a preferred technique.
Regulations Virginia: 14 -inch minimum length and 10-fish bag limit. Awards for released fish of 24 or more inches, or 5 pounds. North Carolina: 12-inch minimum length and 10-fish bag limit. Awards for released fish of 24 or more inches, or 5 pounds.x

SPOT

Seasons June through October.
Locations Nearly all coastal and inshore waters
Methods Bottom-bouncing with piece of blood worm.x
Regulations Virginia: No size or bag limits. North Carolina: No size or bag limits.

TARPON

Seasons July through September.
Locations Backwater areas of the Eastern Shore's barrier islands, and many North Carolina sounds. Sometimes taken along the coast, especially on the Outer banks, during migration.
Methods Spot, croaker, menhaden and squid.
Regulations Virginia: Release only. North Carolina: 1 fish per day, no minimum length (although most are released).

TAUTOG

Seasons Year-round, with peaks from March to June and from October to December.
Locations Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, coastal wrecks, reefs and other structures.
Methods Bottom-bouncing with crab, clams or whelk. Fiddler crabs are especially good.x
Regulations Virginia: 4 fish per day, 14-inch size limit. North Carolina: No size or bag limits.

WAHOO

Seasons June through October.
Locations Offshore waters.
Methods Trolling balao (ballyhoo), spoons, plugs and lures.
Regulations Virginia: No size or bag limits. North Carolina: 2 fish per day no size limit.

WHITE MARLIN

Seasons June through October.
Locations Offshore waters.x
Methods Trolling mackerel and balao (ballyhoo) and artificials.
Regulations : 1 fish per day, 66-inch minimum length. North Carolina: 1 fish per day, 66-inch minimum length. (These are federally-mandated regulations, but most fish are released alive).

YELLOWFIN TUNA

Seasons May through October.
Locations Offshore waters.
Methods balao (ballyhoo), squid, plugs and spoons.
Regulations Virginia: 3 fish per day, no size limits. North Carolina: 3 fish per day, no size limits.