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On this week’s Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, host Luke Barton checks in with two Virginia Beach captains covering two very different late-winter opportunities: a run-and-gun trip to Hatteras for bluefin on spinning gear with Capt. Eric Meyers of Heads~N~Tails Charters, and a red-hot offshore black sea bass bite with Capt. Robbie Bryan of Reel Release Sportfishing. From hard temperature breaks and surface feeds to deepwater structure and heavy sinkers, both segments revolve around one theme: winter can be brutal, but the fishing can still be outstanding if you pick your windows and bring the right gear.
Conditions Recap
This episode is framed by classic late-February volatility: cold starts, wind, and short weather windows that make scheduling the biggest challenge. Capt. Eric’s crew left the dock in chilly air and found dramatically warmer conditions on the water once they located the edge of a hard temperature break off Hatteras. They worked water that ranged from the upper 40s into the 60s (with the warm side of the break producing the most life), and once the sun got up the bluefin schools became easy to spot as they swam the edge in big packs.
Closer to home, Capt. Robbie described a “crazy” winter pattern with snow, crosswinds, and frequent cancellations, but he also said the black sea bass bite has been “on fire” whenever boats can safely get out. The key difference right now is water temperature: inshore wrecks can look vacant in the low 40s, while the better action has been coming by committing to longer runs into slightly warmer water and deeper depths where the fish are stacked and feeding.
Hatteras bluefin on poppers and stickbaits with Capt. Eric Meyers
Capt. Eric Meyers of Heads~N~Tails Charters recapped a Hatteras run that delivered exactly what winter anglers dream about: bluefin tuna eating on top within sight of the boat. The crew trailered a 31-foot Contender down so they could fish the best shot at the bite, and they focused their search on a clean, hard temperature break where two different water colors met. Once they marked a big school, the program was simple: get in position, start casting, and be ready for chaos.
Early they were mostly marking fish down in the water column, then later in the morning the schools pushed up and became highly visible on the surface. Capt. Eric described packs of 20 to 100 fish sliding by the boat, with mixed sizes in the same group—smaller fish alongside legit bruisers. They finished the day with three bluefin landed and one harvested at 71 inches, which he called the perfect size for quality meat and sharing.
Gear-wise, this bite was all about heavy-duty spinning setups and purpose-built topwater. The crew leaned on Shimano Stella 23000 and 30000-class reels spooled with 100-pound braid and matched with long casting rods to launch big baits. They alternated between poppers and oversized stickbaits (think a giant, epoxy-coated “jerkbait” profile) rigged with heavy single hooks, plus stout terminal tackle to survive the pressure and the incidental chaos (including king mackerel skying on poppers in the middle of the tuna action).
If you’re building a similar setup, their core system was: a heavy braid main line tied to a short, stout mono leader with a PR bobbin-style connection, then a heavy ball-bearing swivel and split-ring hardware for quick lure changes. Capt. Eric emphasized that for fish like these, the “cost of entry hurts,” but the payoff is a surface bite that’s hard to compare to anything else in the region.
Handling and fish care mattered just as much as hookups. Capt. Eric prefers to “swim” bluefin alongside the boat to bleed and cool them—rather than dragging them backward—then he ices aggressively to drop the fish’s temperature as fast as possible. If you don’t have a giant fish bag, he recommended using a wet towel, ice on top, and a tarp to hold the cold water against the fish and keep that core temp coming down.
Looking ahead, Heads~N~Tails is shifting back toward inshore options as spring approaches: puppy drum sight-fishing in the rivers through March and into April, with tog and big bull drum showing as the bay warms, and speckled trout improving into late March and April when the survivors begin to stage and feed again.
Book a trip with Capt. Eric Meyers: Heads~N~Tails Charters
Offshore black sea bass with Capt. Robbie Bryan
Capt. Robbie Bryan of Reel Release Sportfishing reported that the winter black sea bass bite has been as consistent as the weather has been inconsistent. When boats can reach the grounds, it’s been non-stop action with genuinely big fish—thick, “bulked up” sea bass that are feeding hard before the seasonal shift back inshore. He compared it to animals storing energy through winter: they’re hunkered down offshore, heavy, and willing to eat.
The pattern has required commitment. Instead of quick runs to inshore wrecks that can look empty in very cold water, Capt. Robbie has been running to deeper, slightly warmer water and targeting structure in roughly 150 to 180 feet. That depth means more work at the rail, but the payoff has been quality fish and full coolers. He also noted bonus species showing up in the mix, including a flounder caught on a late drop—unusual to see on the hook that time of year, but not impossible since they can winter offshore too.
The biggest tactical takeaway was simple and practical: go heavier on lead to stay vertical and reduce snags. Capt. Robbie has been using 10 to 12 ounces with spot lock, keeping lines as straight up-and-down as possible so anglers can fish a larger slice of the water column. In his experience, lighter sinkers that “scope out” not only increase hang-ups and lost tackle, but also collapse your presentation so all your hooks end up fishing nearly the same depth.
Rigging notes from Capt. Robbie’s setup: he fishes multi-hook rigs and adjusts hook size to match the bigger class of sea bass he’s seeing offshore. He also uses beads and crimping as part of his leader system to help keep components aligned and reduce tangles on the drop—especially important when you’re fishing heavy leader and dropping into deep water where a twisted rig wastes time.
Coming up next, Reel Release will pivot as seasons change: tog fishing becomes the main focus as sea bass season winds down, with offshore shots for bigger fish and then more bay opportunities as water temperatures rebound. Capt. Robbie also mentioned a local tackle flea market date he’s prepping for, bringing a wide mix of gear for anglers getting ready for spring.
Book a trip with Capt. Robbie Bryan: Reel Release Sportfishing
Quick trip-planning notes
For the bluefin run: focus on finding a clean hard temperature break, keep your casting program ready (poppers and stickbaits), and bring gear that can safely handle sustained high drag pressures. For deep sea bass: prioritize a safe weather window, be willing to run to deeper water if inshore structure is empty, and don’t be afraid to bump up sinker weight to fish vertical and reduce snags.
