Article by Julie Ball
Summer officially started last week, and the summer fishing trend should continue as soon as the wind subsides. Most anglers will resume their chase for the latest big attraction, cobia. Although the bite off Hampton has slowed up, fish are still coming from the Eastern Shore side of the bay, where chummers sitting on Latimer Shoal and the Inner Middle Grounds are having luck. Sight casters continue to pick fish off the CBBT proper on calmer days.
Flounder action is off and on, depending on who you ask. Although anglers are still working hard for their limits, plenty of “barely shorts” are keeping them interested. According to Connie at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, a few doormats are coming from the CBBT area, where anglers are having good luck with live bait and jigging. Robert Hodge of Richmond landed a nice flatfish weighing in at 10 lbs. 4 oz. on a live spot while fishing with Captain Craig Paige aboard the “Paige 2” recently. Fish are also coming from the Cell, Buoy 42, Back River Reef, and Oyster, as well as Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. One angler fishing from the jetties scored with a 7 lb. 11 oz. doormat inside Rudee this week.
Spadefish are still commanding considerable attention from anglers, with the CLT still the favorite location. Reports indicate there were over 60 boats anchored at the Tower last weekend. Larger fish have moved in, with the biggest coming from the upper bay hot spots, such as the Cell and Wolf Trap Light. Roland E. Murphy of Richmond was fishing at the Cell aboard the “Kingfish,” when a massive 14 lb. 14 oz. spadefish took him for several laps around the boat. At the weigh-in, it was determined that this amazing catch may secure the new IGFA All Tackle World Record, as well as the new Virginia State record for this species.
Black drum all but deserted the shoals, and are now starting to show around the islands of the CBBT, with scattered hook-ups reported. These fish require extra time while reviving them in order to increase their survival rate. Big red drum are still taking baits along the Eastern Shore shoals and near Buoy 10, especially at night on an incoming tide.
The Spanish mackerel bite along the Virginia Beach oceanfront is heating up, although according to Captain Jake Hiles, skipper of the “Matador” out of Rudee Inlet, most fish are on the smallish size. Small spoons trolled at 5 to 6 knots are enticing the best response. It’s only a matter of time until reports of the first catches of king mackerel start rolling in from near the Little Island Fishing Pier.
Although tricky, some anglers are finding some luck with sheepshead. Many anglers are reporting sightings of pods of large sheepshead cruising the surface behind cobia. Triggerfish are making another good showing this year, with plenty of fish already entertaining anglers near the four islands of the CBBT.
Larger croaker pushing 2 to 2.5 lbs. are lurking around the James River Bridge, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, and off Ocean View. Surf anglers are finding a mixed bag along the ocean front, with loads of sea mullet pushing to nearly a pound, and scattered puppy drum providing most of the commotion.
When deep droppers can get out, they are still going strong with good limits of tilefish, grouper and rosefish. The Rudee Inlet Head Boats running out of the Fishing Center are finding decent sea bass action at the Triangle Wrecks lately.
The offshore scene is boiling with yellowfin tuna. Boats are hooking dozens of tuna, with many too small to keep. Several fish are falling into the 20 to 40 lb. class, with some nice dolphin also in the mix. The best action is coming from north of the Triple 0’s in 100 to 500 fathoms of water. A bigeye tuna caught aboard the "Blue Eyed Suns", skippered by Capt. David Smith, stole the limelight this past week when it tipped the scales at 180-pounds at Fisherman’s Wharf Marina.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. You can find Dr. Julie’s reports at www.drjball.com.