Article by Julie Ball
The fall fishery is gaining momentum at a fast pace as water temperatures drop ahead of schedule due to lingering cooler weather. The hope is that this cooling trend levels out, or it could influence the approaching striper season. Labor Day may mark the end of summer for many, but the summer fishing festivities are not over quite yet!
Cobia are out of control as they escalate into their fall patterns. Last week, the number of fish spotted by sight anglers skyrocketed. Cobia are cruising in pairs and pods and gathering into big schools most anywhere in lower Bay waters, and along the oceanfront. Nice fish are also lurking around buoys and along pilings at the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Anglers are hooking multiple fish per trip, with some cobia pushing into the 50 and 80-pound class range. Most of the larger fish are still exhibiting finicky behavior, but a well-placed bucktail can also do the trick.
Chummers and bottom anglers are also catching very good numbers of decent fish in the usual hot spots with cut bunker last week.
Bull reds are still roaming the lower Bay shoals and near the 3rd and 4th Islands of the Bridge Tunnel as they fatten up to migrate south in a few weeks. Jack crevelle are also still surprising a few anglers at the entrance to the Bay, but they will settle around the Chesapeake Light Tower soon.
Flounder action is still good right now with a late season “hurrah”, as flatfish continue to assemble along channel edges, shoals and the CBBT proper as they prepare to exit the Bay. Drifting along Cape Henry, the Baltimore Channel and near Buoy 36A is generating some nice fish. Anglers targeting flatties with live bait and jigs are finding some big fish along the CBBT, with the 1st and 3rd Islands providing the best catches right now. Seabass are becoming more active on inshore wrecks from the Light Tower Reef out to the Triangle wrecks.
Sheepshead are still going strong as anglers entice big fish from the pilings and all four tubes of the CBBT using fiddler crabs and clam. Triggerfish are still staging in all the same locations, with several of these fish pushing to over 4-pounds.
Backwater anglers are finding good numbers of nice speckled trout and puppy drum in lower Bay shallows, especially in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, the Poquoson flats and Hungars creek.
Decent sized spot are providing very good action in the lower Bay lately, especially off Little Creek, Willoughby and Buckroe, with fish also becoming more active within the inlets last week. This bite will continue to improve over the next few weeks. Croaker are hitting near all four islands of the CBBT, the skinny waters of the Eastern Shore and off Cape Henry. The hardhead action out of Oyster improved last week, but the cooling trend may put an end to this flurry. Tarpon activity on the Shore is likely done for the year as a result of the rapid cool-down.
King mackerel have yet to take off, but September and October are good months for kings, so anglers are still hopeful. Spanish mackerel are still providing action within the Bay and along the oceanfront.
The Chesapeake Light Tower can offer a chance at an amberjack, or maybe a jack crevelle. The Southern Towers and some coastal wrecks are also still holding schools of big AJ’s. Deep droppers are catching limits of nice blueline tilefish, some golden tilefish, blackbellied rosefish and even have some jumbo seabass mixed in, but most folks are now focusing on the escalating marlin bite lately.
Offshore, billfish are still at the top of the list as the number of white marlin releases inch up last week. Blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish and even swordfish offer bluewater trollers a little more variety, and a shot at a grand slam. Bigeye tuna are still around, along with some big yellowfin tuna. Some big wahoo and scattered bailer dolphin are also a good consolation prize.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
