Article by VMRC - Saltwater Review
Chincoteague
According to Donna at Captain Bob’s kingfish and croaker were caught in the area last week, with the largest ones caught near Buoy 10. Croaker averaged 15 to 18 inches and were found at the Chincoteague Channel, Queen Sound, the USCG base, and the Canal. Flounder were more difficult to catch with the aggressive croaker taking baits instead. Gulp! and jumbo minnows were the best baits to catch flounder (instead of croaker). Queen’s Sound, Four Mouths, Memorial Park, and Tom’s Cove were productive flounder areas. Bull sharks (up to 8 feet) were reported from Kendall Creek; Buoy 5 at Four Mouths, the Inlet, and Queen Sound were also productive. Overall, the outgoing tide was the best for just about everything!
Offshore, the wrecks provided great action with spadefish, tautog, black sea bass, and flounder! Action for bluefin tuna was pretty wide-spread with the Lumpy Bottom and the Parking Lot being the favorites of blue-water anglers. Some albacore tuna were brought in over the weekend as well. You will still have to go to the Canyons for the yellowfin tuna. Dolphin, cobia, and wahoo were also brought to the docks. From the surf, spot, kingfish, croaker, sea robins, rays, skates, and sharks were the primary catches.
Wachapreague
Several citations, including three white marlin releases and a 33-pound dolphin, were reported from Captain Zed’s last week. Marlin were found in the Norfolk Canyon. Inshore, anglers were catching numerous small flounder with very few keepers. Small croaker were also spotted, although the large ones have yet to show up.
Cape Charles
According to staff at Chris’ Bait and Tackle, croaker were biting very well in Oyster last week. Sea mullet were also being hooked around Lattimer Shoals (a 3-pound sea mullet was weighed in last week). Several large cobia (70 and 55 pounds) and flounder (over 8 pounds) were reported as well. There were also reports of spadefish biting at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel
Three cobia citations were reported from Cobb’s Marina last week (55 inches, 57 inches, and 54 inches). All of the cobia were caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Keeper-sized flounder also came in from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel last week.
At Sunset Boating Center, a few flounder were reported over the weekend, including one 9-pound, 12-ounce citation fish. Several citation-size cobia were weighed in as well (57 pounds, 6 ounces, 56 pounds, and a release of 58 inches). All the large fish were reported from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Flounder and cobia citations were also reported from Salt Ponds Marina last week. Two flounder (10 pounds, 9 ounces and 7 pounds, 4 ounces) were hooked at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and a 53-inch cobia was released as well this week.
Over the past week, Wallace’s Bait and Tackle has weighed in 36 cobia!!! From angler’s reports, cobia are everywhere in the Bay! Six citations were recorded, and the largest was 70 pounds. There were multiple flounder citations and a 10-pound, 5-ounce citation sheepshead caught at bluefish rock last week.
According to staff at the York River Fishing Center, flounder fishing has been good overall this week, with several keepers coming from the Bay (an 8-pound, 12-ounce flounder was brought in from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel last week). Staff believes the hot weather has affected the croaker bite somewhat, and they are expecting spot to show up in the next few weeks.
Virginia Beach
Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA International Representative for Virginia Beach, contributed the following:
Decent weather was providing anglers with some good opportunities lately. The top species last week was still cobia. The biggest fish of the season are hitting the docks lately, with many fish ranging between 60 and 80 pounds. Cobia continue to transition into their late summer trend of grouping into large schools and cruising on the surface near the mouth of the Bay and along the oceanfront. More fish are also starting to opt for rendezvous with structure, such as bridge pilings and buoys. This late season movement is providing a new approach for many cobia hunters. Hoards of anglers are now getting in on the sight-casting action, with great results.
The flounder action is still going strong. Dozens of doormats, with some weighing up to 12 pounds, are hitting the scales. Big flatfish are striking at jigs and live bait presented along varying bottom structures in the lower part of the Bay. The Cell area, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel structure, and lower Bay wrecks are just a few of the best flounder hot-spots lately.
Red drum are still roaming around the lower Bay, especially near the 3rd and 4th islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Reds are also beginning to frequent the coastal waters off Virginia Beach. Schools of crevalle jack were still spotted roaming the lower Bay this week. Black drum are still meandering around the artificial islands of the Bridge Tunnel, but expect the black drums to begin moving off the islands soon. Good puppy drum (juvenile red drum) action is still going on within Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. These young reds will hit a variety of baits, with fresh cut mullet and Gulp mullets the top choices lately.
According to local charter captains, Spanish mackerel fishing along the coastal Virginia Beach is still very good. In general, the fish are on the larger side, with many pushing over 2 pounds. Plenty of tailor bluefish are also around.
With a good number of sharks showing in local waters, these toothy critters are becoming a targeted species lately. Several varieties of sharks such as sand tigers, hammerheads, blacktips, and spinners are sniffing out chum slicks along the coastal and lower Bay waters. Some of these fish are pushing over 8 feet.
Interest in spadefish is waning, but smallish fish are still available along the northern span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the four artificial islands, and many inshore structures. Sheepshead are cooperating lately. Crab, clam, and fiddlers presented along the pilings and tubes of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel can entice a sheepshead bite. Triggerfish are everywhere on lower Bay structures and inshore wrecks. These feisty fish will take most any offering.
Croaker are everywhere, and the bigger hardheads are now moving into lower Bay waters. The larger fish are coming from the deeper areas north of the 3rd island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, Back River Reef, and the Cell. Many fish are ranging over a pound. Anglers fishing Oyster are still filling coolers from the backwaters. Spot are hitting within Rudee, Lynnhaven, and Little Creek inlets on bloodworms, with some fish still coming from off of the concrete ships. Nice-sized sea mullet are still available near the concrete ships and Fisherman’s Island Inlet.
Amberjack are providing good opportunities on offshore wrecks and at the Southern Towers. Some boats are even bringing AJ’s home to try. Deep-dropping is good off of Virginia.
Offshore, billfish action is still heating up, with a decent number of white marlin releases, along with a smattering of blue marlin, sails, and spearfish. The bite is spread out from the 400 to the 900 line, in anywhere from 40 to 100 fathoms. Tuna are scattered, but those hitting the docks are in the 60-to 70-pound class, and there are still a few dolphin around, along with some wahoo.
Outer Banks, NC
Offshore fishing out of Nags Head has slowed down compared to last week. Yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, dolphin, and amberjacks were around, but limits were hard to come by.
Billfishing, however, remained good with sailfish, blue marlin, and white marlin. Bottom fishing in the deeper waters produced blueline tilefish, sea bass, triggerfish, and assorted snappers and groupers. King mackerel, striped bass, and red drum were being caught around eight miles offshore. The artificial reefs had black drum, sheepshead, spadefish, triggerfish, and tautog. Nearshore boaters were chasing bluefish and Spanish mackerel. The bluefish and Spanish mackerel were also available to pier and surf fishermen as they were just outside the breakers. In addition, pompano, spot, croaker, flounder, red drum, and rays were caught on cut baits in the area. In the sounds and inlets, speckled trout were around the Melvin Daniels Bridge, but you had to be there early in the morning. A few striped bass were around the bridges as well. Small flounder were in the shallows of the inlet, but there were a lot of throwbacks.
South of Oregon Inlet, surf fishing has been good. Red drum, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish were at the point and the jetties in the evenings. Sea mullet were in the Avon area and Ramp 44. Pompano were being caught around Ramp 49.
Offshore fishing out of Hatteras Inlet was good with dolphin leading the way. Wahoo were a pleasant surprise for the lucky anglers chasing the dolphin as well. A few sailfish were caught by bill fishermen. Inshore, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and flounder were caught.
