Article by Capt. Matt Abell
When we said that nothing is hotter than the fishing on the ESVA…. we were wrong…the weather is definitely hotter than the fishing on this little spit of land between the Chesapeake and the deep azul of the Atlantic. This heat wave has caused the water to warm, the fish to tighten their lips, and sushi to be in short supply as these temperatures ensure that your catch is half cooked before you throw a line on the dock. Maybe it’s not really THAT hot , and next week promises to be more hospitable. So grab a cold water ( or other beverage), take solace in the fact you didn’t really like your fish raw to start with, and get out there and take the dull out of summer doldrums.
The inshore waters of the Atlantic have produced the most bent rods and big smiles as reefs sites like the Blackfish Banks area, have produced good numbers of flounder. Most of these camouflaged creatures of the deep have been lured with jigs adorn with gulp curl tails or tipped with a healthy strip of cut bait.
On some of the same wrecks and reefs, triggers and spades have been encountered by fishermen and divers alike. These tropical trophies can be tricked into a drag screaming tussle with a small piece of clam suspended on a #4-#1 octopus style hook ( sometimes red in color) tied with 20# fluorocarbon leader. Chumming, while not always necessary, can improve your chances of an exotic looking and most excellent meal.
While making way through the swells of the ocean, keep an eye out for spanish mackerel and cobia. The mackerel have been spotted jumping like maniacs around the shoals off Chincoteague and Wachapreague. A 0 sized Clark spoon behind a #1 planer will ring the dinner bell for these trolled up toothy treasures. The coastal cobia seem to be more confined to floating objects like buoys and flotsam and can be engaged by casting a brightly colored jig of live eel within the gaze of the brown suited brawler.
The flounder fishing inside the inlet has been fairly good as well. If the water is clean and clear the fish are cooperative. Fishing from Quimby Inlet all the way to Chincoteague has been pretty consistent with the best activity culminating during the last part of the flood tide. The water seems to cool down and clean up during this tidal driven time frame. Gulp and squid strips tipped by silversides and bull minnows on pink, chartreuse, white and orange teaser rigs help ensure the need for a good dip net and your favorite seafood breading.
The lower Chesapeake has produced spanish mackerel on the troll while folks continue the quest for cobia to cast to. In the shallows, the hot water and thick grass have made spec fishing difficult. The folks that are stubbornly seeking the trout with spots have been rewarded not with numbers, but with size. A good friend of mine Capt. Drew Sturgis broke the 28” mark with a SPEC-tacular trophy fish amidst the steamy temperatures and less than splendid surroundings.
Don’t let a heat wave rock your boat and keep you from enjoying the greatest place on earth. Get out there, feel the cool salt spray on your face, stretch your line, and never forget how great it is to be in this awesome place that we call home! §
