Article by Julie Ball
We have rounded the corner of summertime fishing, and it’s as wide open as it’s going to get. Most every species has now joined in, making this a great time of the season for anglers.
Cobia are out in force, with both sight casters and chummers having very good luck with fish ranging to over 60-pounds. Be sure to have your cobia permit on hand and report all cobia activity this year. Red drum are also providing great topwater action as they patrol near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, especially near the Baltimore Channel.
Since the flounder bite escalated a couple of weeks ago in lower Bay waters, anglers are finding decent catches most anywhere. Anglers working the CBBT with jigs and live bait are finding the biggest fish, averaging up to around 5 and 6-pounds, with a few citation-sized flatties also in the mix last week. The seaside inlets on the Eastern Shore, and both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets on the Southside are starting to see increases in catches of keepers lately. Nearshore and inshore structures are also paying off for those bouncing offerings near wrecks.
The Spanish mackerel action is excellent, with trollers filling coolers with limits of exceptionally large fish this year. Boats are finding schools of Spanish 6-miles off the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
King mackerel are here. Although no news of confirmed catches are in as of yet, with multiple reports of sightings by Spanish mackerel anglers, it is only a matter of time. The chance of tangling with a smoker is a real possibility, especially if the water clears up with an easterly breeze.
The spadefish fishery is a huge success this season, with heathy-sized spades dominating catches. These powerful fighters are hitting at the Chesapeake Light Tower and nearby wrecks, as well as along the pilings and islands at the Bay Bridge Tunnel and the Cell. Some really nice sheepshead are also still taking offerings along the CBBT, with clams and fiddlers the top bait choices. Triggerfish are also available in most of these same locations.
Nice croaker are hitting around most lower Bay piers, as well as near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, while the hard head run in Oyster also picked up recently. Speckled trout and puppy drum are available in most lower Bay inlets and shallows, but some folks are reporting unpredictable results lately.
Reports of tarpon sightings continues to draw anglers to the back waters of Oyster, where anglers are enduring the heat and battling the infamous Eastern Shore flies for a chance at bowing to an Eastern Shore Silver King.
Deep dropping is a good choice right now, with quality blueline tilefish, golden tilefish and some nice grouper available. Jumbo black sea bass are also mixed in with the tilefish. Good catches of sea bass were also rewarding anglers checking out offshore wrecks last week. Amberjack are still available on several coastal wrecks and at the South Tower, where live bait is your best option.
The offshore bite is very good right now. Yellowfin tuna in the 50-pound range are still hitting in the Canyon, along with some nice bigeye tuna. School-sized bluefin tuna, ranging to around 100-pounds, are also lurking near the Fingers lately. Mahi are also a guarantee right now, with some big gaffer-sized fish thrilling anglers. Wahoo are becoming more common.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to drjball.com.
