Article by Julie Ball
Hot. That’s the weather report for the past week. But if you can take the heat, the fishing can be very good.
The inshore fishing interest is still mostly centered around the summertime favorite, cobia. These fish continue to make a strong showing for both chummers and topwater casters, with several fish pushing to over 50-pounds hitting the dock last week. Many cobia are now demonstrating more of a late summer tendency of favoring structure and grouping into pods on the surface in both lower Bay and oceanfront waters, but hurry if you want to get in on the cobia action, as the season closes at the end of the month. Big red drum are also providing casting opportunities as they form into large schools in these same areas.
Big sheepshead are still a sure bet along the Bay Bridge Tunnel structure, with fiddler crabs and clams working well. Better-than-average-sized spadefish are still available at the Chesapeake Light Tower, the Tower Reef, several inshore and offshore wrecks and the CBBT, but these fish are becoming more finicky lately. Triggerfish are also hitting in these same areas.
Flounder action was decent last week, with flatties averaging around 20-inches filling coolers. Keeper-sized flatfish are available along most any structure and in flounder holes in the lower Bay, with live bait, jigs and fresh stripped baits working well. Some good hauls are also coming from nearshore and offshore wrecks, along with some sea bass and triggerfish. Local inlets and shallows are also still producing flounder up to around 21-inches on the Eastern Shore and the Southside.
Small to medium sized croaker are available in most inlets and deeper channels around the lower Bay, with a good selection also responding inside Magothy Bay near Buoy 262, and in the backwaters of Oyster, along with some spot and sea mullet.
Tarpon are active in the backwaters of Oyster, with a few noteworthy hook-ups and landings occurring recently.
Trollers continue to clean up with the Spanish mackerel along the oceanfront, with larger fish the norm right now. Tailor bluefish are also taking these same trolled rigs. King mackerel are patrolling the surflines and tidelines off Virginia Beach, along with plenty of sharks. Always review the regulations carefully before targeting sharks.
Deep dropping action is still good along the Canyon edges, where big blueline tilefish, barrelfish, grouper, blackbellied rosefish and nice sea bass are available. Amberjack are ready and willing to wrestle at the Southern Towers and around several offshore wrecks, but few are interested in these wreck donkeys.
Offshore, billfish action is picking up, but it still has a long way to go. White marlin are making the best showing of all the billfish, while a few sailfish and blue marlin also hit spreads last week. Swordfish are also a rare treat. Scattered yellowfin tuna, and some nice bigeye tuna are still around, along with some really big dolphin. Wahoo are also becoming more common.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to drjball.com.
