Article by Julie Ball
Just as anglers got a taste of summer’s abundant line-up, once again Mother Nature intervened. The remnants of tropical storm Andrea could leave her mark along the Mid Atlantic coastline, creating some unknowns along the fishing front. Once the muddy mess clears, expect the fishing season to heat back up.
Many anglers are very interested in the newly arriving cobia. Although several fish have been boated, the action has not really taken off yet. Chummers off of Grandview and Bluefish Rock caught scattered fish ranging to around 45-pounds last week. Sightcasters have managed a few catches, with some going close to 60-pounds, but most of these cruising fish are not interested in offerings yet. The cobia action will continue to heat up over the next few weeks as huge schools of fish continue to trek this way from the south.
Red drum are providing good action right now, but this could change after the storm rolls through. Boats are releasing nice bulls from the Eastern Shore barrier islands, near Buoy 10 off Fisherman’s Island, the Nautilus Shoals and along the Nine-foot Shoal area. These schools are spreading out in the lower Bay, providing a few landings for some very excited pier anglers recently. Large schools of reds are also offering willing prospects for sightcasters as the fish cruise the surface along the oceanfront.
Some big black drum are still taking clams near Buoy 13 and 16 off the Eastern Shore, but most of these are on the smaller size. The majority of the schools of bigger fish have moved to the islands of the CBBT, where a few blacks are taking lures intended for rockfish.
Folks are finding some flounder, but anglers are working hard for their catches and the rain from the tropical storm did not help the situation. According to the folks at Ocean’s East 2, the most consistent action continues to come from the protected waters of the lower Bay inlets and the Eastern Shore. Anglers using vertical jigging methods were finding the best luck around the lower Bay crossings before the storm. One boat experienced some success with nice fish, ranging to over 6-pounds, near the small boat channel and the 1st Island of the Bay Bridge Tunnel last week. Most of the flatfish from the inlets are averaging around 19 to 22-inches, but one angler scored with a few nice doormats stretching to 24 and 25-inches recently in the Lynnhaven Inlet. Shore anglers managed some decent keepers in Rudee Inlet last week on grubs, along with some speckled trout, puppy drum and snapper bluefish. Some big bluefish are also crashing live bait offerings off the Little Creek jetties. Reports of speckled trout and a few puppy drum continue to come from within Lynnhaven Inlet and Mobjack Bay.
Small and medium-sized croaker are available all over the lower Bay. The HRBT, the Hampton Bar, the Monitor-Merrimac, the James River Bridge, Little Creek and the southern small boat channel at the CBBT are providing the best hardhead action. Sea mullet are also still biting for pier anglers, but this action slowed some from last week. Big gray trout are also active in some of these same areas, especially at night. Some decent spot are also hitting within lower Bay inlets and off Buckroe lately.
Schools of spadefish are available at the Chesapeake Light Tower, inshore wrecks and around the islands of the CBBT. Sheepshead action is not much, but a few fish have cooperated, along with some triggerfish.
For those venturing a little further offshore, keeper-sized sea bass are biting on many wrecks.
Even further out, deep dropping is still a good choice. Several varieties of deep water bottom fish are active in water ranging from 300 to 800-feet, with grouper, blueline tilefish, and black bellied rosefish common place.
Offshore, warm water is becoming more approachable from Virginia, where decent catches of yellowfin tuna and mahi are rewarding boats making the long run to the south. Most of the tuna are in the 40-pound range, with a few whoppers pushing to over 70-pounds are also around. Once the water settles, expect the hunt for the blue water pelagic fish to resume.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
