Article by Julie Ball
Cobia action is still good, but experts are awaiting the arrival of the really big fish. Sightcasters are finding willing cobia cruising in open waters, mostly around the lower Bay, from the Baltimore Channel to the 1st Island area. Most fish are weighing around 30 to 40-pounds, with a smattering of larger fish pushing to around 60-pounds lately. Both live bait and lures continue to entice strikes. Cobia hunters working chum on the lower Bay shoals are scoring with some decent fish, but anglers are complaining that nuisance sharks are relentless right now.
Sightcasters are also taking advantage of frequent appearances of huge schools of big red drum meandering along the oceanfront and near the mouth of the Bay. Fleeting glimpses of schools of Jack crevelle are also becoming a common occurrence in the same areas, but these fish are very hard to intercept in open water.
The summer flounder scene is still struggling, but some decent fish are cooperating for those who put in the time. The best flatfish action is still coming from live bait offerings and jigs tipped with Gulp! artificial baits near the high-rise section of the Bay Bridge Tunnel and the usual haunts near the 3rd and 4th islands. Most fish are ranging from around 20 to 24-inches. Drifters are holding their own near the Cell, Buoys 36 and 38 and Back River Reef, but the inlets were much tougher last week.
Spadefish are still available at the Chesapeake Light Tower, at several inshore wrecks and at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The 3rd Island and high-rise areas are still the top spade producing locations at the CBBT, where anglers are finding fish weighing, around 3 to 5-pounds, while using clam for bait.
Sheepshead action is still improving along the pilings, with some fish pushing close to 12-pounds boated last week. Anglers are also bailing a lot of large triggerfish in many of these same areas.
Scattered black drum hook-ups are coming from the 2nd and 4th Islands of the CBBT. These are slow growing fish reaching enormous sizes, so remember to take plenty of time to revive these fish.
Croaker pushing to over 3/4-pound are lurking around the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Cell, and off the Concrete Ships. Hardhead hunters in Oyster found smaller fish last week, but they are not discouraged. Spot and good numbers of puppy drum are hitting inside Rudee, Little Creek and Lynnhaven Inlets, along with some speckled trout.
Tarpon have arrived on the Eastern Shore, with silver king hunters watching closely. Most reported big sharks and other trash fish last week.
Amberjack are tempting some anglers to make the long run to the Southern Towers. Few are bothering with deep dropping lately, although the fish are there. Blueline tilefish, grouper, golden tilefish, black bellied rosefish and scattered jumbo sea bass are available along the floor at the Norfolk Canyon. Most folks making the long run to the deep are concentrating on the offshore trolling species.
The offshore bite off Virginia is beginning to come together. Trollers are still targeting yellowfin tuna, but plenty of bailer dolphin are rounding out catches. Some of these yellowfins are large specimens, pushing to over 70-pounds, with scattered bigeye tuna weighing over 200-pounds making things interesting. Billfish are becoming more common, and mako sharks are also around.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
