Article by Julie Ball
With temperatures hitting 100-degress last week, it is no surprise that summer officially started, with the summer solstice occurring on 21st this month.
The biggest inshore draw is still cobia. Reports indicate that plenty of fish are around, but enticing strikes is a challenge. Cobia chummers continue to mostly fare well, with some boats returning from the shoals with keeper fish and a few trophies weighing to over 80 lbs.. The areas off Hampton, from the Rock Pile to off of Buckroe Beach are producing fish. Sightcasters are patrolling open Chesapeake Bay waters, the oceanfront and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT), with mixed results each day. Most boats are hooking a few fish out of many seen, with most averaging below 30 lbs., with a few larger fish rewarding their efforts. Most experts feel the best is yet to come on the cobia front.
The Nine Foot Shoal and Latimer Shoal areas are still producing decent catches of red drum lately. Casters are also finding some good topwater action while throwing lures to big schools of reds meandering anywhere from the Nautilus Shoal area to off the Virginia Beach coastline. A few cobia are also cruising the surface in the same areas, making targets for sightcasters. Some black drum hook-ups are occurring around the artificial islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel, where the fish are lazily responding to bucktails and Storm Lures.
Spanish mackerel are officially hitting along the coast off Virginia Beach, where the bite is still a bit scattered. Many of the fish are small to medium-sized, but some mackerel are pushing to over 2 lbs. The best numbers are coming from the cleaner water and tide lines. This action will continue to evolve over the summer.
The flounder action continues to escalate, with improving reports last week. Anglers are finding some luck with nice keeper fish from Oyster, the Cell area, off Kiptopeke, Back River Reef and near the artificial islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Working jigs and live bait around the pilings and the tubes of the CBBT is most productive lately, especially near the Fourth Island. Some flatties are pushing to well over 7 lbs. recently. Drifters are also finding some takers while presenting strip baits along lower Bay drop-offs and channels. Lower Bay inlets are also still giving up decent numbers of keeper flatfish, with some fish pushing to over 23-inches coming from the basin within Lynnhaven Inlet last week.
Nice sized croaker and plenty of bluefish pushing to nearly 3 lbs. are available at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, while hardheads are also hitting off Ocean View, and around the CBBT.
Some speckled trout are providing catch and release action along with some big puppy drum within most lower Bay inlets and shallows.
Surf and pier anglers continue to find a widely mixed bag along the lower Bay and oceanfront shorelines, with nice sea mullet, Tailor bluefish, puppy drum, small flounder, spot and small croaker providing most of the turmoil. Bloodworms are always one of the top baits for these panfish.
Spadefish are schooling in the usual spots, with the Chesapeake Light Tower and nearshore wrecks holding some decent numbers of mostly smallish fish. Spades are also responding around the islands of the CBBT, along with lots of curious triggerfish. Some anglers are finding some luck with big sheepshead, with a few fish pushing to over 10-pounds coming from various lower Bay structures and bridge pilings.
Deep droppers are still going strong with good catches of blueline tilefish, scattered big golden tilefish, some decent grouper, nice rose fish and side catches of jumbo sea bass. Amberjack have established residency on many offshore wrecks and at the Southern Towers.
The Virginia offshore scene is still developing, with yellowfin tuna the main target. The tuna action slowed up off Virginia last week, with local boats now looking to run south for their catches. A few nice bigeye tuna are lurking about, with a few fish pushing over 100-pounds boated lately. Bailer and gaffer-sized mahi, mako sharks and an occasional billfish are also adding some variety.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
