Article by Julie Ball
The recent cold front brought some mild relief from the heat last week. Inshore species are providing some good action, while the offshore bite should pick back up soon.
Flounder action is still solid. Anglers drifting with strip baits and minnows are finding fish near the Cell, the Hampton Bar, and the Thimble Shoal Channel. Those dropping live bait and jigs on lower Bay structures are finding nice fish along the CBBT near the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Islands, as well as the High Rise. Many of these flatfish are weighing up to 6 lbs., with a few pushing to over 8 lbs. Within Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, flounder enthusiasts are finding fish ranging to 23-inches. Anglers are also having good success using peanut bunker and minnows as bait within the Lynnhaven Basin lately.
Cobia action was hit-and-miss last week, but when it was on, anglers caught up to a dozen or more fish. Larger fish are making a good showing, with several fish topping 65 lbs. over the last week. Chummers are scoring with a few fish using chunks of bunker, live eels and live croaker fished on the bottom. The best locations for chumming lately are the seaside areas of Fisherman’s Island, the Nine Foot Shoal and Latimer Shoal. Sight casters are finding fish on the surface that are responding well to live bait and jigs. Red drum are also still schooling around the mouth of the Bay and off the Virginia Beach oceanfront, especially off Sandbridge.
An unusual visitor has joined the summertime show this week. Several sight casters are reporting schools of tarpon within the lower Bay. Schools of jack crevelle are also shooting about in the same areas, which is common in late summer. Although catches of jacks within the Bay are not easy, trolling spoons, sight-casting and live bait can entice a hit.
Nice sized spot are also around, with Lynnhaven Inlet and Little Creek providing the best action last week, where a few fish pushed to near 14 oz. Smaller croaker are everywhere from the HRBT to the CBBT. The best hauls are coming from the backwaters of Oyster where fish are pushing to a pound.
Sheepshead action is still very good, with fish to 14 lbs. taking fiddler crabs or clam presented along the Bridge Tunnel complex. Plenty of greedy triggerfish are also available in these same areas. Spadefish are still schooling around nearshore wrecks, the span of the CBBT as well as the High Rise area. Most of these fish are ranging to around 4 lbs.
Spanish mackerel are hitting well off the oceanfront, with larger fish pushing to over 2 lbs. taking trolled spoons in water as shallow as 15-feet. Boats are finding schools of Spanish busting the surface, as far as 5-miles out, making a fun catch for sight casters. Tailor bluefish are also mixed in with the Spanish.
Tarpon anglers and speckled trout anglers are quiet about their catches as usual, but rumors of several tarpon hook-ups with a few releases are circulating. According to Chris’ Bait and Tackle, specks are coming from both the seaside and Bayside creeks on the Eastern Shore. The Poquoson Flats also gave up a few fish for kayakers last week.
Amberjack are a no-brainer at the South Tower, where anglers are finding good numbers of smaller fish. A few Barracuda are also coming from the same area. Deep droppers will focus more on the bottom if the offshore trolling does not pick up. Nice blueline tilefish and big black bellied rosefish are the norm lately near the Canyon edges.
Captain Trick Standing, skipper of the “Git-R-Done” out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, reports that the billfish took a break last week. Big yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna, along with gaffer mahi and wahoo are possibilities for those making the run. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
