Article by Julie Ball
Although Labor Day marks the end of summer for many folks, local anglers know it is nowhere near the end of the good fishing for Virginia. The fall species will begin to earn more interest as the waters cool and the summer favorites prepare to leave for the season.
Flounder anglers worked a little harder for their catches last week, but those using live bait and drifting with cut bait near the 3rd Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are finding some nice fish. Drifting along Thimble Shoal and Baltimore Channels are also good places to try right now. The Cell and Buoy 36 areas are also producing limits of flatties to around 22 and 24-inches lately. Offshore wreck flatfish are also a good alternative. Strip baits bounced over structure worked well for wreck flounder, where keeper sea bass and gray triggerfish will also take your offerings.
Cobia are on the move in the lower Bay and along the oceanfront, generating some outstanding top water action. The recent front kept many boats at the dock, but catches should resume once boats can get back out. The best bounties are coming from casting live bait and jigs to large pods of cobia swimming on the surface heading towards the mouth of the Bay. Many of these fish are ranging in the 40 to 60-pound class. Pier anglers are also getting in on the top water scene, with a nice 65-pounder landed off the Sea Gull Fishing Pier last week.
Spanish mackerel are still responding to trolled spoons along Sandbridge and Dam Neck, as well as around the artificial islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. A few king mackerel are also striking trolled baits a few miles off Sandbridge, but there are no confirmations of landings as of yet. Sharks are still a big event here, where a variety of toothy critters continue to thrill anglers.
Speckled trout are showing more presence in Lynnhaven Inlet, the Poquoson flats, the seaside of Oyster and the Elizabeth River. Although many fish are on the smaller side, this action and the size of the fish will only improve as the waters cool. Bigger trout are mixed in, with some fish pushing to over 8-pounds caught on the Eastern Shore last week. Plenty of small puppy drum are still available to those casting jigs or offering fresh bait within Lynnhaven or Rudee Inlets. The Elizabeth River is also producing pups lately. Big red drum will begin to group up as they prepare to leave the area.
Sheepshead are still taking offerings along the entire span of the Bay Bridge Tunnel, along with a decent number of keeper sized tautog. Spadefish ranging around 3 to 4-pounds are still around the 3rd and 4th Islands, although this action has slowed, but hungry triggerfish are happy to take over.
Decent-sized spot are showing along the oceanfront and the lower Bay shorelines, rivers and inlets. Some spot are available within both the Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets on a moving tide, as well as off the Hampton bar and Ocean View areas. Medium sized hardheads are showing in these same areas, as well as along the southern small boat channel. The folks at Chris’ Bait and Tackle report that croakers activity out of Oyster slowed up recently, but many anglers are showing an interest in the newly discovered ribbonfish bite off of Kiptopeke.
Amberjack are still available around at the South Tower for those willing to make the run, and deep droppers are finding the usual mixed bag of blueline tilefish, black bellied rosefish and scattered barrelfish and sea bass.
Billfish. That’s all that needs to be said about offshore right now. Billfish of all varieties are invading trolled spreads, contributing to several grand slams. One boat even sported a rare super grand slam last week. Captain Jake Hiles, skipper of the “Matador” out of Rudee Inlet, was the lucky captain. Jake awarded his crew a swordfish along with white marlin, blue marlin and a sailfish on a recent overnight trip to make a super grand slam. Boats are reporting dozens of releases for mostly white marlin, but some sailfish, spearfish and blue marlin are also visiting trolled spreads. Several swordfish are coming from overnighters, with a few bigger fish beginning to show. The new pending state record swordfish, weighing in at a whopping 446-pounds, was a product of one of these overnight trips last week. Dolphin action is good, with many gaffers over 30-pounds hitting the docks. Nice wahoo are also becoming more common in 50 to 100 fathoms.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
