Article by Julie Ball
Thunderstorms and blazing heat can make fishing efforts difficult, but in general the weather is good. So what’s on everyone’s mind right now? Mostly cobia and flounder.
Cobia action is still noteworthy, with anglers reporting a dozen or more hook-ups on outings. Plenty of rats ranging up to around 30-pounds are responding well to offerings from sightcasters in lower Bay waters, and along the oceanfront lately. Some bigger fish are also available, with cobia pushing to over 50-pounds boated last week. Chummers battling the heat continue to hold their own with some good action, but plenty of trash fish are also competing for their bait right now.
The hot summer flounder scene continues to draw attention, with nice doormats hitting the scales lately. Anglers working structure with jigs adorned with artificial baits such as Gulp! Jerk Shads and live bait are scoring along the Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings and tubes. The 1st and 4th Island areas of the CBBT and Back River Reef were the best flattie hot spots last week. Several boats are also finding good hauls of nice fish on inshore and nearshore wrecks. A few keepers are also responding in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, while the Eastern Shore seaside inlets continue to hold their own lately, with reports of limits of keepers last week.
Along the span of the Bay Bridge Tunnel, sheepshead anglers are faring well with some big fish using fiddler crabs or clams as bait. Aggressive triggerfish will also take your offerings in the same areas. Spadefish are having a good year, with a nicer class of fish pushing to around 8-pounds available around the islands and pilings of the CBBT, at the Chesapeake Light Tower, the Tower Reef and several inshore wrecks. The inshore wrecks are also harboring some nice sea bass, triggerfish and flounder.
Spanish mackerel continue to dominate the trolling scene along the oceanfront, with some citation-sized fish boated lately. These bigger fish are coming from shallower water on small Drone or Clark spoons trolled at a quick clip.
King mackerel have been sighted skying along the Virginia Beach shorelines this week, with rumors of a few catches.
Red drum are still providing topwater action as they school around the mouth of the Bay and along the Virginia Beach coastline. Boats targeting sharks are having good luck with a variety of toothy species ranging to around 4-feet or more, especially off the oceanfront area.
Croaker are always a favorite this time of year, with good catches reported from most everywhere from the HRBT to Cape Henry. The hardhead bite out of Oyster is not strong yet, but plenty of folks are there trying their luck. Decent fish ranging to around a pound are biting near Buoy 42, and off of Kiptopeke State Park. Some nice fish are also coming from Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets along with some spot. Puppy drum and speckled trout are also still possibilities in the shallows and inlets.
Virginia tarpon are drawing hard core tarpon hunters to the back waters of Oyster, with reports of sightings and hook-ups of silver kings trickling in. If you go, be prepared to also tangle with exhausting huge Southern rays and big mean bull sharks in the hot sun, while also battling Eastern Shore flies.
Deep dropping is still a good choice, with quality blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, blackbellied rosefish and nice grouper on the menu. Jumbo black sea bass are also available, mixed in with the tilefish. Amberjack are available near offshore wrecks and at the Southern Towers, but most boats are more interested in the good offshore action instead.
The offshore bite is still good, with the billfish scene improving daily. Boats are raising a decent number of white marlin in spreads recently, but those using live-baiting techniques are out-performing other methods. A smattering of blue marlin are also adding some excitement for bluewater trollers. Yellowfin tuna in the 50-pound range are still hitting in the Canyon, with school-sized Bluefin tuna ranging to around 100-pounds and some nice bigeye tuna rounding out catches. Mahi are a guarantee right now, with some big gaffer-sized fish thrilling anglers, with some fish tilting the scale to around 50-pounds boated last week. Wahoo are also becoming more common.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to drjball.com.
