Article by Julie Ball
Although some inclement weather has limited the access to the fishing grounds over the past week, the drum bite continues to keep anglers occupied. Most boats are reporting multiple hook-ups, with good catches of big red and black drum. The black drum continue to come from the Bayside of the Eastern Shore near Buoys 10, 13 and 16, where sea clams and chowder clams are working best. These beasts are also congregating around the artificial islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT), where they will mostly remain for the remainder of the season. Big red drum are still scouring the breakers and sloughs off the Eastern Shore barrier islands, while they are also mixing in with black drum among the shoals off Fisherman’s Island and the 9-Foot Shoal area. Anglers are finding good luck in anywhere from 10 to 25-feet of water. A few boats are also experiencing good luck trolling spoons over the seaside shoals, especially near the Nautilus Shoal area.
Although there have been no confirmed catches, the much anticipated arrival of the cobia could occur any day now in local waters. Cobia hunters in North Carolina reported good catches last week as they intercepted schools of fish heading north to the Chesapeake Bay.
Flounder action is still picking up, but there is room for improvement in the lower Bay. Folks caught some fish at the CBBT last week, but most of the action is still coming from the more protected areas. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are still giving up decent hauls of flatfish, with many flatties exceeding 20-inches last week. On the Eastern Shore, the flounder action out of Oyster is still good, with strips of squid and Gulp baits working best in Sand Shoal Inlet lately.
Anglers working the Lynnhaven River and basin area are scoring with some nice speckled trout, along with some good puppy drum. One speckled trout guru reports that speck fishing on the Elizabeth River showed promise last week. Although most days are pretty spotty, he had a very good day recently with most fish pushing from 23 to 28-inches. Mobjack Bay was also very productive last week, with responsive fish measuring to over 26-inches hitting mostly topwater lures. Puppy drum and school-sized striped bass are also hitting in these same locations.
Big bluefish continue their reign of the lower Bay inlets and CBBT area, with many of these choppers measuring over 30-inches. Striped bass are still a good choice, with catches of rockfish to over 44-inches coming from the HRBT and the islands of the CBBT. Be sure to review the regulations for these fish.
Croaker continue to give pier anglers a run for their money as small to medium-sized hardheads take squid and bloodworm offerings off Ocean View, Willoughby and Buckroe lately. Some decent sized sea mullet are also in the mix. A few gray trout weighing up to 3-pounds are still lurking around the HRBT, but you can only keep one fish per person.
With sea bass season now open, boats are reporting some decent catches, with some fish pushing to 4 and 5-pounds coming from both offshore and near shore structures. Reports of spadefish around the islands and pilings of the CBBT and at the Chesapeake Light Tower are trickling in, but the water needs to warm up a few more degrees for the fish to begin biting. Sheepshead were also spotted around the CBBT last week.
The offshore trolling scene should heat up soon off Virginia. In Carolina waters, the offshore fleet is enjoying plenty of good gaffer action, with wahoo and nice yellowfin tuna adding to the mix. A few billfish are beginning to make things interesting as they enter trolling spreads. Hopefully, this trend will continue to move north to Virginia waters.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
