Article by VMRC - Saltwater Review
Chincoteague
According to Donna at Captain Bob’s, the Chincoteague Channel was the flounder hot spot last week. A nine-pounder was brought in from that area on June 23rd. Queens Sound is also producing flounder, but the Assateague Channel bite has slowed. The surf produced kingfish, skate, and dogfish.
Offshore, the mako action continues, despite the warm water. Yellowfin and bluefin tuna were reported in the canyons, and the wrecks are hot with spadefish and black sea bass. Bluefish were biting in the Parking Lot area.
Wachapreague
Flounder are everywhere, according to staff at Captain Zed’s. Anglers are doing really well in just about all of the usual hot spots.
Offshore, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, and dolphin were reported from the Washington Canyon.
Cape Charles
Staff at Chris’ Bait and Tackle report that anglers were catching good amounts of cobia off of Buoys 16 and 13 last week (the largest was 65 pounds). The Cabbage Patch and Concrete Ships have produced croaker and spot, and flounder were found near Oyster and the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spadefish have also come from Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and the Cell.
Fishing remains consistent in Cherrystone, according to Captain Ray Cardone. While a few cobia were reported around Buoy 36A, most of the local fishing has consisted of kingfish and croaker. A few black tip sharks were also hooked.
Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel
A citation cobia was reported from Salt Ponds Marina last week (55 lbs. 5 oz. and 56 inches). Cobia and flounder were the main catches of the week.
Kathy, at Wallace’s Bait and Tackle, reported that anglers were finding cobia in the area near Wallace’s Bait and Tackle. An 82 lb. cobia and a 66 lb. cobia were caught by two junior anglers from Fox Hill last week. Flounder have been reported near the Eastern Shore and the High Rise of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spadefish were reported as well.
At the York River Fishing Center, a citation flounder was caught at the Baltimore Channel (9 pounds, 13 ounces) last week. Large cobia were caught at the York Spit, with the largest weighing 57 pounds. The flounder bite has picked up in the area, and the croaker bite is fantastic in the York River, from the mouth of the River to West Point. Folks at the Gloucester Point Pier have reported croaker, flounder, and bluefish catches.
Virginia Beach
Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA International Representative for Virginia Beach, contributed the following:
Summer officially started last week, and the rising summer heat is confirming this fact. Although folks may complain about the heat, they are not complaining about the fishing. Calm winds and a good variety of species are encouraging boats to get out and test the fishing grounds, with good results.
Cobia are still the main target for most anglers. The bite is still good for both chummers and sight casters, although the very large fish seem to have made their way into the rivers for their seasonal spawn. Cobia catches are coming from all over the lower Bay, with most fish ranging from 30 to 60 pounds. The best areas are Bluefish Rock, the Inner Middle Grounds, the Nine-foot shoal, and Latimer shoal near Buoys 13 and 16. Fresh cut bait such as bunker is out producing live bait lately for chummers.
Flounder action is remaining steady this week. Although anglers are still working for their limits, plenty of keepers with scattered doormats are available in the usual flounder spots. According to the folks at Bayside Bait and Tackle, drifters are finding flatties weighing around 4 pounds along the edges of the Baltimore Channel on scented squid strips. Those dragging baits near the 1st and 3rd Islands of the Bridge Tunnel were also lucking into some decent fish last week. Fish are also coming from the Cell, Buoy 42, Back River Reef, and Oyster. According to the folks at Ocean’s East 2, the flatfish bite within the inlets slowed somewhat. The biggest fish are falling for live bait around the structure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where several fish pushing to 9 and 10 pounds were boated over the last few days.
The Spanish mackerel bite from Cape Henry to False Cape is very good lately, with boats filling their limits with nice fish ranging from 16 to 22 inches. Small gold and silver Clark spoons trolled at 6 to 8 knots with an inline sinker or small planer is enticing the best response. Tailor bluefish are also taking these lures in the same areas. One captain reported sightings of king mackerel along the ocean front recently. It’s only a matter of time until reports of catches roll in.
Spadefish action picked up some at the Chesapeake Light Tower and around the islands and the high rise area of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel last week. Folks are still fishing hard for limits of smallish fish, with a few nice fish scattered in the mix.
The sheepshead bite also improved in the lower Bay last week. Although tricky, anglers are finding cooperative fish pushing to over 14 pounds. Pier anglers fishing from the Seagull Fishing Pier are also pulling in sheepshead using fiddler crabs. If you happen to catch a tautog while fishing these same areas, you are in luck since the season reopened last week.
Scattered black drum hook-ups are coming from all four islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. These fish require extra time while reviving them in order to increase their survival rate. According to the folks at Chris’ Bait and Tackle, plenty of red drum are still taking baits along the Eastern Shore shoals, especially on the Nine Foot Shoals, and off Fisherman’s Island. Many reds are taking the fresh bait intended for cobia. Schooling reds near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel can provide great top water action.
Small croaker are hitting in the Thimble Shoals Channel, near the 1st island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Larger croaker weighing 1 to 1.5 pounds are lurking around the James River Bridge, and the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. Spot ranging around 6 to 8 inches have also shown within Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets.
Amberjack are enticing a few anglers to make the long run to the Southern Towers lately, where a few big fish will gladly test your back. Deep droppers are still going strong with catches of tilefish, wreckfish, grouper, and rosefish. Several citation blueline tilefish pushing up to 15 pounds and snowy grouper pushing to 50 pounds came from private boats trying their luck offshore last week.
Offshore Virginia is heating up. Although yellowfin tuna are scarce, a few bluefin tuna are available, with most fish ranging in the 90-pound class or smaller. Billfish are also showing, with several reports of blue marlin hook-ups. Good numbers of gaffers are also available, and mako sharks are still a good bet.
Outer Banks, NC
Offshore fishing out of Oregon Inlet continues to have very good action with most boats catching their limits of dolphin. Yellowfin, blackfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna were being caught in lesser numbers, as well as wahoo, king mackerel, bonito and amberjack. Billfishing has been good, with blue marlin and a few white marlin and sailfish in the mix. Deep-bottom dropping produced vermillion and red snapper, snowy and yellow-edge grouper, and black sea bass last week. Striped bass can be found eight miles offshore. Those fishing the artificial reefs have been catching tautog, triggerfish, black drum, and sheepshead. People fishing near shore and from the beaches and piers have been catching bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sea mullet, spot, croaker, pompano, and flounder. Fishing in the inlets and sounds has produced numerous flounder with a keeper to throw back ratio of 1 to 4. Speckled trout fishing has fallen into the summer routine of early morning and late evening bites around the bridges in the Sound. Croaker and spot could be found in the channels and deeper holes last week.
Surf fishing south of Oregon Inlet produced good flounder action around the jetties, Ramp 49, and Ramp 55. Pompano and bluefish were caught near Avon.
Offshore fishing out of Hatteras has seen dolphin dominating the catches. The sailfish bite was pretty good during the beginning last week, and Spanish mackerel and bluefish were in the nearshore and sound waters.
