Article by Julie Ball
Summertime is well underway, and it seems as if most species finally got the word as catches escalated last week.
One of the top targeted species on the rise is cobia. Although the bite is not epic, catches jumped significantly last week. Both chummers and sightcasters are enjoying the latest surge in activity with reports of double-digit hook-ups of solid 30 to 40-pounders recently. A few nicer fish are also in the mix, but huge fish are still slow to make a showing.
With clearer water dominating the lower Bay lately, flounder action is finally picking up. At the Bay Bridge Tunnel, the 1st and 4th Islands are producing for drifters while those working the bridge structure with jigs and live bait are also finding good numbers of nice keepers. Many of these flatties are topping out at around 5 and 6-pounds. Anglers fishing in the Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are also having some good luck with some keeper flatfish, but the general size decreased last week.
The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports that the Spanish mackerel bite along the Virginia Beach oceanfront finally opened up last week. Captain Russ Kositnas put his crew aboard the “Top Notch” out of Rudee Inlet on a nice mess of Spanish mackerel ranging up to around 18-inches while trolling small spoons within 3-miles of the coastline.
Although red drum are mostly old news, they are still biting along Fisherman’s Island and the Nine Foot Shoal areas for boats setting up to bottomfish. Most red drum catches are now becoming incidental by-catches by anglers targeting cobia. Black drum hook-ups are coming from around the four artificial islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel, but remember that black drum require extra time while reviving these large fish in order to increase their survival rate.
Spadefish are still biting well at the Chesapeake Light Tower and nearshore wrecks, where fish are averaging around 4-pounds.
Sheepshead action is on the upswing, with several fish over 10-pounds boated from the CBBT complex recently. According to the folks at Ocean’s East 2, big triggerfish are also active in these same areas, with some triggers pushing to nearly 4-pounds.
Decent croaker are lurking around the James River Bridge, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel and off Ocean View, while some hardheads averaging around 1.5-pounds are coming from near the 2nd Island of the CBBT this week. Croaker are also up for grabs within Rudee Inlet, along with spot, nice puppy drum and some speckled trout.
Amberjack are biting for a few boats as they swing by the Southern Towers while searching for other offshore species. Deep droppers are still doing well, but the escalating offshore trolling scene is shifting interest to more bluewater species lately. For anglers still dropping bait to the bottom, some blueline and golden tilefish, wreckfish, grouper, rosefish, and nice sea bass are responding.
The offshore scene continues to hold good opportunities, but the stiff wind forecast for last weekend kept many boats closer to shore. Some yellowfin tuna are around, with a few brutes pushing to over 70-pounds thrilling crews. Captain Bill Richardson, skipper of the “Jubilee” out of The Virginia Beach Fishing Center, kept his crew content with a good catch of nice tuna last week, including 75-pound and 85-pound yellowfin tuna respectively boated by myself and LaDona Crutsinger. Catches of gaffer mahi improved some last week, with a few fish weighing in over 20-pounds. Scattered mako sharks are also making things interesting for anglers.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For information, go to www.drjball.com.
