Article by Julie Ball
As summer presses on, many favorite species are available within Mid-Atlantic waters. Flounder continue to please this week with plenty of decent-sized flatfish filling coolers. Trophy-sized doormats are common lately, with plenty of big fish coming from the 3rd and 4th Islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Live bait and jigs donned with plastics or stripped bait are working well for anglers working structure. Drifters are also finding good luck with keepers and doormats scattered along lower Bay channels, deep water drop-offs, and near Buoys 36A, 42 and the Cell. Both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlet are also still providing some good catches of keepers.
The rest of the inshore scene is mostly dominated by cobia and red drum. Cobia are making a strong showing for both chummers and top water casters, with several fish pushing over 60-pounds hitting the docks last week. Many cobia are beginning their late summer trend of favoring buoys and bridge pilings, and cruising on the surface in lower Bay waters and off the oceanfront. Pods of multiple fish are also becoming more abundant. As for chumming, this messy technique continues to be very effective this year.
Red drum are making an incredible showing this year all over the lower Bay and along the Virginia Beach shorelines. These fish are providing endless casting action for anglers seeking out the huge roaming schools. The fish are so plentiful right now that many anglers are hooking bull reds as a by-catch while fishing for other species such as flounder and croaker. Sightings of fleeting schools of Jack Crevelle continue to surface as these fish prepare to settle on nearshore structures for the remainder of the season.
Croaker are everywhere from the HRBT to the CBBT. The bite out of Oyster continues to yield coolers full of nice hardheads from the deeper part of the channel. Medium sized spot are still hitting near Ocean View, off the Concrete Ships and from Lynnhaven, Rudee and Little Creek Inlets. Scattered puppy drum and speckled trout encounters also occurred in Lynnhaven and Rudee last week, with nicer specks responding on the Poquoson Flats, Back River, the Bayside and seaside creeks on the Eastern Shore and the Elizabeth River.
Sheepshead are still a sure thing along the Bay Bridge Tunnel structure, with more fish beginning to respond over the tubes. Smaller spadefish are still available along the Bridge tunnel and around the islands, but most folks are not interested. Triggerfish are hitting in these same areas, with some pushing to over 3-pounds. Spades, triggers and tautog are also feeding on inshore and nearshore wrecks, along with some keeper seabass.
Trollers are finding lots of accommodating Spanish mackerel off the oceanfront, from Cape Henry to Sandbridge. Small gold and silver spoons are the best lures for these fish. Captain David Warren, skipper of the “Sea Witch” out of The Fishing Center, reports that a recent inshore trip produced over 40 nice Spanish mackerel weighing up to around 3.5-pounds. Plenty of greedy sharks along Virginia’s coastal waters are providing some interesting catches, although most are too small to keep. Be sure to review the regulations before targeting sharks. A few boats out of Rudee Inlet had a surprise catch of mahi while trolling inshore of the Chesapeake Light Tower recently.
Tarpon sightings and hook-ups on the Eastern Shore are always hush-hush, but scattered releases and a barrage of sightings are keeping a handful of anglers interested. A silver king landing from Virginia waters is a rarity, with few members belonging to that select club.
Deep dropping action is still good. Boats running out to investigate the Canyon edges are still scoring with big blueline tilefish, grouper, blackbellied rosefish and nice seabass. Amberjack are available on several wrecks and the around the southern towers. Plan an early morning trip to avoid the heat and be prepared for fish holding very tight to the tower legs lately.
Bluewater anglers are experiencing scattered billfish action lately, but hopefully this will pick back up over the next few weeks. Most catches are coming from around the 450-line in around 50 to 100 fathoms of water. The tuna bite is something to be desired right now, but nice gaffer dolphin and a few wahoo and mako sharks are available to take up the slack. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to www.drjball.com..
