Article by VMRC - Saltwater Review
Chincoteague
Anglers have been enjoying good fishing in the area. Flounder have actually been caught from the surf lately, along with pinhead croaker, spot, small black sea bass, striped bass, and sharks. Inshore, flounder catches have been steadily picking up, while croaker and kingfish catches were decreasing. The Canal, Buoy 14, Buoy 19, the Southside of the Queen Sound Bridge, and the area in front of Capt. Bob’s Marina were just a few spots where keeper flounder have been caught.
Offshore, dolphin were abundant and a yellowfin tuna was brought from the Lumpy Bottom. The wrecks were hot with nice sized flounder.
Wachapreague
According to staff at Captain Zed’s, a red drum release citation (51 inches) was recorded last weekend from Buoy 42A. A citation-sized wahoo was also caught off of Wachapreague weighing over 37 pounds. Anglers continued to catch flounder, despite the slowing bite. Small croaker were also available, but few large ones have arrived.
Cape Charles
Flounder fishing has been good, according to staff at Chris’ Bait and Tackle, and recent croaker catches have yielded large fish as well. Last week, croaker were still biting well in Oyster and around Buoy 262.
Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel
Flounder, very close to citation size, were reported from Salt Pond’s Marina last week. Staff also mentioned that cobia and croaker have been caught, along with a few spot.
Kathy, at Wallace’s Bait and Tackle, reported that a few more cobia were weighed in last weekend. Last week’s citations included two red drum release citations (47 and 50.5 inches) and a 7-pound, 15-ounce flounder caught over the weekend. Cobia were spotted in good sized groupings around the buoys, and anglers caught flounder around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spot and croaker were reported from the Back River area, as well as some nice puppy drum (juvenile red drum).
Spot have started to show up in the York River and croaker fishing has been pretty good, according to staff at the York River Fishing Center. Numerous cobia were caught by sight-casters, and large flounder were scattered across the Bay. Medium-sized spot were biting at the Gloucester point pier.
Virginia Beach
Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA International Representative for Virginia Beach, contributed the following:
The Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer fun for many, but not if you are an angler on the Mid-Atlantic coast! This is a great time of year on the local fishing front. So, while keeping a watchful eye on hurricane Earl, anglers scrambled to get in some fishing before the weather hit. The fish seemed to cooperate with this plan.
Cobia action is still on fire as the fish gather in droves near the mouth of the Bay and nearby coastal waters. Anglers are also finding more fish crowding around bridge pilings and buoys. Huge schools of cobia are cruising in open water as they prepare to head south, readily taking baits from sight casters. Action is also heating up along the Virginia Beach ocean front as more fish head in that direction.
Flounder action is still very good right now, but rain and wind from Earl could shut this down. Flatfish continue to assemble along channel edges, shoals, and structure as they prepare to exit the Bay. Drifting along the channel edges and near the Bay Bridge Tunnel is generating keeper-sized fish, with a few doormats mixed in. Anglers targeting flatfish with live bait and jigs are finding some big fish along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with all four islands providing good action. Inshore and nearshore wrecks are also good places to try right now.
According to the folks at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, the flounder bite inside the inlets eased up recently.
Spot are already thrilling local anglers as they fill coolers from lower Bay fishing piers. One couple ran out of bloodworms after filling two coolers with keeper-sized spot while fishing from the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier last week. According to the folks at The Virginia Beach Fishing Center, spot are also coming from both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets. This action should only improve over the next few weeks. Big croaker are hitting in the backwaters of Oyster right now, with many hardheads ranging to nearly two pounds.
Large red drum are still roaming the lower Bay shoals, the Eastern Shore barrier islands, and the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where anglers are scoring with big fish on lures. Also look for red drum schooling off the ocean front. Puppy drum (juvenile red drum) are still around in local inlets, but the bite has slowed. Speckled trout are also showing promise, with some fish pushing over 9 pounds caught lately. The best places to try for specks are Lynnhaven, Rudee, and Little Creek Inlets, as well as the Poquoson flats and Hungar’s creek.
To sheepshead hunter’s delight, these fish are still going strong. Anglers are taking sheeps from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel structure on fiddler crabs and clam. Triggerfish are still staging in all the same locations, presenting an easy target. Some of these fish are over 3 pounds.
King mackerel have yet to take off, but a nice 36-pound smoker boated off Sandbridge last weekend is encouraging. September and October are good months for kings, so anglers are still hopeful. Spanish mackerel are still providing action within the Bay and along the ocean front. On the Eastern Shore, tarpon are still active, but this could end with the effects from Earl. Big amberjack continue to take baits and jigs at the Southern Towers, while both crevalle jack and amberjack are a possibility at the Chesapeake Light Tower.
Deep dropping is going well with nice blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, blackbellied rosefish, and big sea bass, but most folks are now focusing on the hot marlin bite. Most offshore boats are heading north towards the Washington Canyon, where several boats released dozens of white marlin last week. Scattered blue marlin and sailfish are also around. A good number of nice wahoo and some large gaffer dolphin also hit spreads last week. Swordfish will become a target as the waters cool.
Outer Banks, NC
Offshore fishing out of Oregon Inlet has been affected by the large swells generated by Hurricane Earl. However, after the storm passed and the seas subsided, there was generally nice weather following a hurricane. Earlier last week, tuna (yellowfin, blackfin, bigeye, and skipjack) were caught in good numbers. Dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel, and amberjack were caught with a little less regularity. Billfish catches were dominated by sailfish. King mackerel were working about eight miles offshore. Various snapper, grouper, blueline tilefish, and sea bass were caught by bottom fishermen in deeper waters.
Around the shallower-water artificial reefs sea bass, tautog, and sheepshead were hooked. Nearshore boats, pier fishermen, and surf anglers found bluefish, Spanish mackerel, spot, croaker, pompano and puffers. Inside water anglers were targeting speckled trout and flounder.
South of Oregon Inlet, the Park Service has closed many of the beaches limiting angler opportunities. It is difficult to predict when these beaches will be reopened. Early last week, bluefish were reported around the Point, and Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and puppy drum were spotted south of the Point.
Offshore fishing out of Hatteras Inlet produced good numbers of dolphin catches, as well as wahoo and blackfin tuna. Rough seas have kept a lot of boats tied up at the dock, but inshore fishermen have seen puppy drum, speckled trout, and flounder.
