Article by Julie Ball
Most anglers are still chasing cobia, with good numbers of fish responding to a variety of techniques last week. Sightcasters are content with the quantity of decent fish, with both live bait and lures working for most anglers lately. Chummers are also having good luck with some nicer fish. The Inner Middle Grounds and Latimer Shoal are providing good results with some larger fish on live croaker, eels and cut bait. Big schools of red drum continue to meander around the Eastern side of the Bay and near the Bay Bridge Tunnel, offering good action for sightcasters searching for cobia.
Flounder action exploded last week, with limits of keeper flatfish thrilling anglers everywhere. Drifters are scoring with nice flatties along the lower Bay channels and off Ocean View using strip baits and gudgeons. Those jigging along the Bay Bridge Tunnel and other lower Bay structures are finding larger flatfish on average, with many ranging over 5 lbs. last week. Live spot is working well near structure, while 2 oz. jig heads adorned with plastics are a good choice for jigging around the piling bases and along the tubes. Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets are also giving up some good catches of keeper flatfish recently. Those venturing further out to nearshore wrecks and around the Tower reef are also finding good numbers of nice fish ranging to around 23-inches.
The appearance of respectable spadefish this season is generating more interest in the species than in recent years. These fish are schooling in the usual spots around the Chesapeake Light Tower, inshore wrecks and the CBBT, with many fish pushing to around 8 lbs. The CBBT structure is also providing some decent catches of large sheepshead, where clams and fiddlers are working well. Big triggerfish are also biting in the same areas.
The Spanish mackerel scene is on a roll right now, with plenty of nice fish available for boats trolling the lower Bay, the CBBT and the oceanfront shorelines. Limits of fish ranging up to 22-inches are delighting inshore trollers, with plenty of tailor bluefish mixed in. The largest fish came from off Cape Henry last week.
Some spot showed up inside Rudee Inlet and speckled trout are also still a good possibility. Croaker are an easy target throughout the lower Bay, with some fish pushing to over a pound near the Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Cell and the Concrete Ships. Smaller hardheads are hitting in Oyster, but the larger fish should debut any day. Tarpon are making a stealthy showing in the backwaters of Oyster, where sightings have been verified, but no word of any hook-ups yet. Nice sea mullet are hitting in the southern small boat channel at the CBBT, and within the inlet to Magothy Bay.
Amberjack are a good bet at the southern towers and some offshore wrecks such as the Triangles, Ricks and Hanks. Deep droppers are still finding nice blueline and golden tilefish, wreckfish and blackbellied rosefish. Some nice sea bass are available on the nearshore wrecks as well as structures to around 30-miles out. Sea bass are also scattered among the schools of blueline tilefish in deeper water.
Offshore patterns are scattered lately, but can be very good once the bite is pinned. Some nice yellowfin tuna are still rewarding boats putting in their time, along with a chance at bigeye tuna. Good catches of bailer and gaffer mahi are around, along with an occasional shot at a billfish.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to drjball.com.
