Article by VMRC - Saltwater Review
Chincoteague
Donna at Captain Bob’s reports that flounder fishing slowed somewhat last week. Hot spots for keepers include the Chincoteague Channel from Captain Bob’s to Buoy 35. There were also reports of 5-foot bull sharks in the Chincoteague Channel and on the beaches. Croaker have not shown up in the back bay waters yet, but anglers found success with kingfish, a few croaker, and spot near Buoys 14 to 10.
From the surf, anglers caught spot, croaker, and kingfish.
Offshore waters are HOT with bluefin tuna from north of the Parking Lot to 26-Mile Hill (around 70 to 90 feet). Yellowfin tuna were also found further out (near the Washington Canyon). Mahi-mahi are around as well. Wreck fishermen reported mahi mahi in the upper waters and cod in the cool water on the bottom. Spadefish, black sea bass, and tautog were hooked at the wrecks.
Wachapreague
A large bluefin tuna (53 pounds) was weighed in at Captain Zed’s last week, along with several dolphin. The largest dolphin were around 21 pounds.
Cape Charles
The staff at Chris’ Bait and Tackle reported anglers catching croaker around Oyster and at the Concrete Ships offshore of Kiptopeke State Park. Flounder were caught north of the Cell, and a few keepers were brought in from the Kiptopeke Pier. The cobia bite has slacked in the past week, along with the red drum action. Tarpon have been sighted, but no catches have been reported yet. Other local catches include bluefish and sea mullet. The bluefish were lurking around the piers at night, and the sea mullet were found near the Cabbage Patch and the Little Bridge (between Fishermen’s Island and the Eastern Shore Peninsula).
Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel
Anglers were catching flounder in the waters near Cobb’s Marina last week.
Staff at Sunset Marina reported large flounder catches (over 22 inches in length) from the 3rd island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
At Salt Pond’s Marina, several flounder citations were reported. The largest was 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and 27 inches, caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Kathy, at Wallace’s Bait and Tackle, reported that a few cobia were weighed in last week, but overall, the last week has been a bit slower than the preceding weeks. Flounder have shown up in the catches, with numerous reports of spot and croaker. Local anglers are still waiting for the spadefish bite to really begin (initial catches have been small fish).
Virginia Beach
Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA International Representative for Virginia Beach, contributed the following:
It is difficult to decide what to fish for right now since so much is available. Inshore, the summer flounder scene is still worth the effort. Folks are catching fish, but finding keepers is more difficult lately. The best results are still coming from live bait offerings and jigs tipped with strip bait near the high rise section of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and the usual haunts near the 3rd and 4th islands. Drifters are faring a little better near the Cell, Buoy 42, and Back River Reef, but the inlets are tougher this week. The folks at Ocean’s East 2 report that the best bite is coming an hour before high tide lately.
Sheepshead are faring well, with most of these structure-oriented fish coming from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel proper, but many of these fish are on the smaller side. Clams and fiddler crabs are working well. A few sheepshead hovering around the 9-pound mark were landed this week at the Seagull Fishing Pier at the 1st island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Tautog are also available in these same areas, along with lots of aggressive triggerfish. Many anglers are also finding puppy drum (juvenile red drum) over 30 inches around the islands of the Bridge Tunnel lately.
Cobia are still around in lower Bay waters, but more fish are hanging around the Ocean Front and the mouth of the Bay this week. Chummers are finding decent action on the Latimer and the Nine-Foot Shoal areas. Folks are also hooking red drum in these same areas, as well as off Fisherman’s Island. Black drum are continuing to offer results to casters targeting these massive fish around all four islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, but this bite has slowed.
Croaker are biting around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Hampton Bar, and the Cell. The croaker bite out of Oyster was picking up, but it slowed this week. Nice spot finally made a showing in local waters. These popular fish are hitting well off lower Bay piers, the oceanfront piers, the Small Boat Channel near the 1st island, as well as Rudee Inlet.
The Spanish mackerel scene is hit and miss right now off Cape Henry down to Rudee Inlet, but many of the fish are nice-sized. Reports are still trickling in of king mackerel sightings, but no landed fish are reported as of yet.
Virginia tarpon made another showing this week on the Eastern Shore, with reports indicating that several fish were jumped off and a few released.
Deep droppers are still pulling in tilefish, rosefish, and grouper, along with a smattering of sea bass and hake. Amberjack are ready for action on the local wrecks and at the South Tower. Jigs and live bait work well for these powerful fighters.
Offshore, the bite is still good. A few large yellowfin tuna, weighing up to 70 pounds, are now showing up at the docks, but the main catch is still revolving around bluefin tuna ranging close to 100 pounds. Most boats are also encountering big gaffer dolphin, king mackerel, as well as some wahoo. Action is scattered from the Norfolk Canyon to the Cigar in anywhere from 100 to 500 fathoms. A few billfish are also available.
Outer Banks, NC
Offshore fishing out of Nags Head continues to see the best action with dolphin; almost half of the trips returned with their limits last week. Tuna catches were fair with yellowfin, blackfin, bigeye and skipjack tunas all being caught. King mackerel, wahoo and bonito were all caught in lesser amounts. Billfishing continued to see some success (blue marlin with a few white marlin and sailfish as well). Deep droppers were catching snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, blueline tilefish, and vermillion snapper (aka beeliners). Striped bass and red drum could be found eight miles offshore. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel were along the waterfront and available to boats, surf, and pier fishermen. In addition, spot, croaker, pompano and rays were in the suds. Inside the inlets, the flounder bite was going strong with a keeper ratio of one to one. Speckled trout could be caught early in the morning and late in the evening in Roanoke Sound.
South of Oregon Inlet, a stalled front has made fishing on the beaches pretty interesting over the past few days, and if you didn’t mind being a lightening rod, then you saw pretty good success. Spanish mackerel were biting in the evening with two to three pounders not uncommon. Bluefish and sea mullet were biting in the Avon area. Two king mackerel were also caught on the Avon Pier Tuesday. Ramp 55 saw some flounder and sea mullet catches.
Offshore fishing out of Hatteras Inlet has been impacted by the severe weather for the last couple of days, but earlier in the week, the dolphin bite was going strong, and billfishing was not disappointing either, as all three species of billfish were available for the taking. Inshore action was good for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and flounder.
