Article by Julie Ball
The summer fishing scene continues to pick up momentum, but the northeasterly blow this weekend could slow things up a little. But once anglers are able to get back on the water, the summer trend should continue.
Cobia are still the big news. Exceptional numbers of early season fish, with many pushing to over 50-pounds, are contributing to an excellent introduction to the fishing season. Although some cobia sightcasting experts are complaining that the fish are somewhat finicky right now, plenty of encounters are providing ample opportunity to score with some nice fish. Boats using the chumming technique are also experiencing good results from the Buckroe area off Hampton, to the Inner Middle Grounds and the Nine-Foot Shoals closer to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Even local pier anglers are getting in on the action, with some smaller cobia landed this week.
The red drum bite is still good, as big reds continue to hit along the surf of the Eastern Shore barrier islands, and at Buoys 8 and 10 near Nautilus Shoal and the Nine-foot Shoal area. Blue crab is the best bait for bottom fishing for reds, while bunker and mullet also work well. Some anglers are also finding decent trolling and topwater action as schools of big red drum cruise off the oceanfront.
A few black drum are still taking clams near Buoy 13 and 16 off the Eastern Shore, but the size of these fish is somewhat smaller than weeks past.
The flounder bite continues to evolve, with more anglers reporting limits of bigger fish from various areas in lower Bay waters. A few flatfish are taking drifted minnows and cut bait near the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and anglers jigging and working live bait along the pilings and over the tubes of the Bridge Tunnel are also scoring with scattered fish, with the 1st and 2nd Islands the most productive lately. Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets are giving up average numbers of keepers, with many flatties pushing to around 21-inches this past week. The Cell, Willoughby, Buckroe and Buoy 36A areas are giving up some decent catches recently, while the Bayside and seaside areas of Oyster on the Eastern Shore are still producing the largest and best numbers for drifters, with a few doormats mixed in.
Good quantities of decent puppy drum continue to come mostly from within Lynnhaven Inlet, while Rudee Inlet and Mobjack Bay are also reporting some catches of pups.
The croaker bite remains typical for this time of the year, with plenty of medium-sized fish keeping bottom bouncers and pier anglers content. The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, Hampton Bar, the Monitor-Merrimac, the James River Bridge and Little Creek are providing good action on a range of sizes of hardheads. Some decent sea mullet are also biting off the oceanfront and lower Bay piers.
The sheepshead bite is still heating up, with some big fish coming from the CBBT proper lately. Spadefish are circling the Chesapeake Light Tower, as well as responding over several inshore wrecks on clams. Although interest is low, some striped bass are still biting around the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT on topwater lures in the evenings, but be sure to review the new regulations.
Deep droppers are finding a good variety of blueline tilefish, nice golden tilefish, some big grouper, blackbellied rosefish and big sea bass near the Norfolk Canyon. A few boats are still targeting wrecks for sea bass, but that attraction is faltering as more species become available to target.
Offshore, very good catches of yellowfin tuna, along with some nice bigeye tuna and larger and abundant mahi are contributing to a great kick-off of Virginia’s offshore season. Many boats are returning to the docks early with limits of fish, with most of the yellowfin tuna averaging around 40-pounds.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. representative for Virginia Beach, VA. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
