Article by Julie Ball
The weather is warm and the fish are here, so it’s time to bait up and hit the water. The flounder scene finally picked up last week, so many anglers are anxious to try their luck.
Drifters found consistent catches of flatfish last week around the islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel, Buoy 36A, out of Oyster and along lower Bay channel edges. Strip baits paired with minnows or Berkley Gulps are the top bait choices. Captain Steve Wray, skipper of the “Ocean Pearl” out of Lynnhaven Inlet, put his crew on a mess of nice flounder, ranging up to around 8-pounds while drifting near the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Islands last week.
Anglers working lower Bay structures in deeper water with live bait or jigging are enticing the most doormats. Several flatfish weighing over 7-pounds were fooled by anglers targeting these areas. Eugene Kessler of Virginia Beach found some exceptional takers using live spot along the pilings near the 4th Island. Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets are also still giving up above average numbers of keeper flatfish, especially on an outgoing tide.
Cobia are showing a little more activity, but the best is still yet to come. Both chummers and sightcasters are picking up a few takers, with most weighing in the 40 to 50-pound range. Most boats using the chumming technique are sitting near the Buckroe area off Hampton. Sightcasters are having the best success cruising the lower Bay areas. Some interesting reports are indicating a flurry of juvenile cobia catches coming from within Lynnhaven Inlet and Long Creek last week.
The drum bite is still good, as big reds continue to hit along the shoals and in the surf near Fisherman’s Island, as well as the Nine-foot Shoals and Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) area. Large schools of bull reds are still roaming off the coastline for those looking for good casting opportunities. The black drum action on the Eastern Shore has fizzled, shifting now to the islands of the CBBT, which is common for this time of year.
Spadefish are attracting attention as usual, but anglers are not getting a lot of bites. Spadefish are showing up on lower Bay structures, inshore wrecks and around the Chesapeake Light Tower. A few fish have been hooked, with most weighing around 4 to 5-pounds. A report of noisy maintenance on the Light Tower is creating a ruckus lately, and anglers are concerned this disturbance could dissuade the spade’s appetites. Divers who are spearfishing are also adding to the commotion around the Tower. Sheepshead sightings around lower Bay structures and the CBBT are motivating anglers, but this action is still a bit slow.
Rockfish are still available, but interest is fading. Live-baiting over the tubes and near the rocks of the CBBT artificial islands is working and some fish are still responding to topwater lures along the spines of the islands at first light.
Tailor and snapper bluefish and croaker are available all over the lower Bay, as well as inside Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets. The Fishing Center reports that Spanish mackerel are showing along the oceanfront, and sporadic catches are still occurring for trollers in the lower Bay. Speckled trout anglers are keeping quiet (imagine that), but several nice fish are coming from Mobjack Bay and the Poquoson Flats, where some fish are pushing to over 28-inches. An exceptional run of sea mullet all over the lower Bay area is keeping bottom bouncers and pier anglers happy, with many fish hitting almost a pound.
Deep dropping boats are finding good numbers of black-bellied rose fish and some nice blueline tilefish. Scattered golden tilefish, grouper and wreckfish are also in these same areas. Boats targeting sea bass are finding some nice fish on a few offshore wrecks, and as a bycatch while deep dropping.
Offshore, warm water continues to push within range for Virginia boaters where trollers are hooking into some nice yellowfin tuna and gaffer dolphin. A few mako sharks have also made it back to the docks and billfish sightings are on the rise, with a few bluefins encountered this week. Carolina waters are still yielding good yellowfin tuna catches, nice gaffer dolphin, scattered big eyes, and a rising number of billfish. 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.
