Article by Julie Ball
Wind, wind and more wind is keeping most anglers inshore. The fishing action will wane a bit until after the blow. But when anglers can finally get out, the variety is great. The fall heavy hitters such as spot, speckled trout and puppy drum are already off to a good start. Anglers are also imparting farewells to exiting summer favorites such as flounder, cobia and red drum as they stage to head out.
Cobia are on the move as they prepare to head south, igniting outstanding top water action. Before the latest blow, boats were hooking up to as many as a dozen fish per day. The best catches are coming from casting live bait and jigs to large pods swimming on the surface and pairs circling buoys in the lower Bay. Many of these fish are ranging in the 50 to 70 lb. class. Bay pier anglers are also getting in on the great top water scene, with several cobia landed off the Buckroe Fishing Pier recently.
Droves of decent spot are showing up along lower Bay shorelines, rivers and inlets. Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets are good bets for respectable spot action on a moving tide with bloodworms and Fishbites.
Horse croaker, ranging to 2 lbs., have moved into lower Bay waters. The bigger hardheads are lurking in deeper areas around the lower bay channels, inlets and the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Big hardheads are also thrilling anglers at the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, the Ocean View Fishing Pier, the Concrete Ships off Kiptopeke and just outside Lynnhaven inlet near the channel.
Flounder action was decent during a brief break in the winds earlier last week. Anglers working areas near the second, third and fourth islands of the CBBT with live bait found limits of keeper fish, with live mullet proving more effective than small spot recently. Drifting the Thimble Shoal and Baltimore Channels are also good places to try. Flatties in the 22 to 24-inch range are available within Lynnhaven in about 20 feet of water. The offshore wreck flatfish action is a good alternative. Strip baits bounced over the structure works well for wreck flounder. Expect nice sea bass as a by-catch on most of the same wrecks.
Sheepshead are still taking late season offerings along the entire span of the CBBT. A few tog and hoards of hungry trigger fish are in the same vicinity. Spadefish ranging around 3 to 4 lbs. are still active around the 3rd and 4th Islands.
King mackerel have been scarce this year, and the long-lived northeasterly winds have yet to prove useful on this development. Spanish mackerel are zipping through tide rips near the Bridge Tunnel, along Cape Henry, and along the buoy lines at the mouth of the Bay, where 20-inch fish are the average size lately. Schools of false albacore are moving in close to the beach, which can prove sporting on light tackle.
Fall speckled trout are starting to be present on the Poquoson flats, in Hungar’s Creek, and Back River. This action will only improve as the waters cool. If puppy drum is your passion, casting jigs or offering fresh bait within Lynnhaven or Rudee will not disappoint. According to the folks at Ocean’s East 2, kayakers are scoring with “Strike King Redfish Magic Spinners”, which are flying off the shelves right now. The Elizabeth River is also producing big pups lately, with reports of several fish pushing to over 30-inches falling to Mirrolures.
Big red drum will continue to delight anglers on the lower bay shoals and the CBBT, while surf and pier casters are especially interested in the prospect. Pier anglers are still eagerly awaiting the traditional run of bull reds off the Little Island Fishing Pier. This should happen any day now. Tarpon experts feel that with the quickly dropping water temperatures, the already sparse tarpon season is now history.
Big amberjack are still swarming around offshore wrecks, the South Tower, and the Chesapeake Light Tower. Jack Cravelle could be a nice consolation prize. Deep dropping for blueline and golden tilefish is still a good choice once boats can find a weather window.
Offshore billfish action was very good before the latest winds set in. The selection has shifted from sailfish to mostly white marlin recently, with the best action still centering around the triple 0’s in 50 to 100 fathoms. Dolphin action is good, with fish many ranging up to gaffer size. A few yellowfin tuna are also in the mix lately.
Dr. Julie Ball is the I.G.F.A. Representative for Virginia Beach, VA. You can find Dr. Julie’s reports at www.drjball.com.
