Article by Julie Ball
The good weather over the long Memorial Day weekend allowed anglers to make the most of the early summer fishing opportunities. Both the inshore and offshore fishing scenes afforded plenty of action with a variety of fish.
Much of the attention is now aimed towards the recent cobia development. True to form, these beasts are quietly gliding into local and Bay waters, where many of the largest fish will stop off in the lower Bay rivers to spawn. Although still skittish, a few nice fish ranging to over 50 lbs. are beginning to take baits from sightcasters along the pilings of the CBBT, and in open waters along the Baltimore and Thimble Shoal Channels. Cut bait and live bait presented by chummers is also working for some boats, with the best action coming from the Buckroe area off of Hampton, the Nine-foot Shoals and the Middle Grounds area.
Red drum action resurged this past week along the Eastern Shore area. Some boats are releasing dozens of big bull reds from the Nine-foot Shoals, Fisherman’s Island Inlet, and near Nautilus Shoal. Peelers and blue crabs are working during any time of the day. A few smaller black drum are still taking clam offerings near Buoys 10, 13 and 16 off the Eastern Shore, but most of the larger fish are migrating into deeper waters within the Bay.
The flounder action had a boost last week, but with the remnants of the tropical storm dumping over 2-inches of rain and stirring up the water again, this positive trend could be compromised. Some of the best flatfish action is occurring around Buoys 42 and 36A, around the 1st and 2nd islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel and along the southern shorelines of the Bay. Most fish are nice, with several fish pushing to over 7 lbs. recently. Action within the seaside inlets on the Eastern Shore is still good, while Lynnhaven Inlet also had an upswing in flounder activity last week. Many of these fish are ranging from 19 to 22-inches, and are taking drifted baits within the Basin area and near the Lesner Bridge.
The Fishing Center reports that tailor and snapper blue fish are still available along the oceanfront and within the local inlets, and a few speckled trout, croaker and flounder are still coming from within Rudee Inlet.
Another summertime favorite, Spanish mackerel, are beginning to respond for trollers along the oceanfront. The folks at Ocean’s East 2 convey that big hardheads ranging to around 1.5 lbs. were active near Willoughby and the Hampton Bar areas last week.
Spadefish are moving into local waters where they are beginning to set-up around the Chesapeake Light Tower, the CBBT and other inshore and Bay structures. Spades averaging from around 4 to 7 lbs. are beginning to respond to clam offerings. Anglers are also finding a few responsive sheepshead pushing up to 12 lbs. while targeting spades around the Bridge Tunnel last week.
Although interest is waning with so many other species becoming available, striped bass are still biting very well around the 3rd and 4th Islands of the CBBT on topwater lures, especially in the evenings. Many of these fish are measuring up to 38 to 40-inches.
For those venturing a little further offshore, keeper-sized seabass are biting on many wrecks. The Triangle Wreck area is a popular seabass destination this time of year. Captain Steve Wray had a good trip to the Traingles recently, where he put his crew aboard the “Ocean Pearl” out of Lynnhaven on a limit of nice seabass. Further out, deep dropping is still a good choice. For those fishing on the bottom near the Norfolk Canyon, big tilefish, with a smattering of grouper, wreckfish, and black bellied rosefish are providing good results.
Good water is becoming more approachable offshore for the Virginia fleet, where good catches of dolphin and yellowfin tuna are happening near the Norfolk Canyon. Mako sharks, wahoo and billfish are also starting to show for blue water trollers.
For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
