Article by Julie Ball
Fall fishing is good when anglers can get out on the water, but intermittent blustery conditions are making it difficult. When the weather allows, most anglers are either targeting cobia and flounder, or heading offshore for the escalating billfish bite.
Inshore, big cobia are lingering on the pilings of the CBBT and the buoys near the mouth of the Bay. Large schools of cobia are also cruising on the surface as they gather to exit the area. Look for these fish staging along the oceanfront before they begin their journey south. Many cobia are exceeding 50-pounds, and can be caught with tossed jigs and live bait.
The flounder took another breather last week, but the action should heat back up when the waters clear. With northeast winds last week, anglers could drift for flatfish along the protected bayside Eastern Shore area with little effort. Mark at Chris’ Bait and Tackle reports that folks are finding a few keepers, with some fish pushing to over 9-pounds, while drifting off Kiptopeke. The offshore wreck flounder scene also slowed up recently, but plenty of keeper seabass and hungry triggerfish will oblige.
The red drum species thrives in turbulent, dirty water. Churned water paired with a northeasterly breeze can produce a blitz of red drum activity. The drum bite on the Eastern Shore shoals and in the surf along Fisherman’s Island is back on the rise. And with that said, the long awaited red drum run off the Little Island Fishing Pier could also happen this week.
Puppy drum are also on the loose within the shallows, inlets and creeks, as well as the surf off Dam Neck, Sandbridge, and the Eastern Shore Barrier islands. Anywhere within Lynnhaven River is a great place for pups right now. The folks at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle report that juvenile reds are favoring cut mullet.
Although no one is talking about it, escalating speckled trout catches are beginning to draw a quiet crowd. Good numbers of fish are coming from most of the usual haunts such as Hungar’s Creek, the Poquoson Flats, and Mobjack Bay. Look for this trend to continue to heat up over the next month.
Decent sized spot are pouring into the lower Bay and oceanfront areas. The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports that anglers are especially thrilled with the recent spot invasion inside Rudee Inlet. Folks are crowding along the jetties and bulkheads to get in on the two-at-a-time action, with bloodworms the bait of choice. Lynnhaven Inlet should also begin producing soon, but the spot action is nil for now. Ocean’s East 2 reports that the local piers are also great places to get in on the hot spot bite right now, with the night time hours the best lately. Horse croaker are still lurking around the HRBT and the CBBT, especially along the deeper channels.
Captain Jake Hiles, skipper of the “Matador”, reports that Spanish mackerel are chasing trolled spoons along Sandbridge and Dam Neck in about 20 to 25 feet of water. Schools of false albacore in these same areas will also hit spoons. King mackerel have been scarce so far this year, but smaller kings are hitting an occasional trolled bait or lure along the CB line, inshore wrecks, and out to the Chesapeake Light Tower. The king showing should improve into October.
Amberjack are still available on local wrecks, the Chesapeake Light Tower, and will remain on the southern towers through October. Catching a jack crevelle is also a possibility, but this action is hit or miss.
Deep droppers are having good luck near the Canyon edges lately. Captain Steve Wray aboard the “Ocean Pearl” guided his crew offshore for a limit of nice blueline tilefish and jumbo seabass. Bryan Werrick of Virginia Beach earned a state citation for his 10-pound, 13-ounce blueline tilefish he tricked with cut mackerel while fishing aboard “The Pearl”.
The recurring windy weather is also keeping many blue water anglers closer to shore, but the improving billfish bite awaits boats when they can negotiate a decent day. Good numbers of white marlin, with a few blue marlin in the mix are available from the 400 line to the triple 0’s area. Scattered larger class yellowfin are also surprising a few boats this week. Wahoo will continue to slam spreads for several more weeks, while gaffer dolphin are still a good backup.
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.
