Sailfish, blue marlin, white marlin! Yep, they are off the coasts of Virginia and Carolina now and they’re biting. It’s perfect timing as the local tournament season is underway. Boats have been having multiple hook-ups with blue and white marlin. Mahi catches in Virginia are coming from inshore seamounts such as the “Hot Dog”. Wahoo are in the same area as well as tuna. Swordfish, too. Carolina offshore boats have been returning with lots of billfish releases, plus Mahi, Wahoo, yellowfin, blackfin and tilefish.
Deep dropping on the Rudee Head Boats remains good for blueline tilefish, black bellied rosefish and golden tilefish. There has been good amberjack action around the south tower.
Elsewhere in Virginia saltwater, the Rappahannock has been a hot spot for croakers and nice sized spot. Bloodworms, however, are in short supply. No one has them.
Spot, croakers, flounder, and bluefish are being caught from the Virginia piers.
There have been excellent catches of sheepshead throughout the lower Chesapeake Bay. The CBBT has been producing a lot of citation-sized fish this year. Spadefish reports are coming from the light tower lately. Spanish mackerel catches continue and should last into September. The cobia bite remains outstanding. Look for them around buoys. There have been big drum caught but this year’s bite hasn’t matched those of past years. The season runs through September.
Virginia rivers and inlets are holding some keeper flounder, puppy drum, trout, and spot. Look for large smoker kings to show up along the ocean front soon. One was caught recently near the CBBT.
OBX
The piers were rocking on Wednesday with good catches of black drum, pompano, sea mullet, spadefish, sheepshead, bluefish, Spanish and king mackerel. Surf fishermen scored with flounder, croaker, pompano, and sea mullet. Boats in the sound caught specks, bluefish, drum, flounder, and stripers. The nearshore fleet caught Spanish, ribbonfish, drum, and blues.
Freshwater
It’s clearly a summer pattern on all Virginia lakes. Some topwater action is available in the early hours, then the bass drop to deep points and structure. Some good evening catches are coming from Anna, while Anna stripers are going for live bait at first light. Buggs has been slower for bass, but nice crappie are coming from deeper structure. Lots of big blue cats are biting now at Buggs. The upper Rappahannock has been good for smallmouth and the Shenandoah continues to fish well. There are nowhere near the numbers of smallmouth being caught on the James when compared to past years. The Chickahominy Lake has been producing good catches of channel cats, pickerel, crappie, and bluegills.