You troll and troll and nothing happens. You sit back and relax, maybe light a cigar or pop open a beer. Then, suddenly, “It’s fish on!”
Not one, not two, not three, but four rods go down. It’s bluefish and some nice ones. Veteran angler, Dr. Ken Neill, had that experience this week while trolling in the lower Bay. Blues were all over the water. This has been an unusually good year for bluefish. Boats are not catching those 15 to 20 pounders of yesteryear, but there’s nothing wrong with a 5-pounder. They’re fun to catch and good to eat if you don’t freeze them.
Flounder fishing is hitting its peak. Large fish over 24-inches are being caught. Finger mullet is a choice bait along with live spot.
Sheepshead and tautog are biting well at the CBBT. The recommended baits include blue crab, clams, fiddler crabs, mussels, barnacles, and shrimp. Hiding the hook in the bait as much as possible is crucial, as sheepshead are particularly wary of anything unnatural.
Spanish mackerel are all along the oceanfront and going after Clark or Drone spoons behind a planer, inline trolling sinker or a surface bird. Off the pier, Gotcha Rigs are the best lure options. These lures are most productive with heavy and fast movements to attract the fast-swimming mackerel.
Spadefish are biting at the Chesapeake Light Tower with clam as the bait of choice.
The lower bay and ocean front are both giving up big red drum and cobia. The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier has reported catches of roundhead, blues at the end of the pier, and flounder in the surf zone. Surf anglers at Virginia Beach are finding drum, sea mullet, bluefish, some pompano and sharks. Popular baits include cut bait, squid, shrimp, and sand fleas and live bait such as menhaden, spot, and eels.
Speckled trout action has slowed due to recent heavy rains. But should pick up soon.
Tarpon have made their usual appearance on the Eastern Shore in the barrier islands’ backwaters. Fresh bait is key for Tarpon fishing, with cut spot, croaker, mullet, or menhaden catching the lion’s share of Tarpon. Live bait also works well, and anglers can often catch some right at the Tarpon hole with a two-hook bottom rig baited with bloodworm.
Offshore anglers are coming back with mahi, wahoo, tuna, and tilefish. There has been some outstanding white marlin action to our North. Many plan to fish in the Ocean City White Marlin Open this year, but the hurricane could be a problem.
OBX
It’s been raining in buckets at Nags Head, but the downpours stopped long enough on Tuesday that surf fishermen were able to beach lots of croakers and sea mullet, both of which don’t mind a little dirty water.
The past few days for the Oregon Inlet fleet were great. Before Debbie hit, the offshore captains caught mahi, yellow and blackfin tuna, wahoo, and released blue marlin.
Nearshore boats have been cleaning up on ribbon fish along with drum, blue fish, and Spanish mackerel. The inshore trout bite has been good, along with catches of blues and puppy drum. Some big red drum have been running through as well.
Freshwater
Some much needed rain will help fill the desperately low rivers and the smallmouth bite should be on starting next week. Rain will also cool down the major lakes and trigger the bass, striper, and crappie bite in the coming weeks.
