Some nice flounder limits were brought in this week. Jigged buck tails are producing, but drifting with live bait has enticed the larger fish. The hot spots are along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and near the Cell. There are some keeper fish being caught inside local inlets as well. Captain Craig Paige, Paige II Charters landed some nice ones(see above pic) on his last trip.
Spanish mackerel catch numbers slowed a bit this week. But there are still some nice ones around. It’s been a great season, with many fish in the four to five-pound range.
King mackerel are making a nice showing along the coast. Kings to fifty pounds have been weighed lately.
The cobia bite is still red hot and should remain so into September. Large schools of red drum continue cruising in the lower bay.
Gray trout are making a good showing, hopefully signaling a comeback for the species. Look for larger fish in deep holes near the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and along channel edges. Most grays are in the four- to eight-pound range. The state record is 19 pounds and was caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in 1983 by Philip W. Halstead.
Spadefish catches are still good. Most catches are coming from around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Sheepshead are feeding on the pilings of the Bridge Tunnel. We are getting closer to our yellow-belly spot run. It usually occurs the end of August or during the first part of September. The big spot love blood worms.
Speckled trout are back in the inlets and on grass flats. Topwater action will pick up in September. Eastern Shore actions has been good recently.
Offshore anglers are finding dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin and a few sailfish. The big news from Rudee Inlet this week was that a pending Virginia State record swordfish was caught. The charter boat Rebel weighted a 466-pounder at the Virginia Beach fishing center.
Deep dropping for tilefish is productive, a 55-pound blueline was caught earlier this week. The Rudee Angler headboat makes regular tips. Give them a call to get in on the action.
OBX
Overall, surf fishing is slow. A few sea mullet and croakers were beached north of Avon and some Spanish and pompano were reported south of The Point.
Anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway are catching small puppy drum, flounder, trout and croakers.
The OBX pier report goes like this: Avalon: spot, sea mullet, bluefish, flounder. Nags Head: spot, mullet, trout, false albacore. Jennette’s: black sea bass, croaker, sea mullet, triggers, spot, bluefish and false albacore. Outer Banks: spot.
Inshore boats are catching Spanish and ribbonfish. Inshore sound side anglers are catching speckled trout.
The offshore fleet is catching plenty meat fish including dolphin, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna and wahoo. A few billfish are being caught and released daily.
