As summer draws to a close, the saltwater fishing scene in Virginia is heating up. Especially for flounder.
Flounder fishing has been excellent, with many fish exceeding the minimum size limit of 16.5 inches. The best areas to look for flounder are the coastal wrecks, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), and the lower bay shoals. Live bait, such as spot, croaker, or minnows, is the preferred choice for flounder. Even better flounder action is out in the ocean. The bite there is much more consistent.
The Spanish Mackerel bite continues. Some of the bigger fish are being caught along the oceanfront. Inside the bay, anglers are finding them along the spans of bridges, bars at the mouths of rivers, along the drops of shoals, etc. Inside some of the rivers, anglers are hooking up with puppy drum, spot, croaker, flounder, and trout. Sizable bluefish are being caught inside the bay, from the bridge tunnel to the Potomac and above. Sheepshead are being caught all over the bay, where ever there are rocks, pilings and rubble. Sheepshead prefer crabs either blue crabs or fiddlers. Cobia are still being caught in good numbers, by both sight casters, and bottom anglers. A small surge of Spadefish is being reported along the CBBT, but most agree, the numbers are not as high this year. Red and black brum are possibilities anywhere, but the CBBT has been the better. Speckled Trout anglers continue to have luck inside the inlets and creeks, where shallow grass is abundant. Spot will soon be starting to start school up soon. Late August and September are the best times for loads of spot. Bloodworms have always been best, but they can be difficult to obtain. This is peak Bluewater season along the mid-Atlantic. Crews are finding hungry marlin, dolphin, wahoo, and tuna.
OBX
Along the Nags Head and Hatteras, surf anglers are pulling in lots of sharks, many are Sandbar sharks. Croakers, mullet, spot small pompano and bluefish are also being caught by surf fishermen. A decent bite on the piers has included bluefish, blue runners, Spanish, pigfish, and bar jacks. Nearshore, it’s been amberjacks, false albacore, Spanish, and blues with some drum. The trout bite remains strong on the sound. Offshore boats are catching tuna, billfish, tilefish, mahi, and sea bass.