While demand for saltwater recreation is surging, the number of charter boats available for trips is diminishing – not because of labor shortages but because of a parts shortage for engines. As many homeowners are discovering, it is hard to get parts these days. Most come from China and that overseas highway is filled with potholes. So if you are thinking about an offshore or even a nearshore excursion, book early and hope for the best.
Water temps along the Virginia Beach oceanfront and in the lower Bay jumped to 75 degrees this week. With it came a nice Spanish mackerel bite. Spanish are all along the oceanfront and Spanish and spadefish are at the Chesapeake Light tower.
Red drum and cobia are scattered in the lower bay. The cobia capture season started June 15th. Sheepshead are being caught around the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. Flounder, puppy drum and small spot and croaker are in the inlets.
Anglers fishing live bait at night under the Lessner Bridge are catching stripers. Virginia Beach pier anglers are picking up spot, puppy drum, whiting, flounder, Spanish mackerel and cobia.
The piers along the lower Chesapeake Bay and mid-Atlantic oceanfront are good bets for whiting, croakers, puppy drum, and flounder.
Offshore, big-eye, yellowfin and bluefin tuna made a good showing off Virginia Beach this week. A few mahi were also landed.
Captain David Wright on the High Hopes picked up some nice big eye and tilefish. Aquaman Charters has been catching tuna and tilefish on offshore trips.
Rudee Tours is running up to 70 mile, 17-hour offshore trips in search of tilefish, black sea bass, blackbelly rosefish, and more. They run a variety of shorter trips inshore and offshore.
OBX
The OBX enjoyed beautiful weather on Wednesday with calm winds, plenty of sunshine and an absolutely great water temperature of 73 degrees.
Some nice drum were reported along with sea mullet and kingfish The piers are catching bluefish and Spanish. Charter boats had a good day, as well. Nearshore boats landed Spanish, bluefish, King mackerel, triggerfish, and amberjacks. Inside boats are catching trout and drum. The offshore action was good with quite a number of yellowfin hitting the deck – many running from 70- to 100-pounds. The big eye tuna weights stretched from 100- to 162-pounds. White and blue marlin were also caught and released. All in all, a great day for the fleet.
Freshwater
At Lake Orange, walleye fishing has been good throughout the lake for anglers using live bait. Catfishing has been strong for those using chicken livers. The bream have finished their spawn and are being caught on red wigglers. Bass are hitting both topwater baits and soft plastics. Crappie fishing has picked up for those using small minnows in 8 to 10 feet of water.
Stan Cobb at Greentop reports that three 19-pound bags were brought to the scales on a Sunday tournament at Lake Anna. Some bass were caught deep on brush, while others were caught shallow from docks and shoreline grass. Early morning striper fishing remains good at Anna for keeper-sized fish. Live bait is best. The Splits area has been especially good. Crappie are being caught along the bridges and on deeper brush piles with small minnows on slip float rigs as bait.
At Buggs Island, topwater, drop shots, shaky heads, and Texas rigs were among the most productive baits for bass. Crappie are being caught along the bridges and on deeper brush.
The rivers in central Virginia have been impacted by heavy rain, but the tidal sections have still been producing quality bass.
Both the Chickahominy River and Chickahominy Lake are good choices right now. The topwater frog bite is excellent, especially on the river. Other tidal rivers like the Rappahannock, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi are offering good Bass fishing now. The Rapp has been especially good. As with most tidal rivers, the Bass can be caught very shallow, since the current and tide are the biggest factors.
The upper James is slightly high and stained, but should be good for the upcoming weekend.