By TH Spangler /Connie Barbour
September is just around the corner. And that means peak fishing in Virginia.
The offshore waters are filling up with white marlin. The whites school off the Virginia coast until the first good autumn blow, or until a tropical storm stirs the cooler water to the surface, and off they go. But until then, the fishing will be outstanding. On many days, charter boat outriggers will look like laundry lines as they return to port.
Our local offshore tournaments are currently underway. After some brutal offshore 20-30 knot winds at the canyons, things improved Friday for the Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament. A total of 167 billfish were recorded Friday. The Katherine Anne boated a 440-pound blue marlin. Saturday is the final day. We’ll list the results next report.
Inshore, spot are becoming numerous throughout the bay and its tributaries. Spot fishing for the big yellow bellies should peak mid September. Small to medium croakers are available all over the bay.
The spadefish bite is slowing while the sheepshead bite picks up.
Spanish mackerel and small bluefish are plentiful along tiderips and along the oceanfront. There are also a few kings around. Paul McCallum picked up a nice 47-pound king while chumming off Sandbridge.
Cobia and big red drum action continues and should peak in September. Some doormat flounder are being caught; the larger flounder seem to be coming from ocean structure. Tarpon are still inside Eastern Shore seaside inlets.
Outer Banks
Wednesday was another beautiful day and extremely hot. From Ramps 38 to 49, sea mullet and bluefish were reported along with some Spanish in Avon and Buxton, and pompano in Frisco. North of Oregon Inlet, sea mullet, bluefish and large pompano were beached in South Nags Head. Pompano are biting well when the water is warm and clear. They will feed anytime of the day on shrimp and sand fleas. Often pompano are caught just off a few feet of the drop-off, close to the beach where they are waiting for the sand fleas to be swept into their mouths by receding waves. Pompano are like spadefish, they like small pieces of bait because they have small mouths.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported a few stripers and croakers.
Pier Fishing: Avalon: Bluefish early, then pinfish and croakers.
Jennette’s: Bluefish and lizardfish.
Outer Banks: Bluefish and sea mullet.
Inshore/nearshore: Nearshore fishing continues to be good with anglers decking bluefish, Spanish albacore and cobia.
Offshore: There were just a few boats out on Wednesday, catching Mahi-mahi.
Hatteras
Wednesday was another beautiful day on Hatteras Island. Temperatures were in the 90’s with little wind. Good fishing made anglers quite happy! Inshore anglers fished the Pamlico Sound and returned with good catches of bluefish and Spanish mackerel. There was good red drum action that afternoon. It was a great day to be in the water and several groups enjoyed clamming. It was also a beautiful day offshore. Fishing improved with good catches of Wahoo, along with some blackfin tuna. Mahi fishing was fair. Bottom fishing produced triggerfish, vermillion snapper, grouper and tilefish. One blue marlin was released.
Potomac River Report
Capt. Steve Chaconas says find clear water, grass, and hard cover and you’ll catch yourself lots of Potomac River bass.
Fish are grouped up in what’s left of the grass beds. The hydrilla beds are fishable. The water is falling into the mid 70s.
With morning high tides, fish pads and marshes with jigs and Texas rigged Mizmo tubes. Rising tides into pads and marsh clumps put fish in these areas. They will stick around for an hour of so as the tide falls. Peg weights on Texas rigs. Jack’s Juice Bait Spray encourages fish to hold on longer.
After tides start to drop, toss an array of moving lures. Mann’s Baby 1-Minus is a go-to. Use 12-pound test Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon line and mix up presentations. In clearest water, speed up. Otherwise, steady retrieves with pauses, snaps and pulls will get fish to bite. Throw around grass and wood, including docks. In early morning fish are more likely to chase. Next try bladed jigs. In clear water, shad patterns work. Use 14-pound Edge Fluorocarbon line. Next, go to green pumpkin flavors. Use a sharpie to paint blades black. Same goes for the black/blue patterns. Trailers should match or contrast. Slowly swim and snap free from grass. Vary depths to find fish, generally deeper as the sun comes up. Try lift and drop presentations and allow baits to suspend at times.
Lake Orange
Contributed by Darrell Kennedy of Angler’s Landing (540.672 3997). The water temperature is in the mid 80s and the lake is stained. Fish are on the move away from their summer patterns. Bass are schooling up on baitfish, mainly at the upper end of the lake. Bass are drawn to topwater action in the morning while crankbaits are catching some nice fish during midday. Crappie are being caught on small minnows and jigs around the fishing pier and on deep brush. Some nice walleye have been caught on nightcrawlers and minnows near the outside of grass beds in the upper end of the lake. Catfishing has been excellent throughout the lake with chicken livers and live bait being most productive.
The Big Lakes
Smith Mountain, Lake Anna, Buggs and Gaston will all be zoos on this, the last weekend of summer. Fish early, fish late or watch football games
The Rivers
The New, James and Shenandoah rivers are all at excellent levels and have cleared for the most part. Smallmouth are looking for topwaters, so don’t disappoint them.