Dr. Julie Ball
Flounder action will remain steady though August, with nice fish being caught from all over the lower Bay waters. Live baiters are experiencing good results along the Bay Bridge Tunnel, especially near the tubes at the 1st, 3rd, and 4th islands. Jigging along the pilings and tubes near the islands is also productive. Keeper fish are being caught in both Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. Decent flatfish are also an option on inshore and offshore wrecks. Nice sea bass are also available on many of these same structures.
Cobia came on strong this year, making this summer one of the best cobia seasons seen in years. Large pods of fish are now cruising the surface as they prepare to exit bay waters. These fish – up to 60 pounds – are easy targets for sight casters in open water. While chumming is still an effective method, shark intrusions can make cobia hook-ups a challenge.
Red drum are making an impressive appearance, as schools continue to provide excellent casting action. Schools of bull reds are roaming the lower Bay near the 3rd and 4th islands. Puppy drum are also providing good action in the shallows, where pups pushing 30-inches were caught as a by-catch of speckled trout anglers this week. Speckled trout are becoming more active within the backwaters of the Eastern Shore and Lynnhaven Inlet.
Croakers are everywhere. The larger hardheads are coming from the deeper areas north of the 3rd island of the CBBT, around the MMBT, Back River Reef, and the Cell, with many fish pushing over a pound. Good numbers of croaker are available off Cape Henry and along the Baltimore Channel. Anglers fishing Oyster are still filling coolers from the backwaters. Spot are making a good showing in the area, with nice fish hitting bloodworms within Rudee, Lynnhaven, and Little Creek Inlets. Good sized sea mullet are also still available near the concrete ships and Fisherman’s Island Inlet.
Spanish mackerel action has been great this season, with very nice fish providing good action from the Middle Bay on out to Cape Henry.
Sheepshead are hitting along the Bay Bridge Tunnel structure, many fish over 10-pounds. Decent spadefish are available along the Bridge Tunnel and around the islands, with clams the preferred bait. Big triggerfish are also hitting in these same areas.
Amberjack are available on offshore wrecks and at the Southern Towers. Blueline tilefish, grouper, black-bellied rosefish, and nice sea bass are there for the taking.
Offshore, billfish action is heating up. More flags are flying as white marlin numbers increase. Those boats opting for the live-baiting technique, which has become a popular method for early season billfish, are most successful. A smattering of blue marlin, sailfish, and spearfish encounters are rounding things out. One boat scored with a 475-pound swordfish. Lots of dolphin are around, along with yellowfin tuna and wahoo.
Chincoteague
Bottom fishermen are finding a mixed bag of croakers, spot, sea bass, sea mullet and flounder at the mouth of the inlet. The flounder fishing is hot, with lots of small fish and a few keeper fish mixed in the catches. Fair numbers of sea bass remain available, but croakers still dominate the action. Schools of snapper blues and pan trout are found at Chincoteague Point. Assateague Island surfcasters are taking some bluefish and pan trout. Offshore anglers are finding Bluefin tuna, king mackerel, chopper bluefish and dolphin at the Parking Lot and Lumpy Bottom. Sand tiger sharks, dusky and black tip sharks are available at the 2TL buoy.
Nags Head
In the Sound, the speckled trout action has been on fire, says Capt. Reese Stecher of Beachbum Fishing (Beachbumfishing.com). Stecher’s parties are catching limits of specks on live bait. There are also some decent flounder and sea mullet available. The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway also reported keeper trout, nice size spot, small flounder and croakers.
Surf Fishing:
On Thursday, there were some Bluefish and bottom fish landed.
Pier Fishing:
Avalon: few Blues and a few Spadefish.
Nags Head: Some Blues from the end of the pier on gotcha’s.
Jennette’s: Bluefish, Flounder, Sand Perch and Sea Mullet.
Outer Banks: Mullet and Croaker.
Near Shore Report:
Despite the choppy water conditions the near-shore fleet had a good day catching Spanish, Albacore, Amberjacks, Triggers and Bluefish with several Red Drum releases.
Offshore Boats:
A variety of fish were tossed on the docks on Wednesday, including Yellowfin, some Blackfin, Trophy size Big-eye, citation Wahoo and Dolphin. There were also some White Marlin releases.
Hatteras Surf
Tuesday was a pretty day, but not much action. There were a few Sea Mullet beached. A couple anglers fished the Point and caught Rays and Sharks.
Wednesday was a little rainy. There were a few Spanish and Blue Fish caught on Shelly Island. Sheepshead were caught at The Jetties. The sound produced Puppy Drum, Trout and Sheepshead.
Hatteras Offshore
It was rainy Wednesday morning but a good number of boats headed offshore. While most of the boats caught Wahoo, others found schools of Dolphin. A few Blackfin Tuna finished off the checklist.
Boats fishing inshore had catches of keeper Red Drum and Speckled Trout
FRESHWATER
Lake Anna
The bass bite is good on plastics and grubs. The hotspots have been near the bridges and rip rap areas in 15-25 feet of water, and along the outside edges of willow grass beds on the upper end of the lake. Walleye fishing is good around the deep rocky points and in the Dike 3 area. Stripers are taking live shad, worked in 20-30 feet. Crappie are going for live minnows around Stubbs and Dillard’s Bridge, in depths to 15 feet.
Buggs Island
Striper fishing has been slow, but starting to pick up. The fish have moved near the dam and can be found from Buoy 2 to 4, with trolling still producing the better catches. Bass fishing is slow, with most fish deep. Crappie are taking small minnows fished around brush piles and bridges in 15-25 feet of water.
Smith Mountain
Some bass are taking Carolina-rigged plastic worms and deep diving crank baits, fished in 20-25 feet of water, while jigging with white bucktails is producing a few stripers. Trolling tactics with Red Eye and Sutton spoons are also accounting for some good catches of stripers. Crappie fishing is improving.
Lake Orange
Lake temperatures are in the mid 80s and the water is stained, Bass are being caught on soft plastics in the grass on the upper end of the lake and on brush piles in the lower end of the lake. Crappie are hitting small minnows and jigs fished in 10 to 15 foot depths. The fishing pier has produced some nice stringers as well. Catfish are being caught on livers and live bait mainly on the upper end
The Rivers
Excellent fishing continues on the New, James and Shenandoah rivers for smallmouth bass. Some muskies are chasing buzzbaits on the New and James. Catfishing has been excellent in the Scottsville area.
Potomac
Capt. Chaconas says the Potomac waters will cool, making fish a bit more active. Going over and into thick grass is where to fish.
Cover water with Lucky Craft G-Splash 80 poppers. These are a bit larger and can bring bass out of grass edges. Try shad patterns in clear water and dark patterns in slightly stained water. Use Gamma Torque 20 pound test braid. Also, running Mann’s Baby 1-Minus along edges will produce. Shad or Fire Tiger in clear and reds or craw patterns in stained water. Use 14-pound test Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon.
In all situations, swim the jigs over and through grass and allow dropping. Also look for matted grass to punch through with 60-pound braid and Tungsten weights. Look for mats clinging to dock pilings.
Chickahominy Lake
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Mickey Cleveland had 27 bluegills and 1 bass. Robert Jones had 35 bluegills, a white perch, a channel cat and one bass. Carolyn Conway had 7 bluegills, 3 shellcrackers and a yellow perch. Tom Porter landed 7 bluegills, 7 crappie, 1 roach minnow and 1 bass.