A “Smoker” King Mackerel
The only problem now when fishing saltwater is deciding what to go after. Cobia, drum, Spanish macs, King macs, flounder, spadefish, sheepshead, togs, speckled trout, stripers, croakers, and spot – they are all biting and the next few days look even better with light winds, mild temperatures and clear skies.
We can start with king mackerel since that bite is just getting underway. The “King” encounters are picking up along the oceanfront, and several nice fish have been landed. Live menhaden, fished on a king rig is the preferred bait for trophy fish. But #4 drone spoons fished deep can also be effective.
Their smaller cousins, the Spanish mackerel, are also grabbing baits. Trolling Clark or Drone spoons down deep behind a planer or inline sinker and a third one down the center on the surface, behind a skipping bird teaser has been effective.
Red drum are still around in good numbers, especially near Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlet. Look for them around structure and in the shallows during the early morning hours.
The cobia bite remains steady, particularly around the CBBT and the buoy lines. Sight casting with live eels or bucktails has been the most effective method. With the improved weather, expect the bite to remain solid.
Sheepshead fishing around the pilings of the CBBT has been consistent, with fiddler crabs and sand fleas being the top baits.
Spadefish are still hanging around the buoys and structure, and they’re biting well on small pieces of clam.
The flounder bite in the Chesapeake Bay has been strong, particularly around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) and the deeper channels. Anglers drifting with live minnows or Gulp baits have been reporting good catches.
Croaker and spot are being caught in the rivers and creeks feeding into the bay. Bloodworms and squid strips have been the preferred baits.
Speckled trout action has been steady in the inlets and around the grass flats. Anglers are reporting good catches on soft plastics and jigs. Stripers are being caught mostly at night around well-lit docks.
The offshore scene has been productive with good catches of yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi. The tuna bite has been best in the canyons, with trolling ballyhoo being the go-to method. Mahi-mahi are hanging around the weed lines and floating debris. Wahoo are starting to show up in better numbers, especially around the 30-fathom line. High-speed trolling with dark-colored lures has been effective. The billfish bite has been spotty, but there have been a few reports of white and blue marlin as well sailfish being caught.
White Marlin Open
The white marlin category winner in the 51st White Marlin Open in Ocean City, MD was the crew aboard Waste Knot l with a 77.5-pound fish, netting nearly $3.7 million.
In the blue marlin division, the Stone Cutter’s 897.5-pound catch awarded Lance Blakemore over half a million dollars.
The tuna category was dominated by a 220.5-pound bigeye, making Rob Jones a millionaire. Ian Horowitz secured the wahoo division with a 70-pound catch, earning $68,500.
That’s some serious cash just for going fishing!
OBX
Wednesday was a perfectly lovely day on the Outer Banks. Pleasant weather, 73-degree water temperatures and crystal-clear water has produced Spanish, pinfish, pigfish, cobia, triggerfish and bluefish.
The piers are catching Spanish, pinfish, pigfish, cobia, triggerfish, and bluefish. The nearshore fleet is doing well with drum, trout, ribbonfish, Spanish, and blues. Offshore fishing still has some great tuna fishing going on along with sailfish, marlin, and mahi.