The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is now a hotspot for flounder fishing. You can use bucktails with a Gulp to entice them. If you want to catch some spadefish, head to the Chesapeake Light Tower and nearby buoys. You can also find some at the bridge tunnel now. Paige II Charters had a successful trip recently with some keeper flounder and spadefish. Dennis Martin from South Boston caught a 9-9 citation spadefish.
The oceanfront is a hotspot for Spanish mackerel, but they are also in the Bay near York Spit, Windmill Bar, and Latimer Shoal. In the ocean you’ll catch ribbonfish along with the Spanish.
Cobia are roaming along the oceanfront and up into the Bay to the mouth of the Potomac. Sheepshead are hanging around hard structures in the bay, like reefs, bridge pilings, and wrecks.
Tautog season reopened July 1 and they are in the same area as the Sheepshead. Red drum schools are still being seen around the CBBT islands.
Local rivers and inlets are holding a variety of fish, such as Flounder, Rockfish, Trout, Puppy Drum, Spot and Croaker.
Tarpon are arriving in their usual feeding holes. One is on the Eastern Shore behind Cobb Island. Look for them in some of the southside rivers as well.
Offshore anglers are catching some nice Tuna, Big Eye, Yellow Fin and Bluefin. Dolphin, Wahoo, and Billfish are also biting. Deep droppers are catching nice Tilefish.
Amberjacks are around all the offshore towers. Live Spot are the best bait, but they will hit jigs.
OBX
The sound side anglers are enjoying a great run of big Trout and Drum from Hatteras to Currituck. These fish have been biting on both artificial and natural/live baits, and have been caught by kayakers, boaters, and waders. Other species reported include Black Drum, Bluefish, Flounder, and Sheepshead.
The piers have been producing some decent catches of Spot, Sea Mullet, Croaker, Bluefish, and Ribbonfish.
Surf fishing on the northern beaches has been slow this week, with only a few reports of Spot, Sea Mullet, and Bluefish. On Hatteras Island, surf anglers have been catching Pompano, Sea Mullet, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Sharks, and some nice Drum.
The offshore fishing has been inconsistent. Some days fantastic, and other not so much. Boats are looking for Billfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Big Eye Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, and Bluefin Tuna.
Freshwater
The catfish at Lake Orange are hungry and they are biting throughout the lake on both live bait and chicken livers. A secret bait for catfish is an ordinary hotdog cut into bite size chunks. Hot dogs produce a strong scent, and everybody loves hotdogs – even catfish. Also at Orange, water temperatures are in the upper 70. The fish are in their summer patterns with bass feeding upon baitfish hitting soft plastics worked slowly along the bottom. Crappie can be caught with small minnows and jigs in deep brush or around the fishing pier.
The Rappahannock is now a hotspot for Snakehead anglers, Before, the snakes had been confined to the Potomac. Bass are being caught from the main river of the Rapp, as well as inside the creeks. Texas rigs are the ticket once the sun gets up, and the fish get tight to cover.