This is prime billfish season offshore along the Mid-Atlantic coast. White and blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish are all available, and dolphin and tuna fishing is excellent. It’s also exciting to see a few big yellowfin tuna being caught this year. The one above topped the scales at 188 pounds. Most have been caught in Carolina waters. Generally yellowfin that size are caught on thewest coast, off California. It’s nice to see some showing up in our area.
Inshore, Spanish mackerel and blues are keeping charter boat captains busy. A gold Clark or Drone spoon seems to be working best. Mixed in with the Spanish and blues is an unusually large number of ribbon fish. And don’t be surprised to pick up a nice king mackerel. Several nice ones were landed close to shore this week.
The Virginia flounder season is officially on now. Limits of quality fish are being weighed. Jigging bucktails dressed with a strip bait or a scented Gulp works well. But remember, big fish like big bait. A live spot will also do the trick.
Cobia catches are still being reported throughout the lower bay. Some really large ones have been landed recently, a few approaching 80 pounds. Live eels and live croakers are the best baits but they will hit artificial baits when spotted on the surface.
Red Drum are still available and should continue to be the rest of the summer.
Speckled Trout catches have been good. There are large numbers of spot being caught now in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Spot fishing peaks in August and September. The Virginia Beach Pier reports a nice variety of fish including cobia, black drum, puppy drum, flounder and Spanish.
Outer Banks
Surf anglers on the northern beaches are catching flounder, sea mullet and spot. On Hatteras Island, the catch has consisted of pompano, bluefish, Spanish, croakers and sea robins.
The OBX pier rundown goes like this. Avalon: Tiggers and Spanish. Nags Head: Spanish, bluefish, croaker and flounder. Jennette’s: Spanish, bluefish, croaker and flounder. Outer Banks: flounder, spot and sea mullet. Soundside anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway report trout and a variety of bottom fish.
Soundside boats are catching trout, flounder, striped bass and sheepshead. The near shore boats are picking up Spanish, ribbonfish, bluefish and a few dolphin. The offshore fleet is catching limits of dolphin. There are plenty of yellowfin around and a few wahoo. Billfish are being caught and released daily. Amberjack are around towers and on structure.