By Dr. Julie Ball
As Memorial Day rapidly approaches, the spring saltwater fishery continues to escalate with catches improving most everywhere. Weather is still a challenge, so anglers are taking advantage of any break to investigate this trend.
The biggest news is the early arrival of the highly anticipated and controversial cobia. Not expected until closer to June, the cobia showed in local waters almost two weeks ago. And with the pending cobia fishery closure still looming, folks are making the best of the action while they can. Scattered catches of all sizes around the lower Bay are just the beginning as these fish settle in for the season. Most fish are falling a bit short, but several nice fish pushing up to around 50-pounds have also hit the docks lately.
The drum bite continues to draw folks to the Eastern Shore side of the Bay when they can get out. Boats are reporting good catches of big red drum from the breakers and sloughs off the Eastern Shore barrier islands, especially with the recent full moon. Reds are also mixing in with some black drum among the shoals off Fisherman’s Island, Nautilus Shoal and the 9-Foot Shoal areas in anywhere from 10- to 25-feet of water. Black drum is not red hot, and most fish are small, but a few blacks are pushing 50-inches. Blacks continue to come from the Bayside of the Eastern Shore near Buoys 10, 13 and 16, where sea clams and chowder clams are working best.
Flounder action is still picking up, but there is room for improvement in the lower Bay. Folks are catching fish at the CBBT this week, but most of the action is still coming from the more protected areas. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are giving up decent hauls of flatfish, with many exceeding 22-inches. On the Eastern Shore, the flounder action out of Oyster is still good, with strips of squid and Gulp baits working best in Sand Shoal Inlet area.
Snapper and chopper-sized bluefish are still hitting the lower Bay inlets and the CBBT area, with many fish measuring to over 20 and 30-inches recently. Surf anglers are also pulling choppers from the surf lines off the oceanfront. Striped bass are biting in the Bay, with scattered catches of rockfish to over 36-inches coming from the HRBT and the islands of the CBBT.
Croakers continue to delight surf and pier anglers, as small to medium-sized hardheads take squid and bloodworm offerings along the oceanfront, Ocean View, Willoughby and Buckroe areas lately. Some sea mullet are also in the mix. A few grey trout are also still lurking around the HRBT, but remember you can only keep one fish per person.
Anglers working Rudee Inlet and the Lynnhaven River and basin areas are scoring with some speckled trout, along with some nice puppy drum, and croaker. School-sized striped bass are also biting in these same locations.
With sea bass season now open, boats making it out are reporting good hauls of jumbo sea bass from structures in deeper water. Spadefish should begin showing around the islands and pilings of the CBBT and the Chesapeake Light Tower, but the water needs to warm up more before the fish will respond. Sheepshead are here, with a few nice fish already boated, especially by those targeting drum.
The offshore trolling scene should heat up soon off Virginia. In Carolina waters, the offshore fleet is still enjoying plenty of good gaffer action, with wahoo along with some nice yellowfin tuna. Hopefully, this trend will continue to move north to Virginia waters.
Chincoteague
From Capt. Bob’s, Brian Shutt, from Hershey, PA, had 2 more real nice flounder at 17.50″ and 19″ while fishing the Canal around Buoy 16 with minnows.
Joe Hall from Glen Bernie, MD, fishing the surf on Assateague, landed a 16.75 lb. black drum on squid.
Using peeler crab, Mike Whitecotton from Vienna, VA, caught a 25-pound striper on Assateague Beach
Nags Head Area
OBX Tackle says: “Wow what a great day on Wednesday in Corolla and it looks like another on Thursday. The waves are flat and the water is 61 degrees. Anglers caught a lot of different fish – Puppy Drum, Stripers, Trout, some Flounder, Croaker, Sea Mullet, Bluefish, Puffers, and of course Skate. The piers have Blue’s, Mullet, Trout, and some Spanish. Inshore boat’s got Cobia, Blues, Specks, Spanish, Pigs, Perch and Pins. Offshore is on fire with limits of Yellowfin, Big Dolphin, Sailfish, White Marlin and some Blue Marlin one coming in at 600 lbs. Southern beaches are doing well also with Pompano, Sheepshead, Mullet, Bluefish.
In Nags Head, TW’s reports:
Surf Fishing Report: It was Sea Mullet and Bluefish.
The winds are SW at 10 and the water temp is 61 degrees.
Sound Fishing Report: The anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway are catching small Trout.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Trout, a couple of keepers, Bluefish, Sea Mullet and a Spanish.
Nags Head: Loads of Bluefish.
Jennette’s: Sea Mullet and Bluefish.
Outer Banks: Sea Mullet and Bluefish.
Oregon Inlet
On May 25, the Fishing Center had good reports,
with some boats coming in with limits of excellent quality fish before noon! Anglers are pulling in limits and near limits of gaffer dolphin and yellow-fin tuna. Kurt Reider & Scott Owen for their sailfish releases today on the Sea Note. Anglers on the Sea Breeze had a release of a 600-pound blue marlin release.
Near-Shore charters were hopping today with excellent bluefish action. Anglers also saw cobia and speckled trout.
In-Shore charters had great bluefish, speckled trout, and Spanish mackerel catches. They also had good catch and release fishing for of striped bass as well.
The Miss Oregon Inlet had catches of sand perch, bluefish, pigfish, and pinfish today.
Hatteras Surf
On Wednesday, Red Drum & Tackle reported:
The off shore boats had a good day on Dolphin (mahi mahi). We weighed a 12-2 Sheepshead caught from the Jetties. Ramp 43 to 44 had Pompano to 2-2 lbs. and good Sea Mullet fishing. The south beaches had Sea Mullet and some Blue Fish caught on bait. The inshore boats had Cobia.
On Tuesday, Ramp 44 had some Sea Mullet. The Jetties had Sea Mullet, Black Drum, and small Flounder. Ramp 55 has been catching Blue Fish in the evenings on metal. Ramp 44 had some Sea Mullet. The Jetties had Sea Mullet, Black Drum, and small Flounder. Ramp 55 has had
Hatteras Offshore
From Hatteras Harbor: Anglers experienced great Red Drum fishing Wednesday morning in the Pamlico Sound. Afternoon anglers caught Spanish mackerel and Bluefish on the ocean side. One boat reported a limit of Puppy Drum and excellent clamming inshore this afternoon. The Cobia bite was scattered today.
Offshore anglers had a beautiful day offshore for a change – lots of sunshine and calm waters! The Dolphin bite was good today. There were a few Blackfin Tuna and Wahoo caught. Bottom fish included Triggerfish, Grouper, and Vermillion Snapper. Two Blue Marlin, one Sailfish, and one Spearfish were released.
On Tuesday, it was good Dolphin fishing and red-hot Billfish action with several releases. It was excellent Spanish mackerel and Bluefish fishing with a few Cobia also seen. A possible state record Skipjack Tuna of 32.5-lbs was caught on the Release.