On May 30, 2022, Randy Morton was fishing at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel when he landed a 9-pound, 2-ounce sheepshead on 8 lb. test line, it was a potential world record for that class. This year Randy is back with a 13-pound 7 oz Sheepshead pictured above. Monster sheepshead are now being caught routinely at the CBBT and on other bay structures. They go for fiddler crabs and are considered one of the finest eating fish of all.
Cobia action remains good along the oceanfront and inside the bay, the capture season opens June 15th! Spanish mackerel are available to trollers from Sandbridge to Cape Henry and red drum are popping up off the oceanfront. The drum are also feeding on the shoals at the mouth of the bay. Sheepshead are around the pilings of the CBBT. The spadefish bite turned on this week.. Look for the spades around buoys, the pilings of the CBBT and at the Chesapeake Light tower. They tend to draw a crowd – divers, snorkelers, and anglers, so pack some patience.
Anglers are picking up a few flounder and speckled trout inside Lynnhaven, Little Creek and Rudee inlets. Nice specks are also being caught in the Elizabeth River. Anglers are also catching and releasing small stripers at the CBBT and inside the inlets.
Captain Nolan, owner of AquaMan Charters says his crews have been catching some big sharks. Drum fishing is great, with a few nice cobia around. Spanish hook-ups are spotty, but it’s been good overall. There are some bluefish mixed in with the Spanish.
Captain David Wright, High Hopes Charters has been catching nice Spanish mackerel along the beach. Anglers fishing off the Virginia Beach Pier have landed some Spanish mackerel, small croakers, spot, and sea mullet.
Virginia’s offshore, blue water action is picking up. A school of feeding bluefin tuna made an appearance not far offshore, near the Virginia, North Carolina border last week. The first or second week of June is typically when good numbers of Mahi start showing up at the Canyon. Where there are Mahi there are billfish. Yellowfin tuna schools should be available closer to Virginia inlets soon.
Bottom bouncers are catching sea bass, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, black belly rose fish.
OBX
It was a fantastic week of fishing with beautiful weather on the Outer Banks. The offshore fleet has been busy every day, reeling in chunky big eye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and mahi-mahi. Some lucky ones have also caught blue marlin and sailfish in the Gulf.
Nearshore boats are finding cobia and big red drum daily, while catching bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sea bass, and albacore in between.
Inshore, center console boats are targeting speckled trout and puppy drum and are always on the lookout for cobia or big red fish. Tons of Spanish have been caught on the piers.
Freshwater
Bluegills and sunfish have finished their spawn and are drifting off the banks. Smallmouth fishing on the James has been steady but the water levels are low. Flathead catfish are looking for live bait – such as suckers and sunfish. The Chickahominy River is red hot for topwater bass fishing. The Potomac is also fishing well. Crappie are staging at 12 to 24 depths. Stripers are biting at Buggs and Anna with the best action at first light.
