Not blue ribbons, but bluefish and ribbonfish – plus lots of Spanish Macs. That’s what they’re catching off Virginia Beach and up into the Bay. The charter boats are loading up.
Flounder catches have also been excellent along the coast and throughout the lower bay – around the CBBT pilons, near the rocks that cover the tunnels and around coastal reefs and wrecks. Brian Hostetter weighted a 6-1, 25-inch flounder at Long Bay Pointe. Captain Craig Paige, Paige II Charters has been putting his clients on lots of big flounder recently.
Sheepshead are still plentiful at the CBBT. Long Bay Pointe registered citations for Jayla Caraco at 11-0, Melissa Fichter at11-14, and Enrique Olivar at 10-3 oz.
Cobia are on the move and offering top water action. Big red drum are still roaming about the lower Bay and around the shoals of the barrier islands.
Buoys and wrecks are holding triggerfish and spadefish
Speckled trout, puppy drum, spot and croaker are inside the inlets.
September is Virginia’s peak king mackerel season. Smoker kings have already been landed.
The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier reports roundheads, spot, blues, a few Spanish, and flounder.
The 19th Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament was held over the weekend. A total of 84 teams competed in the invitational charity event. This year’s winner was the boat Cuttin’ Up, captain Nick Jones with a 612.5 lb. blue marlin. Second place went to the Sea Toy, captain Bull Tolson. Third went to the Weldor’s Ark, captain Dale Britt. Fourth to the Quick Sweep, captain Jimmy Werling. And fifth to the Mister Pete, captain Alan Neiford.
OBX
TW’s at Nags Head reports some terrific fishing going on right now on the Outer Banks with lots of drum in the sound, plenty of fish to catch from the piers and surf. Billfish starting to show up offshore, what more could you ask?
From the surf, anglers are having good luck with sea mullet, bluefish, pompano, flounder, croaker, and even some nice puppy drum. Down south towards Hatteras, there have been some good catches of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, and plenty of blacktip sharks.
Pier fishing has been good this week with more big King Mackerel being caught from Nags Head and Jennette’s piers. There was a 56-lb. King caught on Avon Pier. Along with the Kings, there have been several small cobia, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, flounder, pompano, sea mullet, croaker, and sheepshead being caught. At the Bonner Bridge Pier, there have been plenty of sheepshead caught.
In the sound, more and more big drum are starting to show along with lots of slot drum and keeper speckled trout. There was also a report of a good Spanish Mackerel bite back in the sound. Kayak anglers and wade fishermen have been doing really well in the sound, so don’t hesitate to give it a try even if you don’t have a boat.
Offshore there are still plenty of Wahoo, dolphin, and scattered tuna, as well as plenty of billfish beginning to bite. Bottom fishermen are finding sea bass, triggerfish, amberjack and more.
Freshwater
At Lake Orange, water temperatures are in the upper 70s to lower 80s and the lake is clear. Bass and crappie fishing has been good throughout the lake. Some topwater action for bass during lowlight periods and soft plastics worked slowly during midday hours have been productive. Crappie fishing has picked for anglers using small minnows while fishing around deep brush and at the fishing pier. Catfishing remains strong with chicken livers and nightcrawlers being the baits of choice. A few walleye have been caught on harness rigs tipped with nightcrawlers.
Bass fishing on the Potomac has been and remains red hot. Main river grass beds are highly productive. Fishing the grass has been a good tactic on the Chick as well. The pad fields on the Chick are also producing. Night fishing at Lake Anna has been very good for bass in the 4-to-7-pound class.
