Sheepshead aren’t the easiest fish to catch. Their take is swift and soft. Some fishermen say that in order to catch a sheepshead, you have to set the hook before they bite. And they fight like John Deere Tractors once hooked. The 19.3-pounder above must have put up a mighty battle before coming to net.
The sheepshead action is good, with many nice-sized catches reported. Fiddler crabs, oysters, or mussels make the best bait for sheepshead, especially when fishing along the CBBT and The Cell off the Eastern Shore.
Spades are available on inshore structures especially along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and The Cell off the Eastern Shore. For spadefish, small pieces of clam or squid work well.
There’s lots of bait and warm water on the beach and there’s some good Spanish mackerel fishing happening, with larger fish being caught. Most are trolling Clark or Drone spoons behind planer boards or in-line sinkers. Smoker (king) mackerel, should start showing up anytime. Live bait such as menhaden or spot are excellent choices for larger Spanish and kings.
Red drum and cobia can be found throughout the area. Live bait such as crabs, eels, or spot can be effective, especially when presented near buoys or the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Black drum can be found around the islands of the CBBT, black drum are often caught using peeler crabs, clam, or sand fleas as bait.
Speckled trout and puppy drum are in all southside inlets, the Elizabeth, Lafayette, and Back rivers.
Flounder fishing is good around structures and sharp drop-offs where these fish tend to congregate. For bait, a chartreuse, white, or yellow Fluke Killer rig, weighted with an ounce or two of lead and baited with a bull minnow, squid strip, or a combination of these, known as the “flounder sandwich,” is highly effective.
Small croaker and spot are spread throughout the lower bay. Bloodworms or small pieces of shrimp are the go-to baits for both species.
Anglers fishing at the Virginia Beach Piers and along the beach are catching spot, croaker, Spanish, roundhead, flounder, and blues. The water temp is in the upper 70’s near 80.
Offshore boats are returning with tuna, dolphin, sharks, and billfish releases. Nice dolphins were caught at Norfolk Canyon recently. Many are choosing to troll early, then deep drop for swords, tilefish, grouper with squid or cut baits.
Offshore wrecks and navigation structures are holding amberjack.
OBX
It’s great fishing now on the Outer Banks. TW’s Tackle says fish are being caught from the piers, the surf, in the sound, and from the northern beaches all the way to the Ocracoke.
The piers have reported sea mullet, spot, bluefish, sheepshead, and triggerfish. Surf fishing has also been productive with catches of sea mullet, spot, sharks, and pompano further south. Soundside fishing continues to be consistent with trout, drum, and sheepshead
Recent offshore trips have produced nice dolphin catches.
