Boats out of Oregon Inlet and Pirates Cove are pounding the Mahi on each trip. Also in the mix are yellowfin bluefin and bigeye tunas. A few wahoo have been gaffed and blue marlin and sailfish action is picking up steam. Nearshore and inshore boats are loading up on bluefish, Spanish mackerel, albacore, and sharks. The speckled trout and puppy drum bites are hot in the sound.
From the Nags Head/Hatteras surf and piers, anglers are catching drum, sea mullet, pompano, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish.
Virginia Saltwater
Cobia season is open, and boats are having good catches. Live eels, spot and croakers are hot baits. The islands and pilings of the CBBT are giving up some huge sheepshead. Togs are in the same areas. Catches of spadefish are on the upswing inside the bay, but many botas are catching fish at the Chesapeake Light Tower. Flounder action is improving daily. The big ones are hanging around the CBBT. Puppy drum are hitting at Willoughby, Rudee, Lynnhaven, and Mobjack. Spanish mackerel and good-sized bluefish have been caught from oceanfront piers recently.
Freshwater Fishing
The upper James is low, with no rain in sight. Clear water conditions are present, so early and late are the better times for the bigger fish. The lower James and Chickahominy rivers continue to produce excellent catches of largemouth. The Potomac River is also producing good catches of bass. Vegetation is present in all these rivers, providing excellent cover, and ambush situations for the bass. Grass frogs, Senkos, and Texas-rigged creature baits, are popular. These are also attractive to the snakeheads, which are present in the Potomac, and Rappahannock rivers. Lake Anna has been good in the early morning hours for both bass and stripers. Stripers have been responding much better to live bait offerings. The mid lake area has been best. Crappie can be targeted in the no-wake zones, such as marinas, and bridge areas.
At Lake Orange, the water temps are now in the 80s. Bass are schooling under bait and crappie are settling in at 12-foot depths. Catfish action is consistent if you have a bit of chicken liver on your hooks.
