There are plenty of options for Virginia saltwater anglers!
Cobia are being caught off Cape Charles and around the bridge tunnel. There are Spadefish around the fourth island. Sheephead are at the fourth island and around pilings. Sea Mullet and croakers are being caught off Kiptopeke and the Latimer Shoals.
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Flounder are being caught off the Little Bridge at the CBBT and in The Ditch off Wise Point in Magotha
Says Dr. Ken Neill: Red drum and cobia are available throughout the lower bay. The cobia action is outstanding. They are being caught from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Windmill Point. Catches have also been made along the oceanfront, in the surf and on the Buckroe Pier. Anglers are chumming and sight casting, but sight casting seems to be how most fish are encountered.
Schools of Red Drum are being spotted while boats search for Cobia. Anglers fishing the bottom with cut bait are picking up the drum as well. The area around the Bridge Tunnel Islands and the Eastern Shore shoals are hot spots.
Flounder action is picking up inside the bay. Large flounder are showing up near the Bridge Tunnel. An 8-pound fish was weighed last week. There have been some catches coming from inside Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets as well.
Speckled Trout catches are on the rise. GULP! Baits and paddle-tailed plastics are producing best, but top water baits seem to be producing a larger class fish.
Anglers trolling the oceanfront are catching Spanish mackerel and encountering cobia and red drum. Virginia’s offshore tuna action has picked up just in time for the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna catches are showing up on local docks. To the south boats have found tuna busting on the surface and were able to catch them by casting. There have been some good tuna catches reported to our north, by boats fishing from Ocean City, MD. So now Virginia captains will have to decide which way to run each morning. Dolphin are available and our first billfish have been caught.
Offshore bottom fishing remains good.
Outer Banks
The OBX/Hatteras surf is providing pompano, bluefish, and sea mullet. There have been some large sharks landed in the Nags Head and Hatteras surf.
Hatteras reported Pompano, Puppy Drum and Bluefish. Frisco had Sea Mullet and Pompano as well. Anglers are catching Sheepshead at the jetties and Avon had Spanish.
TW’s Nick Walke caught a Mahi Mahi from the surf. That is unusual but the water is hot right now. Nick was south of ramp 44 and was using a drum rig and cut bait intended for Cobia. Some Bluefish have been reported on the beaches North of the Inlet.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported Spot, Black Drum and Trout. Bonner Bridge anglers are catching Sheepshead.
Pier Fishing: Avalon: Spanish, Blues and Spades.
Nags Head: Spanish, Blues, Flounder, Spadefish and 13-14 inch Triggers.
Jennette’s: Spanish, Bluefish, Sheepshead and Pigs.
Outer Banks: Spanish and Blues.
Inshore/nearshore:
The near shore boats continue to catch plenty of Spanish, Bluefish and a few Dolphin. Inshore anglers are landing Bluefish, Flounder, Sea Mullet and Croakers.
Offshore Report: The Oregon Inlet fleet returned to the docks with lots of of Yellowfin, Mahi and Bigeye.
Hatteras Offshore: Spanish mackerel were plentiful on the sound side Wednesday morning and on the ocean side that afternoon. Most of the fleet fished offshore and experienced a good Dolphin bite. The Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna bite was scattered. Bottom fishing was pretty good for Triggerfish, Black Sea Bass, Tilefish, Gag Grouper. Snowy Grouper, and Longfin Basslet. Three billfish were released.
Freshwater
The Rivers
Just when you thought the rivers would be fishable – it rained. Who knows when anglers can have a decent day on the Shenandoah, James and New rivers?
Bass action is excellent now on the Chickahominy River. Catfishing is good as well. Gar are everywhere.
Potomac River
Water temperature is warming to the upper 70s.
Use topwaters when water is clear. Early morning low tides make for a better opportunity as lures are closer to fish and there’s low light. In areas with sparse grass, use 10-pound test Gamma Copoly. It floats and offers less resistance on the water’s surface to allow baits to have more action. Begin presentations at the end of long casts with the rod tip up. Make short snaps and pulls. As the bait gets closer, lower the rod tip. Slap line to impart action without advancing the bait to keep in strike zones longer. Time to replace feathered trebles. MUSTAD Ultra Point feathered trebles have sharp hooks and hand tied feathers. When pulling baits, feathered hooks rise and feathers compress. When stopped, the hook drops and feathers open to trigger strikes. Braid can also be used as it will cast a long way, enable easier popping and provide strength for heavier grass. Making shorter and accurate casts are best when water isn’t extremely clear and with low light.
The Lakes
On the Chickahominy Lake, Ross Alfonso, Ryan Ladd, and Joseph Duvall had 26 bluegills, 2 shellcrackers and 2 bass. Ben, Sam, and J. T. Strode had 39 bluegills, 3 shellcrackers, 1 white perch and 1 blue cat. Tom Porter had 15 bluegills, 3 shellcracker and 17 crappie.
Bass fishing is good at Lake Anna. Best areas are the main lake points near the 208 Bridge, at 6 to 16 foot depths. Zoom Flukes and plastic stick baits are taking good fish from the deep boat docks throughout the lake. Crappie are going deep now and stripers are schooled in deep water.
At Lake Orange, the water temperature is in the mid 80s and it’s stained. Bass are being caught on topwaters and soft plastics. Crappie are being caught on small minnows now in 8 to 12ft of water. Catfish have been caught on chicken livers and live bait. A few walleye have been caught on nightcrawlers and minnows worked along rocky areas down lake near the dam.
Buggs Island is at 302 and stable. Some bass are being taken from the flooded buck brush on plastic baits dropped into the middle of the brush. Striper action is good, with fish being taken in the back of Nutbush Creek and from Buoy 16 to 18. Crappie fishing is excellent on live minnows, fished over brush piles in 8-15 feet of water and around bridge pilings. White bass are schooled and biting well.
At Smith Mountain, night fishing is best for stripers at the mouths of creeks. Live bait, fished at 20-25 feet, near the dam, will produce the larger stripers. Largemouth bass are hitting topwater lures early and late in the day.
