Fishing in the Bay is out of sight and offshore excursions are getting better by the day. Along Virginia’s coast and well up into the Bay, Spanish mackerel are going after Clark and Drone spoons trolled slowly behind planers or in-line sinkers. The piers also report good Spanish action
Sheepshead are also bending poles. In fact, a whopping 18-pounder was caught this week. Anglers are having the best success with fiddler crabs, blue crabs, clams, and sand fleas.
Lots of cobia are also being caught, but anglers are reminded of the new minimum size of 43-inch and a daily limit of two per vessel or one per angler. Cobia anglers are sight casting, chumming while anchored, and using live bait with side planers and floats. Live fish like croakers and spot are excellent choices for larger fish.
Redfish remain active, with some anglers finding schools on the surface and others targeting them with bottom baits like crab, fish, and clams. Evenings have been productive for larger fish. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel structures are producing lots of flounder, but more consistent catches are coming from offshore wreck fishing, where anglers are also catching good numbers of black sea bass.
Inside the inlets, rivers, and bays of the Chesapeake, look for speckled trout and slot redfish. Shallow grass and piers are prime locations for these species. Effective baits include topwater baits, popping corks with shrimp, and 3- & 4-inch soft plastics like paddle tails and Gulp baits.
Along Virginia Beach and Sandbridge, surf and pier anglers are catching Spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, flounder, and spot. Look for a few tarpon to be caught and released between now and September.
Offshore tuna fishing has been fantastic, and the High Hopes Charters with Captain Dave Wright has been getting in on the tuna action. Catches of Mahi and billfish are improving.
OBX
Water temps on the OBX have been bouncing from 68 to 76 and back, so fishing has also been sporadic. As far as the fishing goes, it is a little all over the place.
Currently,
croakers, mullet, spot, skates, and trout are being caught. Late afternoon surf
casters were hauling in two at a time. There was a good mix of fish at the
piers and an early morning Spanish bite along with flounder, mullet, black sea
bass, spot, and pigfish. The nearshore boats are finding some good drum fishing
along with some jacks, sea bass, triggerfish, and Spanish. The offshore fleet
has had a good luck on the water with sailfish, blue marlin, white marlin,
yellowfin, and Mahi with some boats getting a Grand Slam.
