Beautiful fall weather has only stimulated what has already been a great season for sheepshead. These powerful and delicious fish can snatch a bait off a hook like a pick pocket on a New York Subway. But once you set the hook, the battle is on.
Sheepshead fishing is still going strong around bridges and structures, with the CBBT tunnel reigning supreme. Captain Craig Paige of Paige II Charters scored some beauties this week with his crew, using fiddler crabs and clams to tempt these striped bandits.
In the Bridge Tunnel area, red drum are forming huge schools and drawing crowds of anglers. Live spot is the best bait. Nearshore off Virginia Beach, some big king mackerel are showing up. September is always the peak month for kings.
Spot, croaker, flounder, puppy drum, and speckled trout are biting across the Bay and in the tributaries. Lynnhaven Inlet has been a hot spot.
Billfish flags are flying for the blue water fleet with white marlin the center of attention. Boats are encountering Mahi schools as they chase the marlin.
OBX
Strong Northeast winds slowed the early week action on the OBX, but the gales appeared to be dying down by midweek. Piers have been producing Spanish, blues, pigfish and sea mullet. As in Virginia, white marlin and Mahi are plentiful in the Gulf Stream waters.
Freshwater
Cooler nights and pleasant days have sent largemouth bass to shallow water and topwater baits are producing great results. Crappie have also noticed the cooling waters and are moving away from deep structure to docks and shallow brush. Freshwater fish can sense that they only have a few months to feed before winter sets in and the bite is on.
