The flounder bite is on at Nags Head where Ben Morris caught an 8.35 citation flatfish while dunking minnows at Oregon Inlet. Pier anglers and surf fishermen also reeled in some nice flounder. Here is TW’s report on Nags Head area fishing since Monday of this week.
Surf anglers beached sea mullet and blues along with some spot and ever present sharks. A few Spanish mackerel showed up at Duck. From the sound, anglers were catching some keeper trout, croakers and stripers. Monday had a good bite of croakers, flounder, trout and blues.
The pier jockeys were busy with an assortment of blues, spot, croakers, sea mullet, and one lucky angler decked a 25-pound cobia. Some decent Spanish were landed earlier in the week.
Near shore boats caught Spanish, plenty of blues, amberjack, king mackerel and cobia. Inshore boats caught amberjacks, blues, speckled trout, gray trout and Spanish.
The blue water fleet stayed in port for two days with high seas but caught plenty of dolphin early this week, many boats catching their limits. Yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo and king mackerel, and a good amount of amberjack also filled their boxes. A blue marlin and 2 whites were caught and released.
BOOK A TRIP
Middle Peninsula
Spanish, cobia, flounder, trout and bottom fish.
Capt. Dick Whitehill
www.misskarencharterfishing.com
434-978-1941
Virginia Saltwater
Dr. Julie Ball
Afternoon thunderstorms and escalating heat are typical for this time of the year, but in general, the weather is most fishable. So what’s on angler’s minds right now? Mainly cobia and flounder.
Although the flounder bite slowed a little this week, anglers are still coming through with steady limits of decent fish. The number of trophy doormats is down, as most of the flatfish are averaging from 3 to 6-pounds. But who’s complaining? The biggest fish are still responding to live bait and jigs offered along varying bottom structures around the lower part of the Bay. The Cell, Back River Reef, the CBBT structure, and inshore wrecks are just a few of the best flounder hotspots lately. Drifters are having good luck in seaside inlets on the Eastern Shore, and both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets on the Southside are also giving up some good numbers of keeper flatfish on an outgoing tide.
Cobia action is still good, but the really big fish are harder to come by. Some days are better than others, but most of the fish are averaging under 35-pounds. A few bruisers are still making it back to the dock, with scattered 70 and 80-pounders thrilling a few lucky anglers. Sight-casters are finding lots of fish cruising in open waters around the lower Bay, from the Baltimore Channel to the 3rd Island area. Bluefish Rock, Latimer Shoals, and the Nine-Foot Shoal area are still decent locations for chummers, with plenty of sharks to keep you company.
Big red drum continue to provide mid-summer action for casters as the reds school around lower Bay shoals and along the Ocean Front. Shark fishing is a big hit lately, with several species responding well to chumming efforts off Virginia Beach. Some of these sharks are over 6-feet long.
Spanish mackerel continue to provide excellent action for trollers within Bay waters and along the coastlines off Virginia Beach. Captain Bill Richardson, skipper of the “Jubilee” out of the Fishing Center, reports he cleaned up with decent-sized Spanish while trolling from Sandbridge to the CB line this week. King mackerel are also becoming more active offshore.
Sheepshead are faring very well, with big fish responding to fiddler crabs along the CBBT this week. Aggressive grey triggerfish will also take your offering in the same areas. Spadefish ranging to about seven pounds are available at the Chesapeake Light Tower, the Tower Reef, the CBBT and the Cell, with fresh clams the bait of choice.
Spot are becoming more numerous, and puppy drum are still hitting inside Rudee, Little Creek, and Lynnhaven Inlets. Croaker pushing to over 3/4-pound are lurking around the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Cell, and off Kiptopeke State Park. Decent sized hardheads are also starting to provide good catches in the deeper holes and channels in the backwater areas of Oyster.
Virginia tarpon are drawing hard-core anglers to the shallow waters of Oyster, with reports of sightings and hook-ups trickling in. Be prepared to also tangle with big, southern rays and sharks in these same areas.
Near shore, deep dropping is still a good choice, with quality blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, blackbellied rosefish, and some nice grouper on the menu. Jumbo black sea bass are also available mixed in with the tilefish. Good catches of sea bass are also rewarding anglers checking out several offshore wrecks this week. Amberjack are still taking jigs and live bait on several coastal wrecks and at the South Tower.
The offshore bite off Virginia is struggling recently, but some decent live-bait billfish catches are encouraging. Deepwater trollers are still targeting yellowfin tuna with few takers, but bailer dolphin and some wahoo are rounding out catches. Folks running to the North are finding better luck with yellowfin. Scattered bigeyes and bluefin tuna are also possible.
Hatteras Surf
Red Drum reports: Wednesday anglers at Ramp 43 caught a 26-inch puppy drum and some sea mullet. Ramp 55 anglers beached sea mullet. Avon had sea mullet and croakers. At Ramp 49, it was sea bass.
On Tuesday, Ramp 55 produced bluefish and sea mullet. Ramp 49 had sea mullet and pompano. Ramp 44 anglers scored with sea mullet and pompano. Avon had croakers, sea mullet and pompano.
Last weekend saw sea mullet and bluefish along all beaches. Pompano were beached off ramp 44 and 49. Puppy drum were caught off Ramp 55.
Hatteras Offshore
Capt. Dave Wilson reports. On July 12, it was pleasant offshore with a cool north breeze. The wind direction, however, made the grass scattered and difficult to fish. We did land a couple of nice gaffers and a wahoo, but Zander caught the only tuna of the day…great job buddy!
On July 13, I decided to explore the deep waters, and it paid off. We found a giant school of dolphin and had a “one stop shopping” experience. I worked back in to the hundred to look for a marlin, but noticed the dark sky inshore. A heavy area of thunderstorms was headed offshore with lots of wind, rain and lightning. With our day already made, I suggested we wrap it up a little early, so we headed on in.
