VIRGINIA SALTWATER FISHING REPORT: Chesapeake Bay, Inshore, Offshore & Freshwater Virginia Fishing Report August 22, 2010

Julie Ball brings us this Report:
As the end of summer draws near, the fishing scene is beginning to transform into a more fall-like pattern. Many summer species are preparing to leave local waters, while the fall species are starting to show more activity.

The cobia bite has been very good this season, and this week is no different. More fish are cruising along the surface in small pods in lower Bay waters and along the ocean front, making promising targets for sight casters. Anglers are finding willing fish along tide lines, under schools of rays, and near pods of bait. Some very big fish are available right now. Many anglers are passing up 40-pound fish in order to target fish pushing towards 90-pounds or bigger! The late summer trend of favoring buoys and bridge pilings is also gaining momentum. This pattern will only improve over the next several weeks as fall approaches.

The larger flounder are harder to find this week, but nice fish ranging to around 5-pounds are easily filling limits. Both live baiters and drifters are finding good luck all along the CBBT, within the lower Bay inlets, the small boat channel south of the 1st Island, the Baltimore Channel, buoy 42 area, and off the concrete ships. Fresh strip bait is working well right now for drifters, while small spot, mullet, and peanut bunker are the choices for live baiters.

Sheepshead are still around, with nice fish taking fiddler crabs, crab, and clam. The entire span of the Bay Bridge tunnel, as well as all the tubes of the artificial islands are holding fish. The trigger fish action is still a go. With no limits on triggers, anglers are loading up on these fish from the CBBT structure. Some larger spadefish are hanging around the 4th island this week, with reports of some reaching up to 7-pounds.

Spanish mackerel are available off Cape Henry, over the tubes of the CBBT, and along tide rips in the lower and middle Bay areas. Captain Jake Hiles, skipper of the Matador out of Rudee Inlet, reports that the Spanish are located anywhere from 3 to 10 miles off the Virginia Beach coastline, with many fish ranging to near 3-pounds. Bailer-sized dolphin and lots of false albacore are also hitting trolled spoons in these same areas.

Red drum are on a late-season roll, with good action around the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT, the Nine Foot Shoal, Latimer Shoal, and along the ocean front. Big puppy drum ranging to over 32-inches are taking lures and fresh bait within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets this week.

Croaker are available near the MMBT, the CBBT, and the Cell. According to the folks at Chris’s Bait and Tackle, the croaker bite in Oyster slowed a little this week with the easterly wind, but should pick back up soon. Nice spot are also making a showing within Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, with bloodworms the best bait.

Big amberjack will take any offering at the South tower right now, and Jack Cravelle are also a possibility at the Chesapeake Light Tower, especially later this month. A variety of nice tile fish grouper, blackbellied rosefish, black seabass, and barrel fish are on the deep dropping menu lately.

Offshore, the billfish bite is still on the upswing, and should continue to should improve through the month. Boats are beginning to release multiple whites, with a smattering of blue marlin, sailfish and spearfish. The action is scattered, but good bites continue to come from just south of the Triple Zeros and from the 400-line to the Canyon, in anywhere from 50 to over 500 fathoms. Tuna are scarce, but a few yellowfin and big eyes are around, along with some big wahoo and plenty of dolphin.

Ken Neil Reports:
Offshore, it is billfish and more billfish. If you need meatfish, there are plenty of dolphin around. Dolphin are showing up everywhere. There have been some good catches in as close as 10 miles to Virginia's coastline. The marlin action is mostly around the 100 fathom curve. A few yellowfin tuna are being caught. Generating a lot of excitement are the bigeye tuna which are tearing up the occasional spread. Some wahoo are also being brought back to the dock so there are some meatfish out there to round out the excellent billfish action. It is a good time to be an offshore sportfisherman in Virginia right now. Tilefish and sea bass are available for the bottom bouncers out there. Amberjack are at the South Tower, the Chesapeake Light Tower, and can be found on wrecks in between the two (that is a lot of structure). Cobia fishing remains excellent. Sight casters are catching tons of fish. When conditions hamper sight-fishing, chumming has been very productive. York Spit has been good to chummers. Anglers looking for cobia, continue to find schools of large red drum roaming the lower bay and in the coastal waters. Spanish mackerel are falling to trolled spoons in the bay up to the Windmill Point area. Flounder fishing is very, very good with limits of keepers being the norm. All of the flounder spots are producing with the CBBT being particularly good. Sheepshead and spadefish are also available at the CBBT. In addition to flounder, large croaker are biting up in the Cell/buoy 42 area.

Jerry Thrash Reports:
Flounder fishing turned tough again this week. It was hit or miss one day to the next. Croaker are availablein the Buoy 42 area and over to Buoy 40A. Over the wekend in the winds, we caught croaker to 12" off our dock with the grand kids along with small speckled trout, spot and puppy drum. Spot averaging 1/2 lbs. are being caught off Gwynn Island, Butlers Hole and the Spike. The first reported yellow bellied spot were caught around New Point on Sunday. Spanish Maceral and bluefish were hit or miss from Windmill Point south due to huge areas of red tide coming down the Rappahannock and affecting the waters out beyond R1 and south to Gwynn Island and the Hole-in the Wall.


Virginia Marine Resources Commission Reports:
Chincoteague - According to Donna, at Captain Bob’s, flounder catches have increased in Chincoteague this week. The best catches were found in the Canal, directly in front of Inlet View Campground, in the Assateague Channel, in front of Tom’s Cove Campground, and by the Assateague Bridge. Several triggerfish were also reported from Queen’s Sound. The croaker bite slowed, but those that were caught were large. They were found in the Chincoteague Channel near Buoys 19 and 20 and outside the Inlet, by Buoy 10. Chincoteague has also been experiencing the best crabbing in over 4 years, according to staff. The best crabbing hot spots were the Assateague Bridge and on Assateague Island. In the surf, spot, kingfish, croaker, and a few bluefish were biting. Offshore, flounder, spadefish, and bluefish were caught at the wrecks. Anglers had to travel to the Washington Canyons to get the minimal action to catch a few scattered dolphin and an occasional wahoo or marlin.

Wachapreague - According to staff at Captain Zed’s, a 66.5-pound yellowfin tuna took first place in the 17th Annual Chick Charter Ladies Club Tournament last weekend. The largest dolphin reported was 21.5 pounds. Inshore, anglers were catching flounder and croaker. Flounder were mostly undersized (around 18 inches), but some keepers were mixed in. The best place for the keepers was right outside of the Coast Guard Station.