Weekly Sportfishing Rundown
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative
Virginia Beach, VA
www.drjball.com
27 June 2008
Summer officially started last week, and most anglers are still looking for the big cobia run. Although the bite off Hampton has slowed, several big fish are coming from the Eastern Shore side of the bay this week. According to Chris at Chris' Bait and Tackle, chummers sitting on Latimer Shoals and the Inner Middle Grounds have produced fish to over 90-pounds. Steve Maupin of Midlothian scored with a 90-pound, 8-ounce bruiser while fishing near buoy 13, while John Staylor of Chesapeake had a good day when he landed a nice cobia he tricked with cut bunker at Fisherman's Island. His fish weighed in at 86-pounds, 6-ounces.
With the clearer water lately, flounder action is picking up. Although anglers are still working hard for their limits, plenty of "barely shorts" are keeping them interested. According to the folks at Ocean's East 2, a surge in doormats are coming from the 1st Island of the CBBT, where anglers are having good luck on strip bait and jigging. Joseph Harris of Norfolk landed a nice flatfish weighing 7-pounds, 5-ounces while working the 1st Island area this week. Good numbers of fish are also coming from the Cell, Buoy 42, Back River Reef, Oyster, as well as Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. Mike Kwiatkowski of Virginia Beach scored with a 9-pound, 11-ounce doormat on strip bait inside Rudee this week.
The Spanish mackerel bite along the Virginia Beach ocean front is impressive lately, and with the word getting out, the trolling crowd resembles the striped bass fleet seen in January. Boats are filling their limits with nice fish ranging from 16 to 24-inches. Small Clark and Drone spoons trolled at 5 to 6 knots is enticing the best response. The folks at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center are reporting sightings of king mackerel skying along the ocean front recently. It's only a matter of time until reports of catches start rolling in.
Spadefish are still skittish at the Chesapeake Light Tower and near shore wrecks. Folks are still fishing hard for their limits, with only a few citations in the mix. The best luck on spades is coming from those spear fishing while skin diving. With the spade bite hit and miss, more boats are targeting these mighty fighters at the CBBT, and the Cell, with similar success.
Sheepshead are still eluding most anglers along the Bridge Tunnel. Although tricky, if you put in your time you should find a few fish willing to cooperate. If you happen to catch a tautog while fishing these same areas, you are in luck since the season reopened this week.
Black drum sightings with scattered hook-ups, are coming from the 2nd and 4th islands, with some fish pushing 60-pounds. These fish require extra time while reviving them in order to increase their survival rate. A few red drum are still taking baits along the Eastern Shore shoals, especially the Nine Foot Shoals, and schooling reds near the CBBT can provide good top water action.
Larger croaker pushing 2 to 2.5-pounds are lurking around the James River Bridge, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, The Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, and off Ocean View. Spot have also shown within Lynnhaven inlet, and Rudee Inlet.
Amberjack are enticing a few anglers to make the long run to the Southern Towers lately where many pups are willing to take your live bait, with a few big fish also testing a few backs.
Deep droppers are still going strong with good limits of tilefish, wreckfish, grouper, and rosefish, although the seabass action slowed this week.
Offshore Virginia is quite the mixed bag; anglers don't know which species they may hook into. Although yellowfin tuna are scarce, the bluefin tuna action is good, with most fish ranging in the 100-pound class or smaller, but a few fish pushing 200-pounds were boated recently. Most catches of bluefin tuna are coming from the Fingers area and the inshore lumps. Billfish are also available, with good numbers of gaffers coming from near the Cigar area. The Waterman skippered by Mike Standing out of the Fishing Center, had a decent week near the Fingers. Over four days, his crew landed bluefin tuna ranging from 40 to 90-pounds, gaffer dolphin to 25-pounds, a few kings to 15-pounds, and some scattered 25-pound class yellowfin tuna. For the latest information, go to www.drjball.com.
Sponsors/Pro Staffs:
Shimano
Fishbites
Virginia Beach Boats
Old Point National Bank
Wynne Ford
Power Pro
Braid Products
Yo-Zuri
The Virginia Beach Fishing Center
Long Bay Pointe Bait & Tackle
Mountain Breeze Taxidermy
Aqua Skinz
J Kruz Eyewear
The Sportsman's Magazine
Ocean Pearl Charter Fishing
Chum Churn
Secret Spoons
Women in the Outdoors Workshop
When and Where: Bass Pro Shop, Hampton VA
Saturday, June 28
Dr. Julie Ball will be presenting two seminars:
Registration begins at 8am-Basics of Saltwater Fishing: 9 am to 11 am-Advanced Fishing: 11 am to 12 am.For info call: Sonja Horton (757) 262-5200
