Weekly Sportfishing Rundown
By Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach
1 Aug 2008
With a good weather forecast on the horizon for this week, there should be no problem finding a species to target. Both inshore and offshore varieties are providing good action. Flounder are back on the menu this week, with restless anglers already dropping live bait and jigs on lower bay structures in search of big doormats. Keeper flatties are also available on coastal wrecks and reefs.
The king mackerel rage is on. Although the action is not great this week, it is still good compared to recent years. Some folks have scored with scattered catches using various king fishing techniques along the ocean front. The best location is from Sandbridge down to False Cape in 20 to 60 feet of water. The larger kings are still coming from pier anglers, where a few smokers over 40-pounds were landed this week off the Little Island Fishing Pier. Spanish mackerel action is more hit and miss this lately, with the bite moving further south towards Sandbridge. Boats are finding schools of Spanish busting the surface, making a fun catch for sight casters. Taylor bluefish are also mixed in with the Spanish.
The folks at Chris' Bait and Tackle report that the big tarpon excitement of last week is taking a more normal pace, with a few confirmed sightings, but no reported hook-ups this week.
Some decent spadefish are schooling around the span of the CBBT, the Cell, and Plantation Light. Big croaker are also lurking around Plantation Light, where hardheads up to 21-inches were caught on clam while targeting spades this week. Bigger croaker are also coming from Oyster, from between the "fish light buoy" and the "chimney" in about 30 feet of water. Plenty of medium-sized croaker and nice spot are also scattered around the lower bay. The lower bay inlets, the Concrete Ships, and the small boat channel south of the first island are providing good numbers right now.
Speckled trout are making a good showing in lower bay backwaters, with some big fish also coming from the seaside shallows of Fisherman's Island this week. Chris Beck of Cape Charles landed a nice 6-pound 2-ounce speck while casting a Mirrorlure in this area.
Although sheepshead action is better lately, most anglers are still striking out. A few scattered fish to14-pounds are taking fiddler crabs along the Bridge Tunnel complex, but the bite is not like years past. Triggerfish are everywhere tautog and sheepshead reside. They are on lower bay structures and wrecks, and easy to catch on most any bait. Be prepared for a cleaning chore though, they have super tough skin.
Cobia are still taking chunks of bunker for chummers on the seaside of Fisherman's Island, while casters are also having good luck throwing bait to free-swimming schools and clusters of fish circling buoys at the mouth of the bay and along coastal waters. The biggest cobia are coming from the shoreline, where king anglers are catching them as a by catch. Red drum are schooling around the mouth of the bay, with reports of schools also venturing towards the Virginia Beach ocean front.
Amberjack are a no-brainer at the South Tower, where anglers are finding good numbers of big fish. A few big Barracuda are also coming from the same area. Scott Lowery of Virginia Beach scored with a king-sized 53-inch jack on a recent trip to the South Tower.
The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports that billfish are back on track this week, with multiple white marlin release citations coming from the fleet. The best marlin bite is raging around the 450-line lately. Bull dolphin are plentiful around the Canyon, while a few big wahoo are making things interesting. Rumors of yellowfin tuna are floating around. A few boats spotted several schools, while a few other boats landed multiple tuna. For more information, go to www.drjball.com.
