The Saltwater Review - July 9, 2010

Plans and Statistics Department
2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607-0756
Vol. 24, No. 13

THE FISHING REPORT

Chincoteague
Donna, at Captain Bob’s, reports that croaker are slowly beginning to hit in the inlet. Flounder are still going strong in front of Captain Bob’s, near Payton Place, and around the sandbar. The throwback ratio is 20 to 1 in most areas and about 25 to 1 in Queen’s Sound. However, the keeper flounder in Queen’s Sound have generally been larger. There are plentiful crabs in Queen’s Sound, along with black sea bass and cownose rays that keep stealing squid from angler’s hooks. Bull sharks have been found around the Four Mouths at Marker 5. Offshore, bluefin tuna were biting at the Parking Lot, the Lumpy Bottom, and 21-and 26-Mile hills. Yellowfin tuna were found closer to the canyons. The offshore wrecks produced numerous spadefish and black sea bass; kingfish, croaker, and small spot were biting from the surf.

Wachapreague -

According to staff at the Wachapreague Marina, numerous flounder are around the area, but most are small. Offshore, an 80-pound bluefin tuna was caught, and dolphin were reported at the 26-Mile Hill.

Anglers have been catching fish offshore at the Lumpy Bottom and Sam’s Hill, according to staff at Captain Zed’s. Anglers were hooking plenty of bluefin tuna and a few yellowfin along with a few dolphin. Inshore, the flounder fishing is excellent, with hookups in the inlet and local channels. The Bull’s Head Area was a hot spot last week.

Cape Charles -

Croaker are here, according to Chris’ Bait and Tackle staff. They have been found around the Concrete Ships and near Oyster. Sea mullet have also been reported around Latimer Shoal, and spadefish are numerous around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Flounder catches were reported around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and deep water troughs off of Kiptopeke and Cape Charles. The cobia bite has slowed, but anglers are still catching some nice ones.

Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel

Several cobia catches were reported from the Sunset Boating Center this week. Spot and croaker were also reported.

At Salt Pond’s Marina, staff reported catches of spadefish, flounder, and cobia. Most of the cobia were caught around the buoys and the flats near Back River, and the flounder was hooked near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Kathy, at Wallace’s Bait and Tackle, reported several citation flounder this weekend (the largest was 9 pounds). Cobia fishing seems to be picking up, as several were weighed in this week (the largest was 76 pounds). Anglers were continuing to catch croaker and spot, and spadefish were reported at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

A few citations were reported from the York River Fishing Center, including a 90-pound black drum caught at the Mobjack Reef and a 7-pound, 13-ounce flounder hooked at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. In general, the heat has kept many anglers from going out; however, the cobia bite has picked up lately.

Ken Neill, of the Peninsula Anglers Club and IGFA representative, contributed the following:

Cobia fishing remains very good in the lower Bay. Sight fishermen are finding fish along the Baltimore and York River Channels. Anglers fishing chumslicks are doing well at York Spit, the Hump, the Inner Middle Grounds, and on the other hills in the lower Bay. Flounder pounders continue to pick up fish along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Buoy 36A, near the Cell, and Buoy 42. Spadefish are being caught at the Chesapeake Light Tower and along sections of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Most of these fish are small. Some sheepshead and triggerfish are also being caught from the structure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and some of these are running large. The best red drum bite of the year happened this week when a couple of boats found a massive school of red drum in the coastal waters of the Eastern Shore. The action was non-stop with drum as far as the eye could see. Black drum can be caught around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spanish mackerel and small bluefish are being caught by anglers trolling spoons along the oceanfront and around the mouth of the Bay. Amberjack are thick at the southern towers. The inshore humps, like the Hot Dog and 26-Mile Hill, are producing some bluefin tuna, false albacore, dolphin, and king mackerel. Offshore, the bite has been dolphin and billfish. Yellowfin tuna have been rare.

Dr. Julie Ball, IGFA International Representative for Virginia Beach, contributed the following:

The Independence Day weekend was a fishing success along the Virginia coast. Good weather paired with the variety of available species encouraged many anglers to get out on the water.

The species with the biggest draw was flounder, hands down. Flatfish are hitting well along lower Bay channels, shoals, drop-offs, ledges, wrecks, and bridge structures. Some anglers are hooking over 50 fish, but most are too short to keep. Those working hard for their limits are heading home with flatfish up to 23 inches in length. The larger fish are coming from live baiting or jigging with plastics or strip bait around the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with a few doormats pushing to over 9 pounds lately. A few keepers are also responding within both Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets.

Cobia action is still good, but it is still slower than last month. Cobia hunters continue to chum on the lower Bay shoals, such as Latimer Shoal and the Inner Middle Grounds, where scattered medium-sized fish in the 30-to 40-pound range are cooperating. A few nicer fish, ranging up to 80 pounds, are still coming from sight casters who are finding fish in open waters around the lower Bay.

Huge schools of red drum are providing excellent top water opportunities right now. Anglers are releasing scores of bull red fish pushing to over 50 inches as these schools roam along the surface along the shoals off Fisherman’s Island, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, especially near the 3rd and 4th islands.

Spadefish are still hitting at the Chesapeake Light Tower, several inshore wrecks, and at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The larger spades are still coming from areas further up the Bay such as the Cell, where some fish are pushing 7 pounds. The 3rd island and High Rise areas are still the top spade producing locations at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where anglers are finding fish ranging around 3 to 5 pounds. Folks are also bailing 3-pound triggerfish along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Sheepshead action is good along the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with some days better than others. Tautog are also biting in these locations, but interest seems to be low.

Scattered black drum hook-ups, are coming from the 2nd and 4th islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with some fish pushing 80 pounds. These are slow growing fish, reaching enormous sizes, so reviving these docile swimmers will boost their chances of survival.

Spanish mackerel continue to provide excellent action off Cape Henry. Captain Steve Wray, skipper of the Ocean Pearl out of Lynnhaven, tells that the best luck is occurring in about 20 to 25-feet of water, with planers paired with small spoons working the best. These fish are a nice class, with most ranging to about 16 inches. Small bluefish will also take these lures.

Croaker pushing to ¾ pound are lurking around the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the Cell, and off the concrete ships. Hard head hunters in Oyster are filling coolers with nice fish ranging up to about a pound this week. Spot and a few puppy drum (juvenile red drum) are still hitting inside Rudee and Lynnhaven inlets. Most pups are coming as a bycatch made by those targeting flounder. Pompano began biting this week along the ocean surf line and piers, along with scattered sea mullet.

Tarpon is one of the most prestigious sportfishing species anywhere. These covert fish take residence each July in the backwaters of the Eastern Shore. According to the folks at Chris’ Bait and Tackle, a few silver kings were sighted a week ago, but with the cooler weather last week, the fish seem to have vanished for now.

Amberjack are enticing a few anglers to make the long run to the Southern Towers. Jigging is an effective method for jacks when your live bait runs out. Few are bothering with deep dropping lately, although the fish are there. Blueline tilefish, grouper, golden tilefish, blackbelly rosefish, and scattered sea bass are awaiting offerings along the floor at the Norfolk Canyon. Most folks making the long run to the deep are concentrating on offshore trolling species right now.

The offshore bite off Virginia is a good mix. Most anglers are looking for bluefin tuna, since the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament is this week. Although the bite slowed a little over the past few days, the Hotdog, the Fingers, and 26-Mile Hill are good places to try. King mackerel are also a possibility in these same areas. Trollers can continue to expect only scarce yellowfin tuna, but a nice class of dolphin and a few billfish are rounding out catches. Mako sharks are also still around.

Virginia Middle Bay -

Johnny, at Jetts’ Hardware, reports that the heat has not slowed down the fishing this week, as people braved the triple-digit temperatures over the holiday. There was good flounder fishing around Smith Point, and numerous small bluefish have been caught by the trollers. In addition, a few Spanish mackerel were caught, and small spot and a few croaker were reported.

Dan, at Smiths Point Marina, reported the flounder fishing around Smiths Point and the jetties was good this week with keeper flounder catches. Large croaker, in the 2-pound range, were being caught, and the spot were starting to get a bit larger. Rockfish (striped bass) were available on the Maryland side of the border.

Butch, with Garrett’s Marina, reports that flounder are the catch of the day, with consistent reports coming in from the Whitestone and Greystone areas. Croaker were still around this week but not in the quantities caught in the past week or two. Spanish mackerel should be showing up soon, with Windmill Point being a historically productive spot.

Jerry Thrash, of Queen’s Creek Outfitters, contributed the following:

Flounder fishing in the Buoy 42 area and the Cell area was slow this week, but those who were willing to put in the time and effort were rewarded with a few keeper fish. No citations weighed this week. State-wide, this is a very perplexing spadefish year; no citations have been reported yet. The croaker bite in the Rappahannock continued last week and was moving into the Bay. Spot weighing up to ¾ pound were being caught around Cherry Point and the Spike. Tailor bluefish continue to menace schools of menhaden in open waters and can be trolled up as you cruise the Bay at 3–5 knots. Cobia continue to show at Buoys 13 and 16, around New Point Light, and on York Spit.

Virginia Beach -

Staff at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center report that inshore anglers have been doing well with bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Cobia, spadefish, and barracuda have also been sited. Bluefin tuna (the largest was 127 pounds), dolphin, blue and white marlin, wahoo, and king mackerel were hooked offshore.

Red drum were biting in the inlet, according to staff at Fisherman’s Wharf Marina. There was a decent bite from bluefish and Spanish mackerel over the past week. Offshore, fishing was slow with a few white marlin and gaffer dolphin but not tuna this week.

Virginia Piers -

Welcome back Lynnhaven Fishing Pier! Repairs on the extensive damage caused by the November Nor’easter (2009) are ongoing, but portions of the pier finally opened last week, and the fishing and crabbing has been excellent! Staff reports that this is the best crab season they have seen in 20 years. Anglers are also finding good action with spot and croaker, along with a few roundhead, flounder, and bluefish.

At the Little Island Fishing Pier, at Sandbridge, anglers were catching spot, spadefish, Spanish mackerel, croaker, flounder, and bluefish last week.

Staff at the Buckroe Pier report catches of small bluefish, croaker, spot, numerous undersized flounder, and some Spanish mackerel. Cobia anglers have been working at the end of the pier but didn’t catch much this week. However, a boat fishing near the pier hooked a few cobia last weekend.

Outer Banks, NC -

For anglers heading offshore out of the Nags Head area, dolphin continue to be the best bet. Yellowfin, blackfin, and bigeye tuna catches were moderate, and wahoos, king mackerel, and bonito were caught in low numbers. Billfish catches were good with blue marlin and a few white marlin and sailfish in the mix. Snowy and yellowedge groupers, vermillion snapper, blueline tilefish, and blackbelly rosefish were available for the deep droppers. Striped bass and red drum were being caught about eight miles offshore, and the artificial reefs produced triggerfish, tautog, black drum, sheepshead, spadefish, and sea bass. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel were being caught close to shore and by pier fishermen. Surf fishing and pier fishing also produced spot, croaker, pompano, and skates. In the sounds, flounder were the main targets in the shallows of the inlets, and speckled trout were sporadically caught around the Washington Baum Bridge in the early morning and late evening. Bottom fishing produced good numbers of croaker in the deep holes and channels.

Surf fishing south of Oregon Inlet saw good numbers of Spanish mackerel around Ramp 43 and the Avon Pier early in the morning and late in the evening. Bluefish were scattered along all the area beaches, as well as sea mullet and spot. Sheepshead were being caught at the jetties, and a few cobia were seen around Ramp 43.

The excellent dolphin bite continued offshore of Hatteras. Sailfish have also been a favorite target. Inshore, fishermen have seen a good run of Spanish mackerel and red drum.

If you have additional information or would like further details contact Joe Grist at (757) 247-2237.

Please credit the Virginia Marine Resources Commission's THE SALTWATER REVIEW as the source of the fishing information. Project is funded by NOAA and VMRC.

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