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With four new leading entries in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament- a 14 lb., 9oz. sheepshead, a 44 lb. dolphin, an 85 lb. cobia and a huge reel-smoking 78 lb., 2 oz. wahoo, it is clearly time to be fishing Virginia Beach waters! With the Virginia state record wahoo weighing 109 pounds (caught in 1994 right off Virginia Beach), there is a good chance this recent tournament leading wahoo will be bested this season. These worthy opponents make for excellent table fare.
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Similarly, heavier cobias arrive daily with some now weighing up to 80 pounds or more. Sight casters for cobia are entering peak season while bait fishing in usual shoal areas is also producing excellent catches.
Inshore: Other pending battles on the angling menu include red and black drum. Once located, a school of reds will provide great fishing. One released red drum citation measured 49 inches! Target the Chesapeake Bay (shoal areas) and oceanfront areas. Black drum are holding around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spadefish, sheepshead, and triggerfish are providing other target species for CBBT and inshore wreck fishermen. Fish crab and clam for best results.
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Recent flounder catches are enabling many anglers to stock their freezers with tasty fillets. Although double-digit flatfish like a just caught 10 lb., 8 oz. monster are harder to find, medium-size keepers of several pounds are rewarding drifters, jiggers and trollers. Live bait dropped near structure should produce nicely too. King mackerel should soon be hitting live baits in near shore waters.
Inside Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets, medium-size croaker and spot are keeping shore bound anglers interested. That run will improve greatly in coming weeks. Inlet flounder are almost all under 17 1/2–inch keeper size. For those fishing piers, add Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and the possibility of cobia and red drum to the mix. Crabbing for blue claw crabs continues to be outstanding, particularly inside Lynnhaven Inlet.
Anglers are having great sport catching Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Troll small Clark and Drone spoons around Cape Henry and along the oceanfront and inlet entrances. The macks have been perfect eating size.
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Offshore: Billfish devotees are successfully catching and releasing numerous white and blue marlin along with some sailfish. In addition to those release flags, many charter and private boats have returned with nice hauls of yellowfin, bigeye and bluefin tuna as well as the occasional wahoo. Gaffer dolphin round out the offshore catch. Now is the perfect time of year to book a charter and take advantage of some great Virginia Beach offshore fishing!
Captain’s Tip: introduce a child to fishing. With spot and croaker now biting, this is a perfect time to plan a family fishing trip for your children. With only a simple two-hook bottom rig, small hooks, a basic rod and reel, and Fishbites or bloodworm bait, they are almost guaranteed success.
No boat? No gear? Just visit one of our well-stocked local fishing piers where tackle and bait are readily available. The memories your children make will last a lifetime, and you will share a special family time. Why not teach your child to live the fishing life and appreciate the ocean’s bounty?
Wishing you tight lines and hard strikes!
All fish renderings courtesy of Duane Raver
