BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
Cobia are drawing the attention of most anglers fishing from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel up the entire bayside of the Eastern Shore. These warm-water-loving fish should soon be joined with the arrival of Spanish mackerel, another warm water species from the south.
Flounder are abundant on the seaside; however, undersized fish greatly outnumber legal-sized fish, at least inside the inlet.
Offshore, yellowfin tuna fishing remains steady, with increasing numbers of dolphin (mahi mahi) reported from the Norfolk Canyon north to the Poorman’s.
Deep droppers have been rewarded with some large golden tilefish for their efforts.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reported that action in the northern Chesapeake Bay has been centered around cobia fishing, as the strong gamefish can now be found all the way up to the Maryland/Virginia state line.
Captain Abell said that while sight casting to surface cruising fish with jigs or live eels can be productive, most of the recent fish have been caught on chunks of bunker fished on the bottom while chumming. Action has been concentrated in water depths of 15 to 25 feet near dropoffs or along sloughs. He added that his best action has been occurring during the morning hours, especially on a strong ebb tide.
Shallow water action has slowed due to the high water temperatures, with most of the action occurring just after first light and being limited to a few speckled trout and striped bass hitting top water baits.
Chincoteague
Pete Vasiliou, of Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle, said the flounder bite continues to be “very consistent” and flounder have been the primary target of most anglers inside of the inlet.
He added that there are considerable numbers of kingfish (whiting) and spot, with a few croaker showing up near the inlet. Kingfish and spot remain the most consistent bite in the surf.
Surf anglers targeting larger fish are finding some large red drum and sharks, especially in the evenings. The inshore ocean wrecks are producing good flounder action, plus Atlantic spadefish and gray triggerfish.
Schools of bluefish measuring 20 inches in length and longer are swimming around some of the same wrecks.
Offshore, the yellowfin tuna bite has been steady, with deep droppers bringing home a few citation golden tilefish.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, told me that the flounder bite out of Wachapreague was still “hanging in there,” even during the recent hot temperatures. Most of the flatfish were being caught during the flood tide on rigs baited with Berkley Gulp and live minnows or silversides.
Sand mullet (whiting) are hitting small pieces of squid, with one citation-sized fish weighed last week.
The offshore wrecks are still holding good numbers of black sea bass, with larger flounder beginning to show up.
Offshore, Captain Paul said that the trolling bite in the canyons is producing nice-sized yellowfin tuna, along with a few dolphin (mahi mahi), and he has received reports of great deep dropping action on tilefish in the Washington Canyon.
Lower Shore
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, said the cobia fishing has picked up over the last week, as anglers reported a new influx of fish into the lower bay. Sight casters are also reporting an increase in the number of cobia cruising along the surface. Most of the fish have been in the 35- to 40-inch range, with a few keeper-sized fish in the mix. Reports of cobia have come from just outside the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel all the way up to the waters off Silver Beach. Bottom fishing for cobia has also improved for anglers chumming and fishing cut bait.
Anglers fishing the shallows off Fisherman Island are catching and releasing large red drum during the evening hours on cut crab.
Sheepshead are still hitting chunks of crab jigged around the pilings of the bridge-tunnel.
Increasing numbers of Atlantic spadefish are showing up around the bridge-tunnel’s fourth island.
The flounder bite was described as “good” near the Fisherman Inlet Bridge, as well as on some of the offshore ocean wrecks.
Sand mullet (whiting) and small croakers have been taking small baits in the vicinity of the concrete ships off Kiptopeke, while the lower bay piers are reporting catches of small trout and croaker.
The writer was the first Eastern Shore resident to achieve Virginia Saltwater Master Angler status. He has been named Virginia Saltwater Angler of the Year and Virginia Saltwater Release Angler of the Year. He has won numerous Virginia Press Association awards for his columns.
