BY BILL HALL, Eastern Shore Post —
Although the best time to go fishing for most of us is whenever we can, my best advice for catching fish this time of year is “go early or go deep!” With the exceptions of cobia and Spanish mackerel, most of our inshore species are not fond of the high water temperatures. So unless you are fishing the first couple hours of daylight, under overcast skies, or during a flood tide, odds are you are not going to do well in the bayside shallows. On the seaside, an incoming tide with cooler ocean water is almost a must for catching flounder. Better yet, head to an offshore wreck and tangle with some larger fish.
Upper Shore
Captain Matt Abell, at the Sea Hawk Sports Center, reports that the Chesapeake Bay has entered its period of summer doldrums, thanks to the extra warm water temperatures.
The best action in the shallows of Pocomoke and Tangier sounds has occurred during the cloudy morning sunrises while casting topwater baits like Rapala Skitterwalks and The Lonely Angler surface lures for rockfish and speckled trout. There is always the chance of encountering a school of red drum, bluefish, or a surface cruising cobia.
Chincoteague
Undersized fish dominate the flounder action inside the inlet, but a larger class of flatfish is being caught on the ocean wrecks. The oceanic flounder are being caught on 1 ½- to 4-ounce jigs adorned with 5- to 6-inch Berkley Gulp curly tail baits.
Cobia can sometimes be found cruising over the same wrecks. Further offshore, yellowfin tuna and a few mahi mahi are hitting trolled ballyhoo baits in the Washington and Baltimore canyons.
Wachapreague
Captain Lindsay Paul, aboard the Almost Persuaded, described the flounder bite out of Wachapreague as “still pretty good,” though most of the fish have been undersized, with some larger fish in the mix.
Several boats managed to catch limits of flounder over the week. Sand mullet (whiting) catches remain good for anglers targeting the tasty fish with small pieces of squid.
There were reports of good shark fishing in Drawing and Green channels, with some sharks estimated to weigh up to 120 pounds caught and released.
Offshore wrecks are producing good numbers of black sea bass and a few flounder.
The offshore blue water bite is producing yellowfin tuna and dolphin (mahi mahi), with boats averaging one to six tuna per trip. Several white marlin have also been released.
Deep dropping in the canyons remains productive for blueline tilefish.
Lower Shore
Tyler Nestor, at Oceans East — Eastern Shore, commented that the recent cobia bite has been “really good” in the area around the York Spit, as well as on 9-Foot Shoal. Bottom fishing with live eels and cut bunker has been the most productive method recently for targeting cobia.
Flounder around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel have been hitting jigs and live spot. Good sheepshead action was reported around the pilings of the bridge-tunnel, as well as on the nearby wrecks.
Schools of big red drum have been making late afternoon appearances along sections of the bridge-tunnel and adjacent shoals.
Tautog have been biting fiddler crab baits fished tightly against the concrete ships off Kiptopeke. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being taken on the troll near Cape Henry, where surface feeding bluefish are also attacking surface poppers.
Jeb Brady, at Bailey’s Bait & Tackle, told me that cobia remain the primary target species for most anglers in the lower bay. Sight fishing for cobia remained “solid.” Anglers reported seeing lots of surface cruising fish, with a good number responding to a cast bucktail or live eel. Many of the cobia have been undersized, but some quality fish continue to be taken. Bottom fishing for cobia can be productive at times, but unwanted sharks and rays can be nuisances.
Spanish mackerel catches have been reported off Cape Charles for anglers using spoons trolled behind planers.
A larger class of Atlantic spadefish has been reported around the third and fourth islands of the bridge-tunnel.
The sheepshead bite around the bridge tunnel was reported to have slowed, but a few large fish continue to be caught.
The flounder bite has also slowed inshore, though the bite in the cooler waters around the offshore wrecks is still good.
Big red drum are still being caught in the late evenings in the Fisherman Island shallows.
Sand mullet (whiting) catches are being made in the area around the concrete ships, while the nearby piers are reporting catches of gray trout and croakers.
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.
