Coastal Fishing Report, August 25 Update:
The Atlantic has continued to offer good fishing as we approach the end of summer, and offshore fishing was much better this week when conditions allowed boats to get to the canyons. Fish In OC checked in to let us know that the action for the 2023 MidAtlantic Tournament is heating up as 165 boats fished on day three of the tournament. There were blue marlin, white marlin, tuna, dolphin and wahoo at the scales and there were even boats with a bunch of releases. A few boats had double-digit white marlin releases and there were some big blue marlin that hit the dock. Large numbers of small mahi are being caught near floating debris and lobster buoys. Deep droppers are catching a mix of blueline and golden tilefish. The inshore grounds have peanut dolphin on floats and flotsam and farther in near the lumps are producing a lot of Spanish mackerel and bluefish for boats trolling small Drone and Clark spoons. Good sized flounder are also being caught at the wrecks.
The Ocean City Inlet has seen some good action this week with rockfish being the main target for many anglers. Casting paddletails in the current near the bridge pilings has worked well and we saw a report of a boat who caught rockfish up to 35 inches this week. Bluefish have also been in the mix and will hit jigs, but Gotcha plugs tend to stand up better to their sharp teeth. More sheepshead are also being caught at the jetty rocks and pilings. Sand fleas or crab baits are excellent to use but make sure to bring extra because they are good at picking the bait off the hook.
Boats trolling along the oceanfront off Virginia are catching a mix of bluefish and Spanish mackerel while trolling Drone or Clark spoons, along with some cutlassfish. They’re often follow schools of baitfish in 15 to 40 feet of water and sometimes are blitzing on bait. This is when you want to break out the light tackle rods with metal spoons for some fun action. While metal lures are best, just about anything you throw into the frenzy will likely get hit.
Surf anglers are enjoying good action from a mix of different species. We got reports of an excellent kingfish bite at Assateague during a few days this week. Spot, bluefish, and flounder were also common catches with the best bites occurring during the mornings and evenings. Bloodworms, Fishbites, or sand fleas work well for the smaller fish while cut spot can be used to catch bigger fish like blues and red drum. Dave Moore from Shark Whisperers reported that changing surf conditions made finding a steady bite tough as 14 ounces wouldn’t hold bottom one night but that eight ounces did the job another. During the latter, he found a good drum bite while night fishing catching four reds between 32 and 38 inches. He also landed a blacktip during the same trip. Surf fishing can be tough as conditions vary day by day, you just have to get out there and soak some baits.
Coastal Fishing Report, August 18 Update:
Offshore fishing isn’t awesome right now, as was reflected by the fleet fishing the White Marlin Open, where qualifying whites were nowhere to be found and tuna were in relatively short supply. The tournament wrapped up last weekend and a record payout was awarded to the crew of the Floor Reel who found a 640.5-pound blue marlin that earned them a 6.2-million-dollar payout. When the fishing is good, you can expect to encounter a mix of tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, and a variety of billfish. Boats who are sticking to it soaking baits are catching some fish despite the slow fishing. One of the better offshore reports we heard of this week came courtesy of Captain Chris Watkwoski of the Spring Mix II who had two white marlin releases and seven yellowfin tuna. The OC Fishing Center told us that fishing at the nearshore wrecks and reefs has been good. Boats heading to these grounds are catching a mix of black sea bass, triggerfish, and flounder. Small mahi are also being caught near the lobster buoys and any floating debris you can find that offers them structure. Deep droppers heading to the canyon edges have found good sized blueline and golden tilefish.
The Virginia Beach fleet is also enjoying solid inshore action and Virginia Beach Sport Fishing says that along the beach the catch has consisted of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, ribbonfish, and the occasional king mackerel. Many boats are trolling small spoons and absolutely crushing the mackerel. When the fish come up breaking, they offer great fun on light tackle.
The surf fishing bite has consisted of mostly kingfish and spot throughout the region, for those throwing out bloodworms, Fishbites bloodworm flavor, or sandfleas. The best fishing has been in the early morning hours before the sun gets up. The run of red drum along the Assateague beaches has slowed but there are still some big fish being caught overnight on chunks of fresh cut bait. Sharks and rays have also been eager to hit the larger baits and will put up a solid fight. Dave Moore from Shark Whisperers Guided Trips took a break from surf fishing to hit the Ocean City inlet. His efforts paid off with a 24-inch sheepshead and a half dozen tautog up to 15 inches. Another angler fishing the north jetty wall landed a 10-pound sheepshead this week. Both the sheeps and the tog can be caught using crab baits on sweeper jigs. Anglers fishing near the Route 50 Bridge are still catching a mix of bluefish and rockfish as they throw soft plastics into the current near the bridge pilings.
Coastal Fishing Report, August 11 Update:
The big news from the coast this week has been the White Marlin Open. This year’s tournament is the 50th anniversary and entering the last day, there has yet to be a white marlin weighed in at the dock. There have been quite a few boats with billfish releases, so there are fish out there and the right bite could win big money. Despite the lack of billfish weighed in, there have been plenty of nice sized tuna checked in with the leading fish weighing 247.5 pounds after day four. The leading mahi-mahi is a 31-pound fish, and the leading wahoo is sitting at 57 pounds. This is going to make for an exciting weigh in on the final day of the tournament.
Away from the tournament there has been good bottom fishing over inshore structure. Fish In OC let us know that good sized flounder have been caught this week with multiple boats returning to dock with fish over seven pounds. Sea bass have also been plentiful, and Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star has enjoyed good action in the deep blue. Despite finding large schools of sea bass, some have been slow to bite early, but tide swings and afternoon fishing have produced better action. Boats trolling inshore have been finding plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Clark and Drone spoons have enticed these toothy fish to bite. A few cobia are also marauding around and anglers who see them cruising on top have been able to sight fish them with some success.
Dave Moore from Shark Whisperers mentioned that the bull redfish action they’ve been seeing on Assateague slowed up a bit last week, but some fish in the mid 30-inch range along with blacktip sharks, kingfish, and spot showed up. He also mentioned that the catching was being done while night fishing. The Angler in Chief says the Bethany surf is riddled with little spot and catching them on small doodlebugs then returning them to the surf in chunk form has produced kingfish, bluefish, weakfish, flounder, rays, and sharks this week. Most of the fish have been on the small side but there are keepers in the mix, including keeper flounder and some nice kingfish, and he says it’s been one of the fastest paced surf bites he can remember for this stretch of the beach. Clearnose skates and sand sharks have also been in the mix. Sunrise, sunset, and the end of the outgoing have produced best and Fishbites bloodworm flavor and electric chicken shrimp strips have proved deadly.
Inside the seaside inlets, summer flounder fishing has been good. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that the flatfish have been keying in on teaser style high low rigs in chartreuse, white, pink, and orange colors. Minnows and silversides or squid strips and Gulp! baits have been tempting fish into the boat. As is usually the case, the most crucial factor is clear water which seems to be more prevalent on the end of the flood tide. Take this into consideration when planning your next trip.
Coastal Fishing Report, August 4 Update:
Boats heading to the offshore grounds are reporting mixed results this week as the yellowfin tuna bite has been spotty. Even if you can find some fish and hook up, the tax man has had boats reeling in partially intact fish. The sharks and scattered bite have made it tough to get on a productive bite, but the persistent boats have been rewarded for their efforts. Fish In OC let us know that one boat returned to dock with a 200-pound bigeye while another came back with a 191-pounder, a nice yellowfin, and a pile of mahi. The good news is that mahi have been picking up the slack for anglers looking to find a steady bite. There was even one weighing 65 pounds brought back to dock by the crew of the Boss Hog. They also had a white marlin release and boxed two longfin tuna.
Virginia Beach Sport Fishing reports that king mackerel have been making more of an appearance this week at the nearshore waters along the Virginia coast. The boats that have been catching them are trolling large spoons or live bait like mullet. They are usually caught anywhere from 15 to 40 feet of water and are commonly seen jumping close to the beaches.Nearshore wrecks and reefs are producing good fishing for flounder and sea bass this week. Captain Chase Eberle of Chasin’ Tides has put his anglers on the flatfish this week with plenty of nice sized fish in the mix. Many of these fish have been lured over the gunwale by jigs paired with Gulp! curly tails or strips of cut bait. Captain Monty of the Morning Star out of Ocean City has found steady pickings of sea bass and Flounder this week. The bite hasn’t been red hot, and it has often taken some searching, but there are still plenty of fish coming over the rails.
The flounder bite has been good at the seaside inlets of the eastern shore. Sea Hawk Sports Center let us know that anywhere between the Quimby Inlet and Chincoteague has provided steady action for the flatfish. The bite is best where the water is clean, and the best activity is culminating during the end of the incoming tide and at the start of the outgoing. The water tends to clean up during this tidal driven timeframe. Gulp! baits paired with squid strips or minnows and any variation of pink, chartreuse, white, or orange teaser rigs are enticing bites. The OC inlet and Route 50 Bridge areas have also shown good offerings for anglers this week. Bluefish and rockfish have been the main catch around the bridge pilings. We heard of a report, that was verified by photo, of two anglers who caught a 37- and 39-inch striped bass from the bridge during a nighttime trip. Jigs paired with paddletails or gotcha plugs have been doing a lot of the catching.
Surf fishing has been steady this week with multiple anglers reporting successful trips from the beaches up and down the coast in both Maryland and Virginia. The mysterious beach run of bull red drum has continued on Assateague, with Dave from Shark Whisperers reporting a mix of bulls – 19 of them in five trips – along with blacktip sharks and spinner sharks. He said there are also kingfish and spot in the suds. Bluefish have also been making scattered appearances in the surf. Bluefish rigs with small pieces of cut bait, or sand fleas has enticed small, but keeper sized blues, to bite. The bite has been best in the early mornings from when the sunlight is just cresting the horizon until about a half hour after sunrise. Once the sun gets up, the bite has tended to slow down significantly.