Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, 9/28/2018 Update:
It’s been a bit rough getting offshore recently due to the high winds and unfavorable wave periods, and it doesn’t seem to letting up too much. However, it does seem that the bite is still going to hang around in the mahi and billfish department at least for the near future. The mahi were getting caught primarily south of the Triple Zeros, whereas the whites were found north of the Washington. Very few boats were able to fish this past week, but those that did make it through the inlet laid into those mahi and also picked up a bill here and there. But remember, any cold front that hits the waters hard is likely going to begin driving out the migratory species, so get out there are put a spread out while you can. As far as the inshore spots go, the few boats that made it out into this zone trolled up Spanish mackerel and some blues. Off Virginia Beach has been particularly productive for the Spanish. Sorry folks, we couldn’t find anyone who made it to the reefs and wrecks to see if the flatfish were still around, so we have no reports on that fishery this week.
Back near the beach, however, is a different story. Indian River has been seeing a few small blues and some flounder, along with the rare sheepshead. Those sheepshead are in the sights of a lot of anglers in Ocean City, though, with better results. The Rt. 50 bridge has been ok, but the south jetty is an even better hot spot when dropping sand fleas around structure. On the other hand, flounder fishing around the backcountry of OC and Assateague has been dwindling a bit, and our coastal correspondent John Unkart reports that the unsettled weather has caused some cloudy water that’s hampering the flatfish bite. The best success for flatties has been in and around the inlet, when clearer water can be found. He also mentioned that some of the sheepshead at the south jetty have topped 10 pounds. And another very unusual option: blowfish. Angler Mark Boyar had a rather stellar puffer catch of 22 fish, caught out in front of Frontier Town, on shrimp bits. Though small these fish are quite entertaining to catch, and few people realize just what good eating they are - it's worth targeting them, for sure!
An alert to all surf casters: Reds up to 40 inches hit the beach at Assateague (on cut bunker) and a few chopper blues have struck the OC beaches in preliminary numbers, so utilize some cut bait rigs to grab some bigger game as they make their rounds through our parts. Thus far most blues are on the small side but the initial appearance of some larger fish is a good sign of things to come and the redfish certainly caused some excitement.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, 9/21/2018 Update:
If anyone is able to get offshore despite the shaky weather after Florence, you’re in for a real treat. Though the weather-windows have been few and far between, gaffer dolphin are showing up all over the canyons, as well as the Hot Dog and Jack Spot, surprisingly. There were some reports of the yellowfin tuna making a break for the south early, but the full-fledged migration shouldn’t happen for another week or two, so be on the lookout for future reports on those guys. Lastly on the offshore scene, the blue and white marlin bite is in full swing until the next cold front, which could be this upcoming weekend. Coastal Correspondent John Unkart let us know that some boats that made it out last week had double-digit billfish bites, while some others had a handful. We’ve only got a finite amount of days coming up for the marlin to stick around, so get your spreads out while you can – and check out our Billfish Special, to pick up some tips and tricks. The Poor Man’s and Norfolk are doing the best right now, per the OC and Virginia Beach charter fleet reports.
Moving inshore big sheepshead around the Rt. 50 bridge and south jetty in OC, and also in the mouth of Delaware Bay around the rocks and ice breakers, are the hot commodity for anglers looking to score these fellas. Sand fleas have been getting the job done around the hard structure. Flounder are still getting hauled in good numbers in the bays with live peanut bunker a top pick in Indian River (where it’s been slow) the East Channel in OC (a better bite, with some sub-legal stripers mixed in) and down around the CBBT (where reports are just so-so). The bite on the inshore wrecks for flatfish had dropped off, though thanks to the weather and a resulting lack of effort last week it’s hard to say if it's rebounded or will do so as the weather cools. But the bluefish bite has picked up in the coastal bays, with some 12” and bigger fish being the norm.
The surf bite has been pretty slow, but kingfish and snapper blues are giving surf anglers some action.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, 9/14/2018:
Editor’s Note: Due to Hurricane Florence, some areas of our region (particularly to the south) will be unfishable this weekend while others may be fishable but with challenges like unusual tides on top of breezy conditions. Please note that while we’ve done out best to gather quality intel, basically, as this storm causes radically changing conditions, all bets are off.
Let's state right up front that coastal waters are unlikely to be fishable again until some time next week, at best. That said, the last news we’ve had for the canyons was that blue and whites were showing up on the shallow side of poor man’s and beyond, so no 1000 fathoms action had been reported as of lately. There’s been lots of rain and commotion being had from the impending storm, so we don’t have much to give you from out there, folks.
On the inshore side of things, Delaware has just opened back up the black sea bass season until the end of the year, so that’s breaking news for ya. The flounder bite has been an interesting case, with many anglers suddenly reporting skunks contaminating the marinas. Captain Monty on the Morning Star, out of Ocean City, reports they’ve slowed off the Maryland coast too. He also says, however, that the bass bite had picked up right before the storm and he had a couple over 21 inches in the past few days. Reports from the Eastern Shore of Virginia Angler’s Club, where Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow spoke this week, confirmed the same phenomenon off the Virginia coast with many locals bemoaning the recent disappearance of flatfish around the wrecks.
Some persistent anglers have found better success inshore. The Rt. 50 bridge in OC has held some fish for anglers using live bunker, and some anglers have gotten some action behind Harbor Island. Those fishing from the beach can find sharks still lingering around since September produces the warmest water temperatures, and for long periods of time. Any stinky cut bait will bring the sharks in. Kingfish and croaker are being hauled in with bloodworms and Gulp!, but the bluefish action is what’s really interesting anglers right there. Use sand fleas or small chopped fresh mullet/bunker, and really watch those rod tips! Those blues are sneaky lil’...you get the picture.
Hopefully the impact of Florence won't shuffle the deck to radically, but remember, all bets are off for at least the next week.
Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, 9/7/2018:
I got the chance to go offshore twice this past week, and the results were fantastic, people. The white marlin are showing up in absolute full force. Throw out a sparse spread, maybe four baits and a dredge with two teasers (plus maybe a shotgun if you’re looking to pick up a wandering blue marlin). Very unobtrusive skirts are doing well, with naked ballyhoos getting the most bites in our case. When they weren’t hitting the nakeds, a bullet-head Ilander (blue and white) got smacked throughout the day.
The mahi are starting to pack their bags at the moment in some of the northern areas in our region, but there are tons of peanuts to toss small lures to if you’re looking to fill up your limit quickly on the lobster balls. Small bucktail jigs and topwater minnows were doing well; a fly rod also did the trick in my case. Meanwhile, a bit farther south Kevin Thomas reported some fantastic action on BIG mahi, running out of Wachapreague on the Heatwave. Blueline tilefish were also in the mix, when they stopped to drop to bottom. Capt. Stan on the Blind Date reported good bottom-drops as well when running out of Norfolk, including a wreckfish caught this past week.
We haven’t heard much about wahoo nor the king mackerels that were around the inshore lumps so this bite may have run its course; stay tuned for more on that depending how the impending cold front affects the offshore scene. A bit farther north in Delaware waters, however, Capt. Cook on First Light Charters reported good catches of stripers and blues on light tackle and on fly, plus a nice flounder bite on the wrecks out to 20 miles. Added bonus: he also said some dolphin had moved in close and were being caught on bucktails, cut bait, and jigs.
Back on the coast, surf fishing has stayed the same in many cases. Shark fishing has been good only during the mornings, haven’t had many night bites. Large chunks of bunker are the ticket, but mahi carcass also brings them in quite nicely. When looking for something smaller, the kingfish bite during the mornings with bloodworms has been good.
The Rt. 50 bridge in Ocean City has provided some good sheepshead numbers, and the flounder bite is still phenomenal when fishing on the wrecks as well on natural bottom. There have been numerous reports of some real doormats being caught near the African Queen, so it’s worth tossing some squid on a top bottom rig and landing a sizeable dinner. Gulp! Swimming Mullet baits are also working wonders for flounder fishermen, with white and pink simplifying the color selection. Either way, the saltwater options for the week are appearing to continue as the water gets a bit cooler.
- By Parker Martin