9/29/2017 Southern Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report:
Cobia fishing has closed, but Oceans East reports that catch and release fishing is still going on. Replacing the cobia fishery has been red drum around the CBBT, and around the York River. Cut bait such as mullet or live minnows have been getting them to bite, and many aren’t too far from shore. Oceans East also reported that some anglers have simply been going down to their local pier and dropping a soft crab on bottom to catch drum.
Bishops reports that flounder fishing has been good on the offshore wrecks on the few days anglers have been able to get out, however, bayside there still has been little flounder action. The best bet for flatfish when the wind is blowing has been Rudee inlet, where bottom fishing has also been good for spot and croaker plus the occasional kingfish. Bloodworms and Fishbites are the best baits for the spot and croaker, while the flounder have been striking GULP lures jigged along the bottom. Anglers soaking cut mullet have also encountered a redfish here and there.
Speckled trout have been heavy in the Poquoson Flats, and have been taking crab baits. Rockfish have also been hanging around the flats, and are being caught jigging with half-ounce white jig heads with chartreuse and pearl GULP! lures. Casting these and similar lures will get some of the specks to bite, too. There are similar reports of a mixed striper/speck bite in Mobjack Bay, although most of the stripers are throw-backs.
Spot are still hanging around hard bottoms, and have been popular bait for live-liners.
Reports from offshore are few and far between thanks to the blow we had this week, but the few boats that made it through the inlet and trolled close to home have found a few blues and Spanish mackerel.
9/22/2017 Southern Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report:
Cold weather has slowed down many near shore fisheries, however the surf fishing still remains swell as we move into fall. Kingfish, bluefish, and some croaker are still hanging out in the surf, talking squid, sand fleas, and clam. The fly in the ointment is the wave heights thanks to this rather unusual hurricane season, which can be expected to make things difficult in the near future.
Flounder, blues, and Spanish mackerel are the best option for near-shore fishers. For the flatfish drift clam and squid next to structure, and for the blues and Spanish trolling small spoons does the trick. The flounder bite bay-side has been hit or miss, however Oceans East did have reports of some being caught on channel ledges on Fishbites and clam.
The bridge is holding some puppy drum, as well as trigger fish and sheepshead, which are taking cut bait and sand fleas. Remember to use very small hooks when targeting the trigger fish, and check out Triggerfish Tricks to get the low-down on targeting this species. A few cobia are also around, but during the next couple weeks this action can be be expect to taper off.
Offshore remains difficult with very few tuna around, but billfish providing some action and a wahoo turning up here and there. Due to the weather, however, fishing this weekend can be expected to be rather sporty - to say the least.
9/14/2017 Southern Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report:
The bridge is holding sheepshead, trigger fish, and black drum according to Chesapeake Bait and Tackle. Sand flea, peeler crab, and clam have been baits of choice, and clam has been best when flounder are in the mix. In the surf on the ocean side, small blues, sharks, kingfish, and croaker are being caught. Oceans East reports that sand fleas have been a bait of choice, as well as squid.
Flounder are present for anglers fishing the CBBT, as well as spadefish, and have been taking Fish Bites and squid. Fish the channel edges to find the flounder, but get close in to the structure and use very small hooks with bits of bait, for the spadefish. Bottom fishermen dropping bloodworms in Rudee and near the CBBT and surrounding areas have been encountering mostly croaker and spot, with some of the spot big enough to eat. There are still some reports of kingfish filtering in, too, but this bite seems to have dropped off a bit lately.
Just off the beach Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still around in good numbers. Trolling small soons is the best way to shoot for a mixed bag, and there are enough of both these species around to load the box in a day of trolling. Cobia have moved out of the area, however, and are now seldom being spotted in pods as they were before.
Offshore, wreck and reef fishing has been stellar, as sea bass are highly active right now. The bait of choice has been clam, and large flounder are mixed in with the catch. Trolling for billfish has been decent, but tunas are still in short supply and wahoo are being caught but not yet around in numbers large enough to really target them in specific.
9/7/2017 Southern Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report:
According to Oceans East, plenty of flounder have been under the Bridge and are hitting cut bait and jigged BKDs. Speckled trout and redfish have been oceanside, as well as some cobia. Cobia fishing has been slow, however, but some sight casters have had success just offshore throwing eels. Sheepshead have been around the bay bridge tunnel, and are hitting clam and sand fleas fished very close to the pilings and structure. In Rudee there are some nice spot eating bloodworm baits, and a few flounder striking Fluke Killers baited with minnow/squid, and jigs bounced on the bottom.
Offshore the billfish bite has picked up, there are still mahi on the commercial gear, and a few reports of tuna have started trickling back in. Offshore bottom fishing for tilefish remains a reliable option. We've also had several reports of wahoo being caught this week, on inshore lumps.
9/1/2017 Southern Chesapeake and Virginia Fishing Report:
We’ve been speaking with Ocean’s East and Bishop’s, and while cobia and redfish have thinned out in the bay, there are still some cobia being caught coming from the ocean side. Flounder are around the CBBT but have become a bit difficult to come by. A more reliable bite is for triggerfish, which seem to have invaded the area and are being caught "all over the place". Remember to rig up with very small hooks (#4 or even #6) and use small squid or cut fish baits to target the triggers.
Snapper blues were active in the CBBT area and contributor Chuck Harrison recently located a huge school of them near the second island. He also found triggerfish and spadefish near the structure. Bottom fishermen, meanwhile, have been treated to a great season of kingfish and some larger croaker have moved into town.
Spanish mackerel and blues have been plentiful off the beach and mixed schools with both species have also been reported off the mouth of the Rappahannock, for anglers trolling spoons. Anglers targeting stripers have had the best luck live-lining with mullet. Spot work, too, but many of the spot being caught by bottom fishermen are a bit large to use for baits.
Offshore there isn't much of a report as high winds have kept most of the boats at the dock recently. The few that have gotten out are mostly going for billfish or are bottom fishing for tilefish and sea bass (of which there have been plenty) thanks to a distinct lack of tuna.