Way South and Virginia Fishing Report, 7/27/2018 Update:
Notice: Due to the torrential downpours and high winds, the fishing report may be a bit abbreviated this week. It was difficult to locate many people who were able to fish, much less those who have caught, within the past five days.
Anglers have been unable to get out much this week, as high winds and heavy rain have made leaving the marina a treacherous endeavor. Most who did get out didn’t fare well, either, as the Bay water has been muddied by storm runoff. Oceans East received a few reports of surf fishers catching kingfish on bottom rigs with sand fleas, and in the Bay, flounder have been taking six-inch BDKs bounced off bottom, as well as cut bait on bottom.
Catfish have also been active in the back bays and Western Shore tributaries, and are being caught on a variety of baits ranging from peeler crab to shrimp. Until the waters calm a bit catfish are probably the most reliable bet in town. There's more info on targeting them in this week's Freshwater report.
Way South and Virginia Fishing Report, 7/19/2018 Update:
Capt. Stan from Blind Date Charters reports that in the Bay, cobia catches have slowed down a bit due to the spawn but should pick up again very soon. Reader reports confirm the current drop in cobia action, as they're spotting plenty of fish, but are also finding that many are simply unwilling to bite. Chummers seem to be doing a bit better on the cobia, with decent catches reported by readers (photo verified) off Windmill Point and Point Comfort. Windmill Point was surprisingly productive the past week, considering the slow-down to the south. On the bright side at the mouth of the Bay, meanwhile, flounder are being caught around inshore structure including the CBBT, using plastics and bumping them off the bottom on a jighead. Gulp! In whites and greens remains the flounder-pounder of choice. Spadefish are another option around structure but need to be targeted specifically, with small hook and clam bits and preferably by chumming clams. The light Tower is a good bet for those targeting the spades in specific.
Chesapeake Bait & Tackle let us know that out towards Rudee sheepshead have been on a good run lately (fish around the rocks with sand flea or crab chunks), and there have also been plenty of bluefish around. Trolling is the best way to get the blues, and those pulling small spoons are also picking up a mackerel here and there.
Panfish are still going strong with good catches reported near Kiptopeke. The mouth of the Piankatank and Rappahannock have also been a good spots to hunt croakers, with some spot mixed in, along the channel edges and on oyster bottom. Bloodworms are the top bait.
Way South and Virginia Fishing Report, 7/13/2018:
With a killer cobia from Cape Charles down to the CBBT, the far southern reached of the Bay are best, by far, for anglers to try sight-fishing for this species. J&W reported that cobia are still eating up live eels in chum slicks around Windmill Hole and Butlers Point on bottom, too. Oceans East noted that many have been undersized, but they still make for an action-packed day of fishing. Just about everyone we talked to reminded us that these fish are spooking easily, and speed coupled with stealth are essential for landing one when sight-casting. Remember that noise travels more easily through water than on land, and cruising around blasting your stereo while looking for cobia is a sure way to shut down the fish for yourself and anyone else in the area.
Croaker have also continued to be an active fishery, especially off Grandview and Kiptopeake, where bloodworm and peeler crab on bottom rigs have been the best baits. Most anglers are seeing spot and the occasional bluefish in the mix, as well. Several reader reports also came in of flounder in the mix for bottom fishermen and those targeting them at the CBBT, but the ratio of throwbacks to keepers seems to have jumped significantly. Ocean wrecks are now the better place to target the flatfish, in specific. Spadefish are still biting around the structure, as well as at the Light tower. Bottom fishermen a bit farther up the Bay are still finding spot and croaker plus a rare flounder in the mouth of the Rappahannock.
Way South and Virginia Fishing Report, 7/6/2018:
The bite in Virginian waters is rather epic right now – pick a species and you likely have a shot at it, though the action is certainly highlighted by multiple reader reports of good sight fishing for cobia ranging from the CBBT up to the waters off Cape Charles. Many of the fish don’t quite make the 40 inch minimum, though. Reader Jack Flood checked in to let us know that four in a row they boated were just shy of the keeper mark, before they hooked into a 54-inch 65-pounder that slurped up a live eel and made their day. He also said that the fish were spooky, and being stealthy was a key to success. J&W let us know that Windmill Point and Butler’s Hole have had a rather steady cobia bite too, although chumming is what’s doing the trick in those spots. Put the chum pot on bottom and fish bunker chunks and live eels as close to it as possible; check out The Cobia Are Coming, to get some timely fishing tips if you want to target this species.
Wait a sec – we moved north of the CBBT a little too fast, because there’s also some heavy-duty spadefish action going on there. We got reader reports of spades caught in good numbers on clam bits fish alongside the pilings and rocks, while dropping sand fleas in the same spots was producing some sheepshead. Readers Matt and Tom Green let us know that they had a stellar spade bite (photo verified) on structure at the mouth of the Bay after running out of Rudee, catching 16 between five and nine pounds. And we also got continued reports of very strong flounder fishing at the CBBT, although there’s a high ratio of throw-backs to keepers. White and green Gulp! Jerk Shad and Swimming Mullet either jigged or drifted on Fluke Killers remains the best way to tempt the flatties into attacking.
Croaker have been biting in many of the same locations as for the past few weeks - inside the first island, off Kiptopeke, and in the Grandview area, but the appearance of dead croaker and bunker washing up on the beach at Grandview and Fort Monroe Beach had people worried earlier this week. According to news reports the VMRC said the fish were dumped by a commercial fisherman (thanks bud) and their appearance was not the result of water quality issues, so fishing shouldn't be affected.
Okay: moving a bit back to the north again, J&W mentioned that due to the volume of freshwater running through the tributaries right now, bottom fishing is best at the mouths of the rivers as opposed to up-river spots. They fingered the mouth of the Rappahannock as a top pick, for loading up on croaker. Some decent-sized spot are also mixed in. Blood worms or peeler chunks on bottom rigs are the best way to get them.