Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, June 24 Update:
Cobia have started moving up the Bay in bigger numbers, with anglers reporting in to Ocean’s East with multiple being caught in a day of fishing, though no one spot or area stood out in the reports we heard. Sight casters are reporting some bum days thanks in part to the weather, whereas boats that chose to utilize red and green surgical eels or chum were landing them. A word of warning though: at times high numbers of skate, sharks, and catfish have made chumming infeasible. If you’re planning to chum, consider heading out with extra, extra, extra bait.
Aside from cobia, many anglers have shifted their attention back to red drum and speckled trout. The ESVA creeks and salt islands are popping up as the best places to fish for red drum, and the puppies are also in the inlets and around shorelines on the west side. For the red drum, big jigs are working well, plus clam chunks. For the puppy drum, jigs, clam, or bloodworm has been enticing them. Speckled trout-focused anglers were finding the fish hanging around shorelines with heavy grasses, nice breaks, and sometimes rocks. Ocean’s East let us know that salt and pepper, Hot Chicken, and Stinky Pink were top performers this week.
On the flounder front, this week produced multiple reports of limit (!!!) catches. They’re moving up the Bay and can be found in scattered locations. Sheepshead are around as well, at the CBBT islands, hitting crab chunks and shrimp fished close to the structure.
Correspondent Chuck Harrison checked in to let us know a day of trolling around the CBBT produced 16- to 18-inch Spanish Mackerel, and Harrison also managed to find some two-pound bluefish which he jigged up. Considering the nature of the (solid) Spanish reports from the ocean side, that bite should remain strong for the immediate future.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, June 18 Update:
The most exciting thing we heard this week: the red drum fishery is producing consistently. We had a report this week that there were some very nice reds caught by anglers jigging plastics around the drop-offs on the eastern side; multiple fish caught were upwards of 20 pounds. Fishing bait around the shoals at Fisherman’s Island has also been good, according to Ocean’s East. Crab will tempt the drum, but clam is also working especially well. Puppy drum continue to pop up in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. Both inlets are experiencing an influx of flounder, too — we had multiple reports of flounder-full days this week. Typically anglers have been catching them jigging soft plastics or drifting bait. Live minnows are doing the trick.
Rudee Inlet is also holding bluefish, while we also heard of some guys headed to the CBBT to try for bluefish with no dice. In shallower water, speckled trout continue to provide plenty of action for lure casters. Four-to-five-inch pink, white, and chartreuse paddle and twister tails are an absolute favorite, and adding in some sparkle is the icing on top.
Cobia season just opened up and *some* of the preliminary catch reports are good. It seems like many boats were having hit or miss days; we heard of a few that caught their two keeper fish, others that just landed or hooked up on one, and quite a few strikeouts. The season only opened a few days ago, so as we get deeper into it and hear from more guys who were out on the water we’ll have more detailed info on what’s working and where they are concentrated.
The other news from the CBBT is that sheepshead are now in the summer mix around the islands, hitting crab chunks and shrimp fished close to the structure. If you need a refresher on targeting the “convict fish” at the CBBT check out Catch More Sheepshead.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, June 10 Update:
Bull red drum are the star of the fishing show right now and the bite is excellent from the seaside and bayside shoals to the open Bay. Buckram and peeler crab continue to produce best, although occasionally lure casters are finding a red on their line. Multiple fish in the 50-inch class were caught and released this week. Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets are both holding puppy drum, though crowds have driven many anglers to focus their efforts at night or during the week. Some specks and (mostly small) flounder are showing up in both, as well. Possibly due to the weather, we heard a few less speck reports than usual. Grassy beds are holding them and four- to five-inch pink and white twister tail soft plastics are the favorite.
Although preliminary info is scattered, we’re starting to hear about the beginnings of Spanish mackerel moving inside the CBBT (better reports are still from the ocean side) and expect that in the coming weeks reports will expand quite a bit on them. Trolling small three-inch gold and silver spoons behind planers is the most effective method of getting them on the line. Spadefish also showed up in solid numbers this week for the first time this season.
Reports of the flounder bite at the CBBT are hit-or-miss, ranging from skunks to four or five in the box. But bottom fishing is picking up steam throughout the area, with a nice mix of spot, kingfish, some (mostly small) flounder, and (small) croaker hitting at the piers and on live bottom. Bloodworms and shrimp bits are getting them biting.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, June 4 Update:
Welcome to the year of the specks, anglers. Reports are currently excellent throughout the Chesapeake, but especially in Virginia’s salt marshes and grasses. Ocean’s East let us know that multiple reports of speckled trout over 20 inches came in this week, as well as many in the upper teens. Most fish were caught on four-to-five-inch paddle or twister tails; chartreuse, pink, and white were favorite colors identified by Ocean’s East. Reports of redfish and specks continue to come in from readers hitting the inlets, including some very nice slot fish. However, once again we’re hearing that it can get crowded especially in Lynnhaven and some of the more dedicated anglers in the crew are night-fishing (with solid success) to avoid the crowds.
Just off Virginia’s coast, there are also reports of cobia coming in. We’re expecting to see more moving into the main Bay within the next couple weeks and when the season opens it should be downright hot action.
Reports of bull reds are also coming in from both the seaside and the bayside shoals, with buckram and peeler crab producing best. However, sharks and rays can be problematic. We didn’t get any first-hand intel on blacks this week, but we suspect they’re still around to some degree. We did hear from one reader, however, that the first of the Spanish mackerel have moved from the ocean up into the Bay. We also heard the first report of a sheepshead (a single fish, but a big one) at the CBBT.