Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, July 25, 2019 Update:
Cobia remain the most desired species in this zone and a variety of tactics are working well for catching them. Plenty are being caught both inside and outside of the CBBT. Oceans East reported that the main tactics have been sight casting, trolling surgical eels, and drifting live eels in a ground alwife slick. Sight casting has been rather less fruitful, whereas anglers employing the other two tactics are enjoying a more consistent catch. Off Cape Henry to the Rock Shoals near the highrises have been great areas to start the day. Sharks are also in the mix for anglers using bait. Overall live eels has been bringing in the most fish.
Spanish mackerel have also been in the mix in this area, as well, and in extreme numbers. Anglers targeting them by trolling with small Clark gold and silver spoons behind planers are cranking them up in excellent numbers. The range from Cape Henry to the CBBT has been prime territory.
Anglers fishing up closer to the bridge and islands (as in, right up against the structure) are continuing to find a fine grade of spadefish. Chumming and baiting small hooks with clam bits does the trick. A few flounder are also being caught by the channel edges, with pink, white, and chartreuse Gulp! Swimming mullet proving effective, but overall their numbers are fewer than one would hope and many are on the small side.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, July 18, 2019 Update:
Cobia are the name of the game in the Chesapeake’s southernmost waters, and as we’ve moved into the second half of July, the fishing is steadily improving. Sight casters and chummers are both having success. The most common destination for boats looking to land them has been off Cape Henry to the rock shoals near the Highrise. Both of these locations are producing fish steadily, and more are seen by the day. Although sight casters have been doing well, the better bet to hooking a cobia has been keeping a live eel in your chum line. Although other species such as bluefish can be a nuisance, the hassle is worth totally worth it to have a cobia on the other end of your line. The occasional rockfish, rays, and sharks are popping up as well. Just make sure you’ve got plenty of eels and chum for the day. Trollers are doing well along the channel edges, particularly near the CBBT and below Windmill Point. Pulling red and green hoses or bucktails has been the main tactic utilized.
Spanish mackerel are also causing a stir in Virginia waters. They’ve been abundant from off of Cape Henry to the CBBT with great catches reported both in and outside the Bay. Abundant may actually be an understatement, with many boats bringing in dozens at a time with some blues in the mix. Clark spoons and similar silver or gold spoons rigged behind number-one planers has been the best way to go after them, according to Bishops. They also mentioned there’s been a decent showing of croaker, which are being found on a hard bottom between eight and 12 feet, and are willing to take bloodworm on a bottom rig. Near the mouth of the Bay bottom fishers are also are seeing kingfish in the mix.
Those focusing on the bridge and islands are still taking good numbers of spadefish, although their average size seems to be down a bit from the surprisingly husky specimens seen in previous weeks. Flounder are also an option, and although the bite isn’t what we’d call “hot,” it’s possible to put a few fish into the cooler and throw back a bunch of smalls while working the edges with white, pink, and chartreuse Gulp! Jerk Shad and Swimming mullet.
Crabbing has been stellar in this zone. They’re plentiful throughout the rivers, and taking home a bushel is totally feasible.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, July 12, 2019 Update:
The mouth of the Bay and the VA inlets have been attracting anglers from all throughout the region - and for good reason. The cobia bite has absolutely taken off in the past couple weeks. Sight casters, live liners, and chummers are all doing quite well. Off Cape Henry to the rock shoals near the Highrise has been producing regularly. Trolling bucktails or red and green hoses has been quite common, however, live eels are catching the bulk of the fish, be it sight casting or keeping eels in the chum slick. Many anglers are opting to chum fresh cut menhaden, and are catching small blues and also some rock as well. There are also plenty of less edible but fun to catch species in the mix, including sharks, rays, and the like.
Aside from the cobia, much of the Virginia-water hype is coming from the best Spanish mackerel fishery many anglers have seen in years. They’ve been abundant from off of Cape Henry to the CBBT with great catches are being reported both in and outside the Bay. Bishop’s suggested going after them with Clark spoons rigged behind number-one planers. However, they also noted that weekend waters have been absolutely crazy, so get out mid-week if possible to avoid the hubbub.
Bottom fishermen are also enjoying great action recently as croaker are packed in the York River and down to to Hampton Roads, and are commonly caught alongside spot. Both species will happily take bloodworms on bottom rigs and are right on the bottom. The Monitor/Merrimac has also been a great area for bottom fishing. Fishing for flounder and puppy drum has been lackluster around the CBBT in recent days, however, a few flounder can still be caught by those concentrating on the effort with pink, chartreuse, or white soft plastics bounced along bottom. Their favorites have been six-inch Gulp! Jerk Shad and Swimming Mullet. There are also good numbers of spadefish at the CBBT, willing to snap on clam bits fished on small hooks.
Way South Chesapeake Fishing Report, July 5, 2019:
Still hot, the area where the Chesapeake meets the Atlantic’s waters have been a delightful haven for fishermen recently. The Spanish mackerel bite is absolutely stellar, and trollers pulling silver and gold spoons have had no shortage of mackerel dinners. Schools are still both north and south of the CBBT, as well as in the open Bay (all the way up to the Windmill Point area). Our Hampton Correspondent Chuck Harrison reported that he got out and had a nice mixed batch of Spanish and blues near the first island. He also noted that the spadefish bite has been good (try clam bits on very small hooks; see Spadefish and Triggerfish at the CBBT for some in-depth details) and in the vicinity of the second island, he encountered spades including some big ones.
Many anglers are headed out to take part in the cobia fishery going on right now along the channel edges near the CBBT, and up to Cape Charles. Chummers using fresh bunker and live eel baits have been having the most consistent success. While sight fishing hasn’t been great this season it’s been getting better, but Ocean’s East reported it was tough at times this week due to the crazy wind and storms some areas experienced. Overall, however, sight-casters have been seeing a constant improvement.
Heading to the CBBT is a great option not only for cobia, spadefish, Spanish mackerel and blues, but also because flounder have been hitting along the drops around the bridge complex; make sure you’ve got plenty of pink Gulp! when you go. Oceans East also reported that the inshore flounder bite down towards Virginia Beach is good enough to have the back-bay and inlet absolutely packed. Fishing there has more so been a game of finding a spot and making sure no one tangles your lines than anything else recently. With that being said, pink, white, and chartreuse GULP! Swimming Mullet on Fluke Killers and Jerk Shad jigged on jig heads or bucktails are absolutely killer.