Way South Fishing Reports
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 23 Update:
Spanish mackerel fishing continues to improve throughout the Way South region, while sheepshead, cobia, and bull red drum remain top attractions around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Puppy drum are beginning to show up in better numbers around the tributaries, adding another exciting inshore option alongside the occasional speckled trout and striped bass. Although cobia still require patience and persistence, anglers willing to cover water are continuing to connect with quality fish.
Spanish mackerel fishing is picking up in the Way South region of the Bay, and even surf anglers are getting in on the action at times. The various public fishing piers from Virginia Beach up to Norfolk are good options for anglers to visit, and they allow you to cast farther than you would from the beach. Mackerel in the 15” to 23” range are roaming around feeding on baitfish in nearshore troughs. They can be found anywhere from five feet of water out to 40 feet, but the sweet spot seems to be 15 to 30 feet. When they push close to shore, they are often spotted jumping within casting range. When this opportunity presents itself, throwing Gotcha plugs, Sting Silvers, and other jigs can get them biting. Big bluefish have also been in the surf. A few anglers fishing at the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier caught some up to 30” this week.
The sheepshead bite is variable from day to day, but there are some jumbos hanging out at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Many kayakers opt to fish on the west side of the bridge because the access is easier and the current tends to be not as strong as on the east side. Fiddler crabs and sand fleas are the two best baits to use, often paired with bottom sweeper jigs. The key is to keep the bait right up against the piling and work the water column at five-foot intervals. Don't spend too much time at one set of pilings because you usually get bit quickly when the fish are present. Sheepshead can also be caught at the Lesner Bridge, Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, and the various reef sites out on the main stem of the Bay.
A few more puppy drum are showing up near the tributaries, which is a good sign because the pup fishing so far this summer has been below average. An angler fishing near the Lender Bridge caught half a dozen drum into the low 30” range this week while throwing out live mullet on the bottom. A few pups have also been caught by light tackle anglers working the shallows of the lower James River. Speck reports are still slim, but between drum, specks, and stripers, there are enough opportunities to make inshore fishing a viable option right now. There was a report from an angler fishing lighted docks at night who caught several stripers and a few trout.
Cobia anglers have been working hard for their fish lately, often covering many miles in search for fish cruising at the top of the water column. Boats chumming and using live eels are catching some fish near the shoals just inside the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Sight fishing success is often dependent on weather conditions, and high sun paired with calm winds are ideal for locating fish up top. Boats with towers have the advantage of seeing fish from a distance. Making a stealthy approach and landing a well-placed cast in front of the fish usually gets their interest. Large red drum are also roaming around the main channel edges and shoals, but can be hard to track down from day to day. The most reliable location to find them has been at the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Circling the islands and keeping a close eye for signs of the fish on electronics is how most boats target them. Once located, they typically hit large soft plastics or live baits such as croaker. Some nice fish have been caught in the past week but we also heard from a (very good) angler who struck out at the islands midweek after failing to locate good marks on the side-scan.
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Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 17 Update:
Way South continues to be a premier destination for summer anglers, with cobia, sheepshead, and bull red drum providing outstanding action around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and nearby waters. Sight-fishing conditions for cobia have been excellent, while sheepshead continue to hold tight to bridge pilings, reefs, and rock structure. Inshore anglers can also find striped bass, puppy drum, and the occasional speckled trout around docks, creek mouths, and grass beds during the cooler parts of the day.
Cobia are still one of the top attractions for anglers looking to fish in the Way South region of the Chesapeake Bay. Sight fishing boats are running to water from Cape Charles and Yorktown down to the mouth of the Bay, and even along the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The cobia can be found anywhere between these areas but tend to move along main channels and hand around shoals in the open water. You can also find them hanging around the pilings at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and some boats will run along the bridge with rods ready looking for cobia circling the pilings or rocky islands. Clear, sunny days offer the best sight fishing opportunities, and a good pair of polarized sunglasses will drastically increase your ability to spot cobia from a distance, cruising just below the surface of the water.
Sheepshead fishing is another popular fishery at the CBBT, but these fish can also be found at several other area bridges and tunnels, including the ones at the mouth of the James River. Sheepshead also hang out near rock jetties with deep water nearby and at open water reefs or wrecks. Fiddler crabs are the number one bait to entice them to bite, and anglers often pair them with bottom sweeper jigs of one to three ounces to keep the crabs close to the pilings or structure where the sheepshead will be looking to feed. The currents near the mouth of the Bay can be very strong, so heavy jigs and a way to keep your boat or kayak in place, such as a spot lock trolling motor, are very helpful tools, especially when fishing bridge pilings. Bull red drum also consistently hang out around the CBBT islands during the summer months. Boats often search for them with side scan or live scope and cast large soft plastic jigs at them when spotted. Some medium to large sized red drum have also been caught in the surf along the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Fresh mullet, spot, or croaker are some of the best baits to use while surf fishing for reds.
There have not been many reports on the inshore bite lately, but there should be some speckled trout, red drum, and striped bass roaming around the inlets and rivers between Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Early morning hours are a great time to throw topwater lures near creek mouths, docks, riprap, and other nearshore cover that fish will be looking to ambush bait around. Once the sun gets up, transitioning to fishing docks is a good bet. Stripers and a few puppy drum can be found at docks near the mouth of the James River north of the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. Elusive speckled trout will most likely relate to areas with grass, so popping corks, topwater lures, jerkbaits, or paddletails on light jigheads will be good options for fishing over the grass. Anglers should have tempered expectations for trout fishing as the winter kill has definitely taken a noticeable toll this year.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 10 Update:
Way South remains one of the Chesapeake's premier summer destinations, with cobia, bull red drum, flounder, and sheepshead providing outstanding fishing opportunities. Keeper cobia continue to arrive around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and Virginia Beach oceanfront, while bull reds are patrolling nearby shoals and bridge islands. Although the sheepshead bite has slowed somewhat, anglers willing to work multiple pieces of structure are still putting together quality catches.
Summer cobia fishing is in full swing with plenty of keeper fish being caught. The bulk of the keeper fish have been around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and along the oceanfront near Fisherman’s Island and Virginia Beach. There are plenty of cobia being caught further up the Bay, but more of these fish are under the 43” minimum than the fish being caught at the mouth of the Bay. Chummers are doing well around the lumps and shoals on both the Eastern Shore and west side of the Bay. Boats with towers are having the best luck by covering waters along the shipping channel and looking for fish cruising just below the surface of the water. The hook up ratio when sight fishing is highly dependent on being ready to quickly cast cobia jigs or live eels and being able to make precise casts in front of the cobia without spooking them with the boat.
Flounder have moved in and around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and around the bridge pilings near the bridges and tunnels at the mouth of the James River. Drifting with live minnows and Gulp! has been working well, but there are some small sea bass and other little fish that can be pesky to deal with. Other anglers have opted to jig soft plastics along the bottom near bridge pilings and rock jetties. A moving tide is best for targeting the flatties, as is the case with many species during the heat of the summer. Sheepshead are another species that are hanging around the bridge pilings, but the bite has been tough recently. It may be due to the increased boat traffic from the holiday weekend and the subsequent fishing pressure. If you are willing to put in the time and drop crab baits along several sets of pilings, you can likely put together a nice stringer. Other areas to try besides the CBBT are the Lesner Bridge, Rudee Inlet rock jetties, and the bridge tunnels at the mouth of the James River. The sheepshead also hang around the wrecks and artificial reefs that are scattered throughout the Bay.
Another big attraction to this region is the world class red drum fishery. The bull reds tend to hang around the CBBT Islands, close to Fisherman’s Island, and near the Shoals close to the bridge tunnel. Searching for the reds is often a waiting game where boats have to cover a lot of water and keep a close eye on their electronics waiting for the fish to come on the screen. Once they are located, making a well-placed cast using large soft plastics with two-ounce jigheads can typically get them to bite. If you’d rather play the waiting game while not burning fuel, you can always anchor up in these areas and toss out peeler crabs on fish finder rigs. Be ready to deal with sharks and rays when soaking baits, but a big bull red can make it all worth it.
Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 2 Update:
The Way South region remains one of the Chesapeake's top summer destinations, with cobia, bull red drum, sheepshead, and flounder all providing excellent opportunities. Cobia are being caught throughout the lower Bay by anglers sight-fishing or chumming around shoals, while big sheepshead continue to come from bridge pilings and structure. Despite increasing holiday boat traffic, anglers willing to adjust their approach are still finding productive fishing throughout the region.
The boat traffic has been picking up in the Way South region as we approach the fourth of July weekend. Anglers fishing the bridge tunnel this week for sheepshead reported a slower bite, but the fish that were caught were big. One kayak angler landed two fish between 20” and 24”. Another kayak angler caught three fish up to 20” while fishing with fiddler crabs and bottom sweeper jigs. Dropping fiddler crabs and other crab baits along the pilings can also produce black drum and red drum. There has been a decent red drum bite around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. If you plan on heading out this weekend, be prepared for there to be a lot of other boats out on the water fishing. We had reports this week that there were schools of drum also roaming around the beaches of Fisherman’s Island and near the High Rise of the bridge. Boats scanning ledges with side scan have the best chance of finding the reds. Live Scope also gives anglers a big advantage for staying on the schools once they are located. If you don’t have either, soaking peeler crab near these zones will give you a good chance at catching a red, but you will likely catch skates, rays, and sharks too.
Cobia are one of the most popular species to target during the summer in the Way South region. Boats with towers are having luck sight fishing along the Virginia Beach oceanfront, at the mouth of the Bay, along the main shipping channel, and near Cape Charles. Chumming around the shoals and tossing out bunker chunks or live eels on fish finder rigs is another way to catch cobia in this area. The cobia crowds will likely be large this weekend, so it may be best to get away from the bridge tunnel if possible, because there will likely be a lot of competition. The flounder bite has been decent in this zone. Anglers dropping Gulp! lures and bull minnows near the CBBT islands and other bridge structures in the area have pulled some nice keeper flounder this week. We also had reports that several artificial reefs in the area are holding some flounder. One boat fishing an unspecified wreck said they took several drifts which only produced some toadfish before the tide switch, but once it turned, the flounder bite turned on and they boxed three keepers. The flatties can be found near ledges and any bottom cover.
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