Virginia Saltwater Fishing News
A big congratulations goes out to the Swordfish for winning this year’s Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament. The tournament results are listed below:
Top 5 Boats
Swordfish
420 points (on time)
Triflin
420 points
Sea Toy
280 points (on time)
Waterman
280 points (on time)
Maggie
280 points (on time)

Top Dolphin
Sea Note
angler Gary Deal
37.2 lbs.

Top Tuna (Bigeye)
Skirt Chaser
angler Shane Moore
147.7 lbs.

Top Wahoo
Gannet
angler Scott Willis
43.4 lbs.

New All Tackle World Record Darwin’s Slimehead
I am pleased to announce that I had the honor of assisting with the processing of a new Pending IGFA All Tackle World Record Darwin’s Slimehead. This is one of the strangest looking fish I have ever seen. The official weight at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle is a whopping 7lb 8oz. This more than doubles the weight of some recent catches, under 4 pounds. The angler is Ron Vankirk of Williamsburg, VA. He was fishing in the Norfolk Canyon aboard the recreational vessel the “Crystal Clear D” skippered by Sean Doran of South Miles, NC.

The IGFA has accepted the fish for consideration as an All Tackle World Record.

Congrats to the captain, crew and angler!
Dr. Julie Ball

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
The Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer fun for lots of folks, but not if you are an angler on the Mid Atlantic coast! The summer species are preparing to migrate out of the area, and the fall residents are making their debut, so choosing which fish to target is can be tough. Most are choosing cobia and flounder as they both group in the lower bay, making very easy targets. As soon as the winds subside, expect this trend to be back on track.

Cobia is a sure deal as they crowd along bridge pilings and lower bay buoys.
Pods of fish are also appearing on the surface as they exit bay waters.
Flounder is also a good bet as anglers continue to entice big flatfish from deep channels, and lower bay structures. The High Rise, the bend at the 3rd island, and the buoy 42 and Cell area are producing big fish lately. Richard Lane of Virginia Beach weighed in a 7-pound, 6-ounce doormat he tricked while fishing the High Rise on a strip of squid. If you prefer not to fight the crowds, decent flatfish are hitting drifted strips of cut bait over offshore wrecks. Nice seabass are also providing good action on many offshore structures.

Keeper spot are showing within lower bay inlets, and scattered around the lower bay. The best hauls are coming from Rudee Inlet lately. This action will only improve over the next few weeks. Croaker are hitting near the four islands of the CBBT, as well as in Oyster near the #1 buoy in about 35 feet of water.

Speckled trout and puppy drum are becoming more active in the shallows. The best locations are Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, the Poquoson flats, and Hungar’s Creek. Backwater casters are reporting good numbers of nice sized pups up to 30-inches. CAPT Steve Wray at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle claims that Gulp Swimming Mullets and Red Fish Magic Spinner baits are working well right now.

Trigger fish are gaining even more momentum, while diehard sheepshead angers are sneaking by with a few scattered catches. Triggerfish are hitting fiddlers and squid dangled along the structure of the CBBT.

Bull reds are still roaming the lower bay shoals, as well as the 3rd and 4th islands of the Bridge Tunnel. Also look for red drum schooling off the Virginia Beach ocean front. It’s almost time for the much anticipated debut of the bull reds off the Sandbridge fishing pier. Black drum action is slowing around the islands of the CBBT as they prepare to migrate out of the bay.

Along the ocean front, anglers are scoring with some decent king mackerel from Cape Henry down to False Cape. Spanish mackerel are still providing limits of good sized fish in these same areas. Surf and Pier action will escalate this month with decent hauls spot, croaker, taylor blues, puppy drum, pompano, and flounder.

Tarpon action slowed a little this week with the easterly winds, but Art Greason of Virginia Beach experienced the catch of a lifetime when he landed a tarpon on a fly while fishing Oyster on the Eastern Shore.

Virginia deep droppers are busy lately with three new pending all-tackle world record submissions within one week. Ron Van kirk of Williamsburg submitted an odd catch, a huge Darwin’s Slimehead he caught in the deep.
Jere Humphries of Norfolk submitted a pending 68-pound snowy grouper from the same area, and Marcus Jones III of Elizabeth City, NC submitted an application for a nice barrelfish all-tackle world record.

Amberjack are still available at the South tower and offshore wrecks, and Jack Crevelle catches should become more common within the next few weeks.

Most offshore reports are nil since most boats are docked due to the recent winds. But once the winds subside, billfish action should pick back up.
Dolphin catches are very good, with limits of bailer and gaffer mahi keeping trollers content. A possible wahoo is a good consolation prize. Scattered bigeye tuna are around, and yellowfin tuna are hit and miss, but the yellowfin action is good off Carolina right now.
Until next week, good luck fishing!

Julie
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative,

Luckily we have some reports from the Virginia Saltwater Review covering this region.
Chincoteague -  According to Donna at Captain Bob’s, while fishing has slowed in the area, anglers can still find croaker. Those seeking safe harbor from the winds by moving to the Assateague Channel were rewarded with flounder. Offshore, the run seems to be over; however, last week at the wrecks, nice-sized flounder and a few spadefish were landed.

Wachapreague - At the Wachapreague Marina, numerous dolphin and several wahoo (one was 68 pounds) were taken this week. A few billfish were landed as well, but no tuna were biting. Inshore, flounder were still hanging on with a few keepers, and croaker began to pick up. Spot are showing, but anglers were left looking for trout. A few sand mullet were caught outside of the inlet in the surf this week.

Really great weekend fishing was reported from Captain Zeds. Rental boats had great success with croaker and flounder. Although there were plenty of throwbacks, Drawing Channel, Green Channel, and the area across from the Coast Guard Station were all very productive. Cedar Island Cove around Marker 4 and Bradford Channel were hot spots for croaker. For kingfish, the point of the beach at Ced

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “We saw two more cobias Monday.  Patrick Winter of Gloucester took his two young children cobia fishing off York Spit on the 18th and hooked three fish.  One which his 6 year old daughter Farren fought was lost at boatside but Farren and her 8 year old brother Willy managed to catch two others.  Patrick provided an assist in boating the fish and the kids were justifiably proud of their catch.  The fish hit live spot. Pan sized keeper Gray Trout have made a showing in the Piankitank, biting on bloodworms.. Spanish  are still available  in lower Fleets Bay, along the drop off at Windmill Bar.  Lots of blues are in the same areas.  The spanish will likely disappear with the first major weather system. Good size Spot continue to be caught at Cherry Point, off Gwynn Island in 25-30 feet of water and at  the Spike (#3 Rappahannock marker) and at Butlers Hole.  White perch, a few gray trout and croaker are mixed in.  Small specks and puppy drum can be caught in the creeks and from docks along with spot and croaker. The croaker will also be departing soon. Not much news on Flounder fishing  this week but we did have one citation  fish caught by the jigging method I described last week.

Citations:
Flounder:
27″,7 lbs, 4 oz  caught 8/23 at Buoy 42 on a jigged Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad by Tyler Shewmake of Midlothian.
Croaker:
19″, 3 lbs., 1 oz caught on shrimp 8/23 from a private pier in the Piankitank River by Timothy D. Walden of Gloucester.
Speckled Trout:
28″, 5lbs., 9 oz caught on a casting lure 8/19 near Gwynn’s Island by George R. Newsome of Cobbs Creek.

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