Virginia Saltwater Fishing News New State Record Snowy Grouper
Jere Humphrey of Norfolk, Virginia has established a new state record for snowy grouper with a 68-pound fish caught August 17, 2008.  The record-setting grouper bested the existing state record, set by Chris Boyce of Hampton, Virginia on December 9, 2007, by two full pounds.    Humphrey is filing an application with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) for acceptance of his catch as the IGFA All-Tackle Record for snowy grouper.  Boyce’s 66-pound snowy grouper currently holds the IGFA All-Tackle record.

Humphrey caught his grouper “deep-dropping” near the Norfolk Canyon in over 50 fathoms of water while fishing aboard the private boat Bone Daddy, skippered by James Collier.  The fish had a length of 46-1/2 inches and a girth of 37 inches.  The record fish was caught on a custom made rod, mated with a Penn 340 GTI reel and spooled with 80-pound test braided line. The record-setting grouper hit a simple bottom rig baited with Boston mackerel.

Snowy grouper was added to the list of species eligible for state record recognition by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament Committee at their fall meeting in 2006 and carried an initial qualifying weight of 38 pounds.  Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach registered Virginia’s first qualifying snowy grouper, at 49 pounds, 9 ounces, on April 29, 2007.  Burnley’s record was eclipsed on June 10, 2007 by Bob Manus of Ark, Virginia with a 65-pound, 8-ounce grouper.  Manus’ record status held until Boyce landed his 66-pounder in December 2007.  All three prior record snowy grouper were caught in the general vicinity of the Norfolk Canyon “deep-dropping” in over 50 fathoms of water and using either whole or cut fish for bait.

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
Tropical storm conditions from Hanna are sure to shut down most saltwater activities for a least a few days. But once the waters settle, expect the prelude to the fall fishing trend to be back on track. Most anglers will pursue cobia and flounder. The cobia bite is taking on its typical early fall pattern, with many fish schooling on the surface in lower bay waters and along the formation of the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Both chumming and casting are proving effective for nice fish, with several fish between 60 to 90-pounds hitting the dock. Kayakers are also getting in on the cobia fun as they take nice fish from inshore waters along Sandbridge.

Late season flounder are not disappointing anglers, as fat fish stage in the lower bay for their exit to deeper water. Both drifters and live baiters are finding good success along lower bay channels and over structure. Inshore and offshore wrecks are also providing excellent flatfish action, with fresh strip baits working well.

Sea bass are becoming more active on inshore wrecks from the Light Tower Reef to the Triangle wrecks, along with hoards of aggressive trigger fish. Spadefish are also a possibility on the inshore structures.

Croaker are biting all over the lower bay. Many boats are also sitting on decent schools right off Cape Henry. The concrete ships, the 4th island, and the High Rise section of the CBBT are giving up nice hardheads, with some fish pushing 2-pounds. The croaker action off Oyster is decent this week, but the blow this weekend may finish that trend for good. Spot are gaining more attention with good hauls coming from the lower bay inlets, Willoughby Bay, and the lower bay fishing piers. One angler caught 168 keeper spot this week from the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier. Bloodworms and Fishbites are the top bait.

The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports spot, a few speckled trout, and keeper flounder within Rudee Inlet. Specks are also making a showing within Lynnhaven River. In addition, Chris’ Bait and Tackle weighed in a nice six pound, 14-ounce speck from Hungar’s Creek for James Moncries of Machipongo this week. Tarpon are still at bay on the Eastern Shore due to muddy waters from the Easterly winds for the last two weeks. The upcoming blow is not encouraging.

According to Ocean’s East 2, puppy drum are taking bait in most skinny waters and inlets, as well as the fishing piers. Pups ranging around 16-inches are active from the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier to the Little Island Fishing Pier. The Sandbridge pier crowd anxiously awaits the fall red drum bite off the pier. In the meantime, red drum action is still going strong along the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore, as well as the lower bay shoals and along inshore coastal waters. Black drum are tapering off at the four islands as they scatter to head south.
Sheepshead hunters are still crying the blues as these fish continue to elude most anglers, while trigger fish are still active in all the same locations, presenting an easy target.

The king mackerel action slowed this week, while the Spanish mackerel game is still on. Kings are a possibility from Cape Henry to False Cape, and around coastal wrecks while nice Spanish in the 20-inch range are swarming around the Chesapeake Light Tower, the CB line, and along inshore waters. Small Clark and Drone spoons trolled at a fast clip will provide great Spanish action, especially for kids. False albacore are also showing themselves in these same areas under working birds, while bailer mahi are also presenting in cleaner inshore and offshore waters, especially near the wrecks.

The Chesapeake Light Tower can offer a chance at an amberjack, jack cravelle, and a big barracuda. The southern towers and coastal wrecks are also still holding schools of amberjack.

Billfish action is at its peak right now, with some boats releasing a dozen or more whites in a day. The Sea Wolf out of Rudee Inlet flew 20 flags this week. The best marlin bite lately is north of the Canyon. Wahoo are prowling mostly inshore of the Canyon and near the Cigar. Dolphin are scattered about, with several citation fish in the mix. Yellowfin tuna are scarce, but some fish are raging up to 80-pounds if you can find them.
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 -  Donna at Captain Bob’s is seeing slow action on the inside, due to winds that will keep increasing as tropical systems plague the Atlantic coast. Flounder, baby black sea bass, and some croaker are being caught by anglers braving the winds. Chris Whiteman landed a 19.5-inch flounder at Marker Red 20 using silversides. Large flounder are being caught on the seaside, outside the inlet at the wrecks, as well as in the Assateague Channel. Mel Cosner of Chincoteague reeled in a 26.75-inch, 9.8-pound flounder using finger mullet at the Blackfish Banks. Offshore, black sea bass are biting, but the dolphin action is hot. Jimmy McDonnell landed a 47-pound dolphin using ballyhoo. Jimmy also brought in a 57.5-inch wahoo. Captain Glen has gone out and had luck with flounder, landing a 7-pound, 6-ounce fish. The Captain also has had catches of dolphin, jacks, false albacore, and skipjack tuna. Anglers are having luck with nice size catches of spadefish in the wrecks.

Wachapreague - The staff at Wachapreague Marina is seeing some great white marlin catches, especially in the Norfolk Canyon. Up to twenty catches a day have been seen throughout the week. Croaker fishing is also picking up, with catches ranging from 15 to 19 inches. A few spot and trout are showing up, as well as flounder. Dolphin continues to bring in some good catches, most near citation size.

At Captain Zeds, the week has been slow with area schools starting back up. Flounder and croaker are still biting, with the flounder hanging out at Paramore Island and the croaker at the Green Channel. Offshore, the tuna action has slowed down, but anglers continue to bring in good catches of dolphin and white marlin.

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “Spanish  are still available  along the drop off at Windmill Bar, near R2 and off the Milford Haven #3 day marker. This has been a good year for large spanish with most boated measuring about 20″ or larger.  Lots of blues are in the same areas.  Although many are small, some of the blues are 2-3 lbs.  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 small croaker are mixed in.  Puppy drum can be caught in the creeks and from docks. Try to fish grassy areas or shoreline where there is a shell bottom.  Manmade oyster reefs will also produce now as will 2-3′ deep water at the base of rip-rap.  I caught a couple of 14″ croaker from my dock this weekend casting squid on a jig in shallow water for specks and puppy drum. Speckled trout are being caught on peelers and on lures. No citations this week but fair action as the fall run approaches. Flounder fishing has been slow this week.

Citations:
Croaker:
18″, 3 lbs., 1 oz caught oncut bait 8/25 at the Cell  by 9 year old Hayden Bell of Hopewell.”

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.

Virginia Saltwater Fishing News
The Virginia Recreational Fishing Advisory Board (RFAB) will meet to review the projects, listed below, which are currently under consideration for funding from the Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund (saltwater recreational fishing license funds). The meetings, on these proposals, will be held on Monday, September 8, 2008, 7:00 p.m., at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, Fourth Floor, Newport News.  Written comments, on the proposals, should be mailed to: Sonya Davis, VMRC Fisheries Management Division, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607 or E-mailed to: sonya.davis@mrc.virginia.gov .  Complete project proposals and additional information are available on the Internet at http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/vsrfdf/index.shtm .

Tentative Agenda

I.    Introduction, Announcements, Comments.

II.    Status of Fund.

III.    Review of Minutes from the July 2008 RFAB Meeting.

IV.    Multi-Year Projects for Renewal.

A)    2009 Children’s Fishing Clinic (Year 12). Rob Cowling, Newport News Rotary Club and Coastal Conservation Association-Peninsula. $6,000.

B)    2009 Kiwanis Club Children’s Fishing Clinic (Year 8).  Wesley Brown, Capital District Kiwanis Club.  $6,000.

C)    Federal Assistance (Wallop-Breaux) Matching Funds FY 2009.  Jack Travelstead, VMRC.  $321,820.

D)    Improving Stock Assessment of Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) – Year 2.  Y. Jiao, D. Orth, VPI & SU, and R. O’Reilly, VMRC.  $130,876.

E)    2009 Virginia Game Fish Tagging (Year 15).  J. Lucy, VIMS and L. Gillingham, VMRC.  $86,698.

V.        New Projects.

F)    Migrations of Adult Summer Flounder from Chesapeake Bay:  Implications for Stock Structure.  M. Fabrizio, M. Henderson, VIMS.  $83,605.

G)    Use of Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) to Determine the Fate, Movements, and Habitat Utilization of Red Drum Released from Virginia’s Recreational Fishery.  J. Graves, A. Horodysky, J. Lucy, VIMS.  $93,569.

H)    Seasonal Caloric Needs and Energy Intake of Chesapeake Bay’s Predatory Fishes:  Which Prey Fuel Growth and Reproduction?  A. Horodysky, R. Latour, VIMS.  $40,060.

VI.      Dates for Future Second Cycle 2008 RFAB Meetings.

Work Session (5:30 p.m.) & Final Recommendations (7 p.m.)    November 10

New All Tackle World Record Snowy Grouper
I met a very excited angler, Jere Humphries of Norfolk, VA to assist with the processing of a new pending IGFA All Tackle World Record Snowy Grouper.

The fish weighed in at 68 pounds, two pounds larger than the existing record. The fish was caught on August 17th, 2008 using a Boston Mackerel at the Norfolk Canyon off Virginia Beach. The boat was a privately owned vessel named “Bone Daddy,” The owner and Captain is James Collier.

This is an amazing record!

Congrats to the angler and crew!

The fish is also under consideration as the new Virginia State record Snowy Grouper.
Dr. Julie Ball

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
With water temperatures close to eighty, the flounder action is hit-and-miss, depending on which person you ask. Larger fish are responding for live baiters along the entire span of the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Although the 3rd and 4th islands are usually the hot spots, more and larger fish are now showing around the 1st island of the CBBT. Drifters are finding keepers in the lower bay inlets, the small boat channel at the CBBT, the Baltimore Channel passing near Cape Henry, buoy 42, and Back River Reef.

Cobia are continuing their late summer trend of favoring buoys and bridge pilings. A smattering of fish cruising along the surface on the ocean front is also contributing to the latest catches. This pattern should only improve over the next several weeks. Cobia chummers are also scoring with some decent fish within bay waters. (Picture above is from post by TidalFIsh member Healthy Grin, check out their awesme day offshore report here .) Spadefish are swarming around pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with sheepshead lurking underneath. Most spades are on the smaller side lately. The sheepshead have responded a little better this week, but nothing to indicate a turn around. The trigger fish action is still a go with a few bigger fish starting to show. With no limits on these fish, anglers are loading up on lower bay and coastal wrecks, as well as the CBBT structure.

Spanish mackerel action is still off the charts, with several citations up to 5-pounds registered recently. These fish will chase small Clark and Drone spoons trolled at a quick clip along the ocean front and the Cape Henry tide rips. The good run of king mackerel off Virginia Beach is still going on. The easterly wind direction this week should push in clearer water, and kick the king action up a notch. Fish are falling mostly trolled live bait, with menhaden the top performer lately. Several smokers over to 30-pounds were boated from Sandbridge to False Cape this week. Robert Warren of Portsmouth scored with three nice kings up to 37-pounds he hooked while slow trolling bunker in about 20 feet of water. Trollers are also reporting catches of small mahi in these same areas.

Tarpon are elusive relatives of the bone fish and the lady fish. These air-gulping wonders will roll and frolic all around your bait, as you roast in the heat without a hit. These fish are still active in the back waters of the Eastern Shore, with Oyster a favorite location.

Red drum are on a late-season roll, with good action through the full moon cycle last-week on the Nine Foot Shoal. Black drum are still schooled at the 3rd and 4th islands, with several releases reported.
Count on the big croaker numbers to climb as Fall approaches, with some anglers already complaining they are a nuisance. The back waters of Oyster are still providing good hardhead action on squid and shrimp. Spot are also active at the first island, and the Concrete ships with plenty of keepers available.

Jack Crevelle are lurking around the CLT, and big amberjack will take any offering at the South A tower. Be prepared, anglers are sorting through dozens of fish before earning a Virginia state citation, which is common for this time of year.

Offshore, billfish is spread out, but the action should improve through the month. Blue marlin, white marlin, and a smattering of sails are possibilities. Christopher Pratscher of Virginia Beach released a big blue marlin while fishing aboard the Backlash out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center this week. Tuna action can improve, with reports of scattered yellowfin to 60 pounds and a few bigeye tuna around. Plenty of dolphin with some big gaffers mixed in, are hanging on pots and weed lines. Wahoo are available in about 30 fathoms of water.
Until next week, good luck fishing!

Julie
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative,

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “We saw our first cobias of the season on Friday.  The two anglers fished the York Spit area and registered two release citations, kept two fish and released their fifth and sixth fish.  All were caught on unspecified live bait.  More than one fish “tail danced” on being hooked. The first pan sized keeper Gray Trout have made a showing in the Piankitank, biting on bloodworms. Spanish in good numbers are still available  in lower Fleets Bay, along the drop off at Windmill Bar.  Spanish bite best at 6-8 knots as shown on the GPS.  Slower speeds produce bluefish.   A charter aboard LESS STRESS had 29 keeper Spanish and over 40 keeper Bluefish Sunday. 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 and croaker are mixed in.  Flounder fishing improved this week with 4 citation fish.  Jigging cut bait and Gulp Jerk Shad has been effective as has been jigging live spot.  The huge 11 lbs, 9 oz specimen we registered on Thursday was one of 6 keepers caught jigging  strips of squid.

Citations:
Flounder:
31″,11 lbs, 9 oz  caught 8/14 at Buoy 42 on a jigged squid strip by David Hamnett of Richmond.
26.5″,8 lbs, 3 oz  caught 8/14 at Buoy 42 on a jigged live spot by Bill Sherman of King George.
26.5″,7 lbs, 12 oz  caught 8/16 at Buoy 42  on cut bait by William C. Jarrell of Gloucester.
27″,7 lbs, 0 oz  caught 8/13 at the Cell  on cut bait by Rommie L. Head, Jr. of Hampton.
Cobia:
Patrick Winter of Gloucester earned a citation for releasing a 52″ cobia caught 8/15 at York Spit on live bait”

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
As we push toward the end of summer, anglers are finding a multitude of different fish to target. Flounder is still the main attraction inshore, with doormats lunging at live bait presented around structure in the lower bay. The Cell area, as well as the 1st and 4th islands of the Bay Bridge Tunnel are producing. Keeper flatties are also coming from offshore wrecks. Although each day is a gamble, whether you are drifting, live-baiting, or jigging, odds are good for landing keepers with a few trophies scattered in. On windy days, Lynnhaven Inlet is providing good catches of decent fish lately.(pictured: FellowTFer ClassicRockfish and family with  a nice catch from the other day. Check out the full report with pictures here. ) The next top species is cobia. The transition to their usual top-water rendezvous with structure is providing a new approach for cobia hunters. More fish are also beginning to cruise the surface. While most of cobia are still not huge, a few whoppers are taking offerings, especially along the coastal waters off Sandbridge and False Cape. This trend should continue to gain momentum.

The king mackerel bite continues at a steady pace. With cooler air temps this week, kings should become more active along the shoreline, especially if an easterly direction is mixed in. Trollers are reporting scattered catches of fish ranging to about 20-pounds by live baiting and fast trolling south of Rudee Inlet in about 20 to 60 feet of water.

According to local charter captains, the Spanish mackerel fishing along the coastal Virginia Beach is some of the best they have seen in years. Big fish, with many ranging from 22 to 24 inches, are keeping trollers content. A fast presentation of small Clark or Drone spoons on a planer will do the trick for some decent Spanish action.

Red drum are still schooling around the lower bay shoals and near the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT. Black drum are also still meandering around the four artificial islands of the Bridge Tunnel where folks are hooking and releasing fish on artificial lures.

The great puppy drum action is still going on within most any skinny water location in Tidewater, with steady action within Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. These young reds will hit a variety of baits, with fresh cut mullet and Gulp mullets the top choices lately.

Most have lost interest in spadefish, but some decent sized fish are still available along the northern span of the CBBT, the four artificial islands, and many inshore structures. Folks are spotting numerous sheepshead along the pilings of the CBBT mixed in with the spades and triggerfish, but they are not taking baits easily for most. And what about those triggers? They are everywhere on lower bay structures and inshore wrecks. These little fish will take most any offering on most any type of rig. But be aware they can pack a nasty bite.

Croaker are everywhere. Bigger hardheads are coming from the deeper areas north of the 3rd island of the CBBT, Back River Reef, and the Cell. The folks at Ocean’s East 2 report that big fish to 2-pounds are coming from the West Norfolk Bridge area in the Elizabeth River. Anglers fishing Oyster are also still filling coolers in the back waters. Tarpon are also available in the deeper holes and along the cuts in Oyster.

Nice spot are hitting within Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets on bloodworms, with good numbers of smaller fish also available off Cape Henry. Pier catches are routine for this time of year with small croaker, spot, and bluefish the norm, with a shot at a king or Spanish mackerel from the beach piers. Small pompano are also showing off the Oceanview pier.

Amberjack are providing good opportunities on offshore wrecks and at the Southern Towers. Although most don’t consider jack crevelle to be an inshore species, often these fish are noted schooling around the bay late in the summer. Although catches are not common, trolling spoons and live bait in these areas may entice a lucky hit. Schools of jack crevelle were spotted at various locations near the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT lately.

Not many boats made it offshore this week, but Captain Steve Richardson skipper of the Backlash out of the Fishing Center predicts that the marlin bite should still be decent at the Canyon. He also had a few nice catch of 60-pound class yellowfin tuna and nice gaffer dolphin recently. Scattered citation dolphin and big wahoo are also still in the mix, mostly coming from the Cigar area.

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 - Donna at Captain Bob’s reports that fishing in Chincoteague is excellent. Although many species had a slow start due to a late spring with high winds, once the flounder showed up, fishing took off like a NASA rocket! It hasn’t slowed up yet. Currently, the hot catch is croaker and kingfish, with some spot mixed in. The occasional flounder are also available. Offshore, anglers must venture to the 30 or 40 Fathom Line to hook up with some yellowfin tuna. Large dolphin were found beyond the Parking Lot area. Bluefin tuna fishing has died back considerably, but the wrecks are busy with spadefish, triggerfish, a few sea bass and tautog. Other offshore reports included whale sightings, hundred of various types of turtles, and schools of colorful fish.

Wachapreague - At the Wachapreague Marina, the weather kept many anglers home this weekend. Those that went out found really nice tautog and black sea bass at the offshore wrecks. Offshore, the tuna run has stopped, but anglers have caught plentiful dolphin. In the bay, coolers were filled with croaker, and flounder are plentiful. Sea mullet and spot are numerous as well. Citations for the week include sea mullet and croaker. Anglers are catching croaker and flounder at Captain Zed’s Marina. In fact, the large croaker finally seem to have arrived. Sea mullet were caught as well. Citations this week include a 10-pound flounder. Offshore, black sea bass were found at the wrecks. Tuna fishing was slow, but gaffer-sized dolphin were hooked. A few white marlin have been spotted in the Norfolk Canyon as well.

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “Spanish in good numbers are still available  along the drop off at Windmill Bar and there have been  fish caught near R2 and southward towards Wolf Trap.   Spanish bite best at 6-8 knots as shown on the GPS.  Slower speeds produce bluefish. Small to medium croaker 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 are mixed in. Flounder have slowed.  We only registered one citation this week and it came from jigging rather than trolling or drifting. Red Drum continue to available almost anywhere there is grass or shell bottom.   They are  mixed in with croaker, spot and small stripers and are hitting Gulp baits.  The creeks are full of small menhaden and the drum are feeding on them as are speckled trout and bluefish. Blues caught trolling are pretty good size (1-3 lbs) and there are a lot of them around the Cell, Buoy 42 and Windmill Bar.Citations:
Flounder:
26.5″,7 lbs, 1 oz  caught 8/7 at the Cell on a jig by Eli Shirley of Ruther Glen.”

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing

As the summer trend presses on, many favorite species are available within Mid Atlantic waters. The inshore scene is dominated by cobia and flounder this week. Stealthy cobia are making a strong showing in lower bay and in coastal waters along the Virginia Beach ocean front. Anglers are having good luck with both chumming and sight casting, with some fish pushing to over 70-pounds. Be sure to carry a rigged live bait for that surprise cruising fish while out on the water. The Bay Bridge Tunnel is also giving up good numbers of cobia, with anglers pulling both big and small fish off bridge pilings. One boat had eleven fish come off the CBBT structure in one outing.

Bluewater anglers are experiencing good billfish action, with white marlin, some blues, and a good number of sailfish on the prowl. The best billfish action is still coming from the Canyon around the 450 line. Scattered catches of yellowfin tuna are trickling in. Nice gaffer dolphin and a few wahoo are also available.
Until next week, good luck fishing!

Julie
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative,

Virginia’s Eastern Shore Fishing Report
Covering Inshore and Offshore Fishing out of Wachapreague, Chincoteague and Assateague
by Kevin of Lyn B Sportfishing - TidalFish.com Correspondent
Kevin must be into some good fishing right now.

Kevin of Lyn B Sportfishing, a 34ft custom sport fisherman Captained by Bill Bowen. They offer inshore, wreck and offshore fishing adventures. Fishing from the Wachapreague, Wachapreague . Call 757-787-1074 to book a trip.

Luckily we have some reports from the Virginia Saltwater Review covering this region.
Chincoteague - Donna at Captain Bob’s reports that 2008 is going to be remembered for a great fishing year in Chincoteague waters. Even though we are in the second week of August, anglers are still finding keeper flounder! Whether fishing from a boat, land or surf, there will be tons of fish. Anglers are finding croaker, plenty of spot, sea robins, and dogfish. Offshore, tuna action has dropped off, but the dolphin action has taken off! Abundant large dolphin up to 24 pounds were landed last week. At the Norfolk Canyon, blue marlin can be found, and spadefish and triggerfish have started hitting at the wrecks.

Wachapreague - This week at the Wachapreague Marina, fishing has been slow. Some boats have done well with marlin and a few dolphin offshore. The tuna fishing has slowed considerably. Inshore, a few legal-sized flounder have been caught. Nice catches of dolphin and tuna were reported from Captain Zed’s. Also offshore, black sea bass and tuna are biting. In the inlet, numerous croaker and flounder were biting this week. One angler caught 58 large croaker in one trip.

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “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. Lots of Spanish are available  along the drop off at Windmill Bar and there have been good numbers of fish caught near R2 and southward towards Wolf Trap.   Spanish bite best at 6-8 knots as shown on the GPS.  Slower speeds produce bluefish/ Flounder season reopened with fishing slower than it was when the season closed.  Although there were 13 citations registered this weekend, the fish were hard to find.  Our citations include 8 caught during the Mathews Boys and Girls Club Flounder Tournament on Saturday August 2d.  About half the boats that fished the tournament had no keeper fish to weigh in.   Sever weather during the weigh-in and awards ceremony precluded pictures from the tournament.  Tournament results will come from Chris Denton, (Tournament Director) and will be posted on Tidal Fish Virginia Angler forum. Red Drum continue to available almost anywhere there is grass or shell bottom.   They are  mixed in with croaker, spot and small stripers and are hitting Gulp baits.

Tournament fish:
27″,7.36 lbs,   caught 8/2 at Buoy 38 on live spot by Randall L. Campbell of Amherst.
25″,7.0 lbs,   caught 8/2 at Buoy 42 on a minnow by Jeremy M. Healy of Gloucester.
28″,8.73 lbs,   caught 8/2 at the Cell on live spot by Louis G. Swingle of Mechanicsville.
28″,8.94 lbs,   caught 8/2 at Buoy 38 on live spot by John Fiedorowicz of Hampton.
27″, 7.94 lbs caught 8/2 at the CBBT on live spot by Scott Davenport of Williamsburg.”

Cory Ruthless Routh has been telling me about the redfish fishery that exists in Lynnhaven in Virginia Beach for about three years. Every year we talk about me coming down and giving it a shot with him, but either weather fouls us up or something else comes up this, that or the other and it just never happened. Cory called last week and said the fishing had been strong, I asked what he was doing on Friday and Saturday and he said come on down. Dalton and I packed up our stuff Friday morning and headed down the Eastern Shore and across the CBBT.

Cory had a morning kayak charter trip and we planned on meeting him around 1pm when he wrapped up his morning session. Dalton and I landed at Lynnhaven boat ramp a little early, so we grabbed a sub at Crab Creek Sub Shop and by the time we were done Cory and his crew were back at the ramp wrapping things up. Cory said the action was slow in the early morning, but picked up towards the end of the morning with a few nice fish landed.

We loaded up the kayaks with our light tackle and fly gear and paddled about thirty minutes to forty five minutes against the current to our spot. Second cast Cory hooked up on a nice Red. First cast Dalton hooks up on a good one. I thought, jimmy christmas this is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. I shot some pictures of Cory landing, tagging and releasing his fish. I turned around to take some pictures of Dalton’s fish, but he already landed and released it. We all starting casting again with high hopes of some fast and furious action….not so fast there cowboy, we keep casting and castling and nada. We fished this area for another 45 minutes or so and had nothing. We paddled to another spot and on my third cast I hooked a nice one that towed me around on the kayak for a few minutes. Landed him, got a few shots and started casting again. About ten casts later I hooked another nice one, got a good tow, snapped some shots, and released him. That was about it for the action the rest of the day because the tide just kept going out which did not make for good shallow water fishing.

We paddled back to the ramp and called it a day. Dalton and I headed back, showed and hit Chicks for a good seafood dinner and then called it a night. We decided that we would try to get out on the water Saturday morning early to try and catch the last part of incoming and then outgoing tide. Mark L from the TKKA kayak club, and who runs some charters for Cory, joined us Saturday morning as well. All four of us headed out around 6:15am hoping to find a load of redfish. We hit the spot where we had action the day before, nada, hit the other spot we had some action….Mark hooked up on a ray which pulled him around for a while. No reds to be found though. We paddled a ways to another flat and all spread out to cover the area and see if we could locate them, nada. We paddled a ways to another flat…nada. After a few hours of fishing we decided to call it given it seems they were just not going to bite and the tide was not going to turn again for another few hours.

We got back to the ramp around noon, packed up and headed home. Dalton and I hit Stingrays on the way home for lunch and loaded up on some more seafood. We stopped in to see Mason at Salisbury Fly Shop where Dalton got a heck of a deal on a spare spool for his J Ryall fly reel. We also ran in to a friend of mine who was visiting from the west coast, the fly fishing world is a small one that is for sure. After shooting some stuff for a while we jumped in the car and was home by 5:30pm-ish.

All and all it was a great trip. I used to do a lot more kayak fishing then I have lately, but it reminded me how much fun it is. Cory really knows the kayak gig well and worked hard to put us on the fish. Having a light tackle/fly fishing fishery for redfish as close as Virginia Beach is really cool and we will be back down to do it again soon!

Kayaks:
Native Manta Ray 14 ft
Native Ultimate 12ft
Native Ultimate 14ft
Heritage Redfish 14ft

Fishing Rod/Reel Combos:
Me: Shimano Calais Baitcaster on a GLoomis GLX 6′6″ rod with 20lb fireline
Dalton: Shimano Stadic 2500 on a Bass Pro Extreme 6′8″ with 10lb stren super braid
*Fly great really was not used since we did not find them schooled up.

Lures:
Redfish Magic rigged with a chartreuse 3/8oz Tidal Fish lure (caught both of my reds on this rig)
Redfish Magic rigged with a rootbeer Riptide plastic (Dalton caught his red on this rig)

Cory has a new book out on kayak fishing, I reviewed it before it was released and have to say I am pretty impressed with it. It covers about everything you need to know about kayak fishing, what you need, about different types of kayaks, and summary of destinations. Check it out or buy it below

Click here to read more and/or buy the book

The weather is great, its summer time, and the fish are here. So what could be better?  The debut of the much anticipated and prized Virginia king mackerel. The arrival of these toothy hunters kicks off the pier angler’s big scene. These fish are one of the most desirable species within range of the fishing piers. And a big scene it is, since once again the first reported king landing of the year is coming from the Little Island fishing pier this week. Two kings, with one smoker exceeding 50-pounds, were hooked from the pier using live bait on a pin rig, while another king was also landed from the Virginia Beach fishing pier using similar techniques.

Although king mackerel will dominate much of the interest along the beaches, nice Spanish mackerel continue to hit small spoons trolled at 6 to 8 knots along the beach in about 25 feet of water. Use small planers or 4 to 6 oz in line sinkers to place the spoons within range.

Flounder seem to be on everyone’s mind as folks find good luck with limits of nice fish, with several weighing in at over 10-pounds. Most of the larger fish are hitting live bait along lower bay structure, but drifters are also scoring with respectable fish. The hottest spots for dragging baits for flounder are the Baltimore Channel, the eastern section of the Thimble Shoal Channel, and the Cell and Buoy 36A areas. For live baiters, the Cell, the CBBT, and inshore wrecks are still providing very good results. Be mindful of the flounder closure from July 21st to the 30th.

Cobia are starting to show signs of their late summer pattern as they begin grouping in the lower bay and along coastal waters. More cobia are cruising the top waters, but most of the fish within the bay are only ranging to around 30-pounds. A few larger fish to over 70-pounds are coming from the CBBT structure and from the oceanfront buoy lines and wrecks.

Big red drum also continue to provide good top water action as they school around lower bay shoals and structure. Ben Shepherd and Rudy Levasseur, both of Chesapeake, had a good day when they released six bull reds hooked from a school they spotted while flounder fishing this week. Although not drawing much interest lately, black drum are also still hitting for casters around the 3rd and 4th islands of the CBBT on Storm lures and grubs. Continue Reading »

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
The Independence Day weekend is not the only event causing fireworks. The saltwater action along the Mid Atlantic coast is also going off. The flounder action is explosive this week, with heavy flounder tipping the scales daily at local tackle shops. Anglers are pounding the Bay Bridge Tunnel and other lower bay structures, mostly with live bait and jigs. Live spot is working well near structure, while 2-ounce jig heads adorned with shad-style plastics are a good choice for jigging around the piling bases. Strip baits are also producing some decent fish. Gerald George of Suffolk scored with a 7-pound, 1-ounce doormat near the CBBT on bluefish strips.

The Spanish mackerel scene is another hot topic. Folks trolling the lower Bay, the CBBT, and the ocean shorelines are finding limits of Spanish mackerel and a smattering of Taylor bluefish. Small silver and gold spoons weighted with in-line sinkers will do the trick in anywhere from 18 to 30 feet of water. King mackerel are next. Anglers continue to report sightings of kings skying and crashing on bait inshore, while small kings are biting trolled baits on the inshore lumps.

Tautog are also back in the picture, with anglers beginning to show some interest. Rob Collins of Norfolk was rewarded for his togging efforts with a nice 11-pound, 4-ounce fish he hooked on a lower bay structure using fiddler crabs. Sheepshead are still not on fire, but more frequent catches along the Bay Bridge Tunnel are beginning to show promise. A good showing of triggers in the same area are also keeping things interesting.

Spadefish action is still sketchy most everywhere, with small to medium-sized fish the norm right now. Some bigger spades are lurking around the High Rise span and the 4th island of the CBBT, if you can slow them down. This season’s trophy spade catches are behind last year’s entries, with no signs of catching up.

Although red drum are becoming more elusive, a few big reds are still taking baits intended for cobia. Black drum continue to bite around the artificial islands of the CBBT, where anglers are hooking an occasional fish while casting grubs and shads.

Cobia seem to be taking a break right now, with catches slowing even more this week. Frustrated anglers are reporting fish free swimming on the surface, but refusing any offerings. Chummers are also reporting slow action this week.

Puppy drum are active lately, with the best reports coming from the lower bay inlets and the HRBT. The Fishing Center reports that spot showed up within Rudee Inlet, with the average size around ¾ of a pound. Croaker are most everywhere right now, with some fish pushing 1.5 pounds near the Bay Bridge Tunnel and the Cell. The flurry of anglers rushing into Oyster is an indication that the hardheads made their debut in their back waters, where tarpon sightings should also come soon.

Amberjack are a good bet at the southern towers and some offshore wrecks such as the Triangles, and the Ricks and Hanks wrecks. Live bait is working well, while jigs are also a good alternative bait.  Deep droppers are finding plenty of nice tilefish, wreckfish, and blackbelly rosefish, which can offer a break during a slow offshore trolling day.

The offshore season is offering some good options. Billfish are making a good showing near the Triple 0’s and the Cigar, where a few sailfish releases and grand slams made for a great week. Although yellowfin tuna are scarce, bluefin tuna ranging from 50 to over 100 pounds are biting on the inshore lumps, with the Hot dog and 26-Mile Hill providing the best action. Some big gaffer dolphin to over 50-pounds are also available. The new state leading mahi landed this week by Burt Whitt of Norfolk while fishing on the Norfolk Blue in 100 fathoms has a story with a twist. The fish slipped into the water while at the dock, until retrieved by a helpful diver to then land safely on the scales.

Virginia’s Eastern Shore Fishing Report
Covering Inshore and Offshore Fishing out of Wachapreague, Chincoteague and Assateague
by Kevin of Lyn B Sportfishing - TidalFish.com Correspondent
Kevin is probably busy fishing this week.

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters

Jerry writes, Continue Reading »