Recent cold fronts brought some welcome relief from the heat this week, and the fishing is still heating up. The inshore species are providing good action, while the offshore billfish scene is also picking up.

Flounder action is still steady recently. Anglers drifting with strip baits and minnows are finding nice fish at the Cell, the Hampton Bar, and the Thimble Shoal Channel. Plenty of keepers are taking bait, with several fish pushing near 8-pounds in the mix. Those dropping live bait and jigs on lower Bay structures are also finding nice fish along the CBBT near the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th islands, as well as the High Rise. Within Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, flounder enthusiasts are finding fewer keepers, but those working for their catches are finding fish ranging to 23-inches. Anglers are having good success using peanut bunker as bait within the Lynnhaven Basin lately.

Cobia continue to provide very good action, with the larger fish making a good showing this week. Chummers are scoring with a nicer class of fish using chunks of bunker, live eels, and live croaker fished on the bottom. The best locations for chumming lately are the seaside areas of Fisherman’s Island, the Nine foot shoal, and Latimer shoal. Sight-casters are finding incredible catches, with another state leading fish hitting the scales. David Otts of Elizabeth City found the 107-pound, 6-ounce brute while he was fishing near the 4^th island. More pods of cobia are starting to form near the mouth of the Bay, making an easy target. Red drum are also schooling around the mouth of the Bay, with reports of schools also showing off the Virginia Beach ocean front, especially off Sandbridge.

Another new visitor has joined the summer-time show. Several sight-casters are reporting sightings of jack crevelle within the lower Bay. Often these members of the jack family are noted schooling around the lower Bay late in the summer, especially near the shoal areas and the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Although catches are not common, trolling spoons, sight-casting, and live bait can entice a hit.

According to the folks at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, Puppy drum action picked up within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlet. Anglers are casting Gulp lures with good results, with most pups ranging over 20-inches.  Medium sized spot are also around, with Little Creek providing the best action this week, where a few fish are pushing to near 14-ounces. Smaller croaker are everywhere from the HRBT to the CBBT. The best hauls are coming from the backwaters of Oyster, where fish are pushing to 2-pounds.

The folks at Chris’ Bait and Tackle report a few tarpon sightings and landings this week.

Sheepshead action is still good, with fish to14-pounds taking fiddler crabs or clam presented along the Bridge Tunnel complex. Rob Choi of Richmond scored with three sheepshead ranging to 13-pounds while offering fiddler crabs at the CBBT from his kayak. Plenty of triggerfish are also available in these same areas. Spadefish are still schooling around near shore wrecks, the span of the CBBT, especially the 3^rd and 4^th islands, as well as the High Rise area. Most of these fish are ranging to around 4-pounds.

Spanish mackerel action off the ocean front is good lately, with larger fish pushing to over 2-pounds taking trolled spoons in water as shallow as 15-feet. Boats are finding schools of Spanish busting the surface, as far as 5-miles out, making a fun catch for sight casters. Taylor bluefish are also mixed in with the Spanish. While trolling for Spanish off Rudee Inlet this week, the crew of the Git-R-Done out of The Fishing Center boated and released a 24-inch sailfish on a Clark spoon.

Amberjack are a no-brainer at the South Tower, where anglers are finding good numbers of big fish. A few Barracuda are also coming from the same area.