Virginia Beach Fishing Rundown

Jayson Downs 57 pounds!

Virginia Beach’s inshore fishing action is starting to peak. Cobia, spanish mackerel, red and black drum, sheepshead and spadefish are all available now.

In the bay look for red drum near breakers along the northern portion of the CBBT and close to Fisherman’s Island. Black drum should be available around the islands of the CBBT.

Sheepshead are feeding on the CBBT pilings. Look for schools of spadefish around structure, buoys, towers and the CBBT.

Flounder are starting to bite along the CBBT and inside all three southside inlets.

Speckled trout action has slowed. The best locations to try are on the Poquoson Flats, in Eastern Shore bayside inlets, in all three southside inlets and along the beach.

Virginia Beach Pier anglers are catching spanish mackerel, bluefish, spot, roundhead, trout, skates and rays. The water temperature under the pier is 69°.

Offshore, Virginia bluewater trollers can expect increasing numbers of yellowfin tuna. Dolphin, wahoo and billfish will follow closely. Amberjack have started showing up around the offshore towers.

Deep-droppers can expect tilefish, grouper, red-bellied rosefish and other species. The headboats at Rudee Tours have been catching a variety of bottom dwellers on their deep drop trips.

Last week Captain Nolan at Aquaman Charters says his inshore crews caught spanish mackerel, a few cobia and spadefish. And his offshore deep drop trips produced nice catches of tilefish and sea bass.

Captain Todd and Jake Beck at Knot Wish’n Charters caught quality spanish mackerel and expect numbers to increase with rising water temperatures. They picked up bull red drum while trolling and by sight casting. They encountered cobia moving north along the oceanfront.

Captain David Wright on the High Hopes has been picking up nice spanish mackerel on his inshore charters. He will be running offshore charters very soon.

Dr Ken Neill has been targeting cobia mostly. On his last trip he caught six chumming.

OBX, NC

Offshore, tuna fishing has been red hot. This week a bunch of big eye tuna showed up. Dolphin numbers are good and billfish have been hooked and released. A lot of OBX boats are fishing in the Big Rock Marlin Tournament this coming week.

Closer to the beach, cobia, red drum, spanish mackerel and bluefish have been plentiful.

Speckled trout catches along the beach and in the sounds have been excellent. Puppy drum and striped bass have also been available.

Surfcasters are catching sea mullet, croaker, bluefish, blow toads, pompano and short flounder.

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