Virginia Beach Fishing Rundown

July and August are peak fishing months in our area. If I had to pick a top species this week it would be cobia.

Some extremely large cobia are cursing our waters right now. To catch one, cast, drift or slow troll live baits around buoys or underwater obstructions. You can also anchor and chum, then put out live baits in the slick. You can try fresh dead baits and cut bait on bottom under the slick. Keep an eye out for schools swimming on the surface. If you see schools of large rays, cobia are usually swimming with them. Don’t forget you need a cobia permit from VMRC to target cobia. Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle can help or you can visit the VMRC website and get one online. Its free.

Nice Spanish Fishing on the Ocean Pearl

All the VBSF charter boat sponsors are reporting nice catches of spanish mackerel. Look for them along the oceanfront and near tide rips in the bay. Ribbonfish are in the same areas. Captain Todd Beck, Knot Wish’n Charters has been catching spanish and ribbonfish and said the Marcia B caught a nice king mackerel last week.

If you want to get in on the action you need to call one of our sponsors ASAP. Word is you guys have them nearly booked solid.

Marcia B and Captain Kurt, pretty work!

Big bull red drum numbers are good this time of year. In July it’s not uncommon to find large schools feeding on the surface. Try casting bucktails to them, but just about any lure will work when they’re feeding on top. Hang on, bull drum to over 50 inches are not uncommon.

Captain Nolan Agner from Aquaman Charters says spadefish catches have slowed a bit. Most likely this is due to so many boats targeting them. If you can find an area that hasn’t been fish hard try some fresh clam, clam chum will keep them interested and up behind the boat.

Some nice flounder are being caught near the CBBT area. Any artificial reef is a good location to fish. Sheepshead are hanging around bridge pilings.

Spot and Croaker catches inside rivers are steady. Speckled Trout and puppy drum are inside Lynnhaven Inlet, more pups than trout.

Virginia Beach Fishing Pier anglers are catching spanish, sea mullet, bluefish and puppy drum.

BLUEWATER

Excellent catches of yellowfin tuna are still occurring offshore. Boats are also returning with mahi, wahoo, and bigeye tuna. Catches of blue marlin, white marlin are increasing. There’s excellent numbers of white marlin and tuna to our north, off Maryland. As these fish spread out they will start showing up on our docks. It only gets better!

Deep drop action on the Rudee Angler has been great for tilefish and seabass. Captain Nolan, Aquaman Charters reports lots of tilefish.

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