Virginia Beach Fishing Report

Nice Spanish on the Ocean Pearl

Summer is winding down; the kids are back in school and the college football season is here. Anglers are looking forward to cooler temps and lots of migrating fish. We’ll be posting our fishing report twice a month, from now until March, most likely on the 1st and 15th.

Spanish mackerel fishing picked up in the Bay again last week. Crystal clear water and lots of nice size fish jumping. Thomas Herrera earned a state citation for a 28″ fish. He also registered a 43″ jack crevalle release and a 96″ bull shark release.

Good sheepshead fishing is continuing around the pilings of the CBBT. Long Bay Pointe recently weighted a number of nice fish. Matthew Green had a 12 lb. 1 oz., Tom Turley a 10 lb. 4 oz. and Robert Perez a 10 lb. 12 oz.

There’s still plenty of cobia in the Bay and along the oceanfront. Look for them under any large school of rays you spot. The large red drum bite has been steady also. George Spangler registered a 54″ red drum release and a 54″ cobia release. Chris Sadler had a 50″ cobia release, Chadwick Hayes a 52″ cobia release, Erick Simon a 52″ cobia release and Stephen Koffman a 51″ and 60″ cobia release.

The puppy drum bite has been excellent inside many of the inlets and rivers. There’s been a few nice flounder caught. Luke Rhoades weighted a 8 lb. 8 oz. flounder.

Good catches of croaker, bluefish and sea mullet are being had in the bay. The Cell area has been good. Spot action should pick up in the rivers. The big yellow belly run should occur before long.

The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier is reporting small spot, roundhead and an occasional ribbon fish or spanish mackerel.

Swordfish on the High Hopes

Offshore trollers are finding yellowfin tuna, mahi, marlin and swordfish. Deep droppers are catching tilefish. Inshore ocean wrecks are holding seabass and flounder.