Virginia Saltwater Fishing Report

Awesome tagged red drum from Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program volunteer Rick Wineman

There’s world class fishing taking place in our backyard! Huge schools of red drum have been surfacing daily in the lower Bay. As long as no one spooks them, some days angers can sight cast them for an hour or more.

Cobia are throughout the bay now, the lower bay is still the best location. Bucktails have been working well for the sight casters, but having a live eel or croaker at the ready is a good plan.

Great fishing on High Hopes Charters

Spanish mackerel schools are available in warmer water. With shifting winds recently, the water temperature has been fluctuating wildly from day to day. Anglers are trolling Drone and Clark spoons behind line sinkers or planers. The fish are scattered along the oceanfront to Cape Henry and into the bay, all the way to Reedville.

Nice flounder catch on Paige II Charters

Flounder fishing is good. Fish in the 4-pound range have been caught near the CBBT, the Cell and around wrecks. Inshore ocean wrecks have also been good spots for the flounder.

There are lots of sheepshead in the lower bay, especially around the CBBT. Most anglers choose to use fiddler crabs, but cut crab, sand fleas, and fresh clam will do the trick. August 30^th thru Sept 1^st, Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle will sponsor a three-day sheepshead fishing tournament with a daily Calcutta and an overall winner determined by the two heaviest sheepshead stringer accumulated over the weekend.

Tautog are often caught while fishing for sheepshead. Tautogs must be a minimum of 16 inches to keep.

Spadefish are hanging around the CBBT, ocean buoys and the Light Tower. Anglers float fresh clam morsels to them on small hooks. If they are not aggressively feeding, try putting some chum in the water.

Nice little trout and puppy drum for Ken and Stan recently

Topwater baits have been productive for speckled trout on shallow grassy flats. Popping corks with shrimp type baits, and small swim baits usually work well. They also draw strikes from puppy drum, and rockfish.

Ocean structures are holding flounder, spadefish, and seabass. The deeper wrecks hold seabass, tilefish and grouper. Amberjacks are around the towers.

The crew on the “Renegade” from Mt. Pleasant SC did an overnight trip out of Rudee Inlet to round up some tuna last weekend!

The Bluewater boats are bringing in yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, big eye tuna, and mahi. White marlin releases are on the rise.

VBSF reports brought to you by Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle. Long Bay Pointe Marina and Coastal Fiberglass.