Cobia 2 at a time!
VBSF STAFF-
Cobia are cruising the surface of the lower Bay. Hot spots include Latimer Shoals, Bluefish Rock and the Windmill Bar. Be sure and check around each buoy you pass. Most fisherman are chumming but many fish are caught by sight casting. Try casting live Eels, Spot, Croaker or bucktails to them.
30 inch Spanish!
Anglers are having good success with Spanish Mackerel throughout the Bay and along the oceanfront. The water temp along the oceanfront is 75 degrees now. Clark spoons and Drone spoons are what most anglers troll behind an in-line weight or a planer board. Surface birds are another good method of presenting baits for the mackerel and bluefish. Gotcha plugs are most popular from the pier.
Sheepshead are on structure. Crabs are best for targeting them.
Spadefish are at the Chesapeake Light Tower and showing around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel now.
Flounder are hanging around the bridges, the CBBT, Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Monitor Merrimack Bridge Tunnel.
Big red drum are still available throughout the lower Bay. Latimer Shoal and the shallow water near the northern section of the CBBT are where most of the fish are caught, but schools can pop up anywhere around the CBBT area. A popular angling technique for drum fishing is anchoring and chumming over the shoals.
Nice size Bluefish are being caught around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Good sized Speckled Trout are being caught in the rivers, the Elizabeth, the Piankatank, the Rappahannock rivers and the Mobjack Bay area. Popping corks, topwater baits, and soft plastics on 1/4 ounce jig heads have been effective. Spot and Croaker fishing is picking up in the rivers.
Black seabass are avaliavle on the near shore ocean wrecks and reefs.
Juniper Crew, 227 pound Big Eye Tuna
Offshore crews are finding some very nice Big Eye Tuna and Wahoo. Yellowfin Tuna and Dolphin are also available. Deep droppers are catching nice Tilefish. Amberjack are around the towers.
The 2023 Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament, a signature event for sport fishermen in Virginia was a success this weekend. It was founded in 2005 and is held annually in June. The winners of the 2023 tournament were announced on June 24th after three days of fishing. Here are the results:
– HEAVIEST AGGREGATE TUNA: The JUNIPER took the first place with 227 pounds, followed by the WAVERUNNER with 170.7 pounds and the WIDOW MAKER with 122 pounds.
– LARGEST SINGLE TUNA: The JUNIPER also won this category with its 227 pounder, while the WAVERUNNER came second with its 170.7 pounder and the LJ EXPRESS V third with a 95.9 pound tuna.
– LARGEST DOLPHIN: The RELENTLESS caught a 17.5 pounder to claim the first place, while the MOW MONEY and the SPIROS got the second and third places with 13.5 and 7.5 pounds respectively.
– LARGEST WAHOO: The FLY’N FISH landed a 60.8 pounder to win this category, followed by the LULU with a 44.2 pounder.
– TOP LADY SINGLE TUNA: MICHELLE JENNINGS caught a 42.2 pound tuna to take the first place, while LISA PATE and RHONDA ABELL got the second and third places with 40.6 and 39.0 pounds respectively.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants of the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament!
North Carolina Report
Very Nice Wahoo!
Local OBX piers have seen King Mackerel and Cobia, along with Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish. Bottom fishing on the piers has yielded Sea Mullet, Spot, Croaker, Sand Perch, and Skates.
On the sound side, there have been large Speckled Trout, the best quality in a long time. There have also been Drum near Oregon Inlet.
Surf fishing has produced Flounder, Sea Mullet, Pompano, Bluefish, Croaker, Stingrays, and some big Red Drum.
The offshore fishing has been good for Yellowfin and Big Eye Tuna. However, the sharks have been a problem and have taken many of the fish before they reach the boat. There have also been Dolphin and a few large Wahoo.
Book your Virginia Beach fishing trip!
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