Fall is a time of transition. Our summertime visitors leave (both fish and people). The waters are less crowded and fish are very active. It is my favorite time of the year to fish.

Offshore, September is the time we have epic marlin catches. Boats come in with riggers full of release flags. It just has not happened this year. Billfish are being caught but in the 1 or 2 or 3 rate, not in the 10s, 20s, or even 30s we’ve had in some past Septembers. What we are having are good catches of tuna, dolphin and wahoo. Yellowfin and skipjack tuna are the most common catch but decent numbers of bigeye and even longfin tuna are being caught. A 71 pound 11 ounce longfin was weighed in that if approved will replace the long-standing Virginia record 68-pound albacore caught by Irv Fenton, Jr while fishing on Brent Meadors’ boat, Breike. Fall is the best time to catch swordfish but that fishery has been good all season. Boats dropping around 200 fathoms during the daytime have had consistent success on swordfish along with a bigeye tuna by-catch. Some are using electric reels to do this but you don’t need to. They make things easier but disqualify you from any record or trophy fish citation awards. Nighttime drifting is also producing swordfish and this resulted in a new state-record this year with a 466-pound swordfish caught on the Rebel.

Closer to shore, the wrecks are holding sea bass, triggerfish, and flounder. King mackerel and false albacore can be caught trolling spoons over and around wrecks. The Tower Reef area has been good for this. There are still some spadefish hanging around but they will be leaving as we progress into October.

Cobia are still being caught along the oceanfront and in the lower bay. September 30 is the last day of this fishery for both recreational and commercial anglers. Recreational anglers make sure that you file your cobia reports. VMRC needs a good count and you must do so if you want a cobia permit in 2020.

Schools of big red drum are being encountered by anglers looking for cobia. Big red drum are also being caught near the islands of the CBBT. Puppy drum have made a good showing this year and can be caught up on the flats. Most are under the keeper slot size. Speckled trout fishing is very good in both numbers of fish and the size being caught. This fishery is very weather dependent. If we can avoid any major winter kill this year, our speckled trout population looks very good. Tautog, sheepshead and triggerfish are being caught at the CBBT. As we move later into October, the sheepshead catch will diminish as the tautog catch increases. Spot are being caught in decent numbers. They are making one of their better showings in the past several years.

There is a lot of interest in shrimp. We have always had some shrimp. The last few years, there have been eating-size shrimp here in very good numbers. They are being caught up in the creeks, rivers, inlets, and in the shallows on both sides of the bay. Fall is the prime time to catch these tasty critters. Recreationally so far, it is an unregulated species. It is time to get your cast net out and go catch some. Commercially, there is a very small trial fishery along the oceanfront south of Rudee Inlet. This will be the second year of the experimental fishery. Last fall was very successful with a very close monitoring of by-catch.

The striped bass season opens on October 4 in the bay. The coastal season is already open. Virginia continues to move ahead of and beyond anticipated ASMFC action on this overfished species. The springtime trophy fishery was closed. The fall season bag limit has been reduced from 2 to 1 fish per angler in the bay. It has been 1-fish for some time along the coast. A new maximum size limit of 36 inches applies to both the bay and coastal fisheries. The minimum sizes have not changed: 20 inches in the bay, 28 inches in the coastal fishery.

NEXT REPORT OCTOBER 12th

Tom Mooney and Ann Mooney had a nice day catching cobia!

Hurricane Dorian has passed and local anglers are back at it! …. The cobia bite in the bay and along the oceanfront remains very good. Sight casting is most effective and live eels are the best bait. These fish should start exiting the bay and move south soon. But some should be available into October.

Cobia anglers are spotting schools of red drum. Dr Ken Neill did some trolling along the oceanfront September 7th. He saw lots of bait balls, plenty of cobia and a school of red drum. There were schools of spanish mackerel cutting bait. He managed to catch a couple of cobia and a nice king mackerel. He was using plugs.

Spanish Mackerel are still available throughout the lower bay and along the oceanfront.

Sheepshead catches around the CBBT were on the rise this week. Flounder reports were down.

Louis Glaser, Beth Synowiec nice trout!

The speckled trout bite is picking up. This weekend the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Virginia Beach Anglers Club and the Lynnhaven River Now organization are partnering on a tournament in the Lynnhaven and Lafayette Rivers, to highlight the importance of oyster restoration to healthy fisheries. There should be some trout hanging around the oyster bars. And Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle reports a lot of small puppy drum inside Lynnhaven.

Spot are being caught, but the big yellow belly run hasn’t occurred yet.

The Virginia Beach Fishing pier this week reported some spots, a few puppy drum , a few spanish and some blues.

Cool Change, Captain Craig Irwin …. nice catch

Bluewater anglers are releasing a good number of white and blue marlin. They are also finding hungry wahoo, mahi and tuna. Bottom bouncers are catching tilefish.

OBX NC

There has been some bluefish north of Buxton. Bluefish and trout have been plentiful at Oregon Inlet. Trout fishing has been good on all beaches.

Anglers fishing the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported slow action.

Outer Banks Pier Fishing Report, Avalon: trout and bluefish. Nags Head: trout, drum, bluefish, black drum and pompano. Jennette’s: drum, croaker. Outer Banks: spanish, drum, bluefish and trout.

Boats fishing inshore report spanish, bluefish, some mahi and red drum. Trout fishing has been good inshore, with many catching limits.

Offshore captains are finding limits of mahi, yellowfin, blackfin, some wahoo and citation blue and white marlin. Bottom bouncers are catching plenty of tilefish.

With the college football season upon us and days away from school starting, the vacationing crowd will thin out considerably. But as we cruise towards the end of the summer … good opportunities remain for local anglers.

Flounder did not disappoint this week and their numbers and size should get better through September. The CBBT, the Cell, artificial reefs and ocean wrecks are holding fish. Bucktails and strip baits work well, but live spot is best for larger flounder.

Spanish mackerel are still being caught along the oceanfront and in the Bay to the Potomac River. Trolling with a Drone or Clark spoon behind an in-line sinker or diving planer works well. Using a surface bird in front of a spoon will attract bites.

A lot of nice king mackerel have been caught along the coast lately. They are most likely feeding on the large number of ribbonfish in our waters.

Cobia fishing is peaking. Late August through September is best. This is when some of the largest fish seem to be weighed. Many charters are reporting quick limits every day. Sight casting with live eels is the most effective method.

Red drum are still around but catches slowed last week.

Spadefish are hanging around the CBBT. The size of the spades is smaller than those caught earlier in this season. Triggerfish are also hanging around the pilings and a few tautog are being caught as well.

Schools of large yellow belly spot will start showing up in local waters soon. They provide great action for families with young anglers. When they are biting you can catch them two at a time as soon as your bait hits bottom. Bloodworms seem to work best but bloodworm flavored fishbites will do the job as well.

The speckled trout bite has picked up slightly in bayside creeks along the Eastern Shore.

Offshore fishing is good. Anglers are catching tuna, wahoo, dolphin and blue and white marlin. The Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament is taking place this weekend. You can checkout the standing at https://vbbt.com/

OBX, NC

Overall surf fishing is slow. Anglers are catching a few croaker and pompano down on Hatteras Island and some bluefish around Oregon Inlet.

Soundside on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway action is slow, a few small croaker, trout, flounder and black drum.

Outer Banks pier anglers are catching a few spot, flounder, bluefish, pig fish and sand perch.

Boats fishing inshore are catching false albacore, bluefish, ribbonfish and spanish mackerel. Those fishing inside the inlet are catching bluefish and trout.

The OBX offshore fleet is returning with a few yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, dolphin and tilefish.

Paige II Charters

Some nice flounder limits were had this week. Jigged buck tails are producing … but drifting with live bait  entices the larger fish. The hot spots are along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and near the Cell. There are some keeper inside local inlets as well. Captain Craig Paige, Paige II Charters landed some nice ones on his last trip. (above)

Spanish mackerel catch numbers slowed a bit this week. But there’s still some nice ones around. It’s been a great season, with many fish in the four to five pound range.

King Mackerel are making a nice showing along the coast. Kings to fifty pounds have been weighed lately.

The cobia bite is still red hot and should remain so into September.  And large schools of red drum continue cruising in the lower bay.

Gray Trout are making a good showing, hopefully signaling a come back for the species. Look for larger fish in deep holes near the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and along channel edges. Most grays are in the four to eight pound range. The state record is 19 pounds and was caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in 1983 by Philip W. Halstead.

Spadefish catches are still good. Most catches are coming from around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Sheepshead are feeding on the pilings of the Bridge Tunnel.

We are getting closer to our yellow belly spot run. It usually occurs the end of August or during the first part of September. They love blood worms.

Speckled trout are in inlets and on grass flats. Topwater action will pick up in September. Eastern Shore actions has been good recently.

Offshore anglers are finding dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin and white marlin and a few sailfish. The big news from Rudee Inlet this week was that a pending Virginia State record swordfish was caught. The charter boat Rebel weighted a 466 pounder at Rudee’s Inlet Marina. Congratulations!

Deep dropping for tilefish is productive, a fifty five pound blueline was caught earlier this week. The Rudee Angler headboat makes regular tips. Give them a call to get in on the action.

OBX, NC

Surf fishing overall is slow. A few sea mullet and croakers north of Avon and some spanish and pompano south of the point.

Anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway are catching small puppy drum, flounder, trout and croakers.

The OBX pier report is: Avalon: spot, sea mullet, bluefish, flounder. Nags Head: spot, mullet, trout, false albacore. Jennette’s: black sea bass, croaker, sea mullet, triggers, spot, bluefish and false albacore. Outer Banks: spot.

Inshore boats are catching spanish and ribbonfish. Inshore sound side anglers are catching speckled trout.

The offshore fleet is catching plenty meat fish, dolphin, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna and wahoo. A few billfish are released daily.

188 lb yellowfin caught in Carolina this week!

This is prime billfish season along the mid-atlantic coast. White and blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish are all available now. Dolphin and tuna fishing is excellent many days ….. It’s exciting to see a few BIG yellowfin tuna being caught this year. One recently topped the scales at 188 pounds. Most have been caught in Carolina waters. Generally yellowfin that size are caught on the west coast. Its nice to see some showing up here.

The Ocean City White Marlin Open Tournament was held last week and Virginia Beach was well represented. The VB boat Chasin’ Tail, skippered by Captain Butch Davis took second place with a 74 pound white marlin. His angler was Nate Walker also from Virginia Beach. Team Backlash and Captain Steve Richardson finished third with a 73.5-pound white marlin. The fish was caught by Michael Wagner and worth $1.5 million in prize money. Congratulations to all.

The 30th annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies-Only Billfish Tournament out of Manteo, NC is underway now. The 36th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament begins Aug. 12 and runs thru the 16th. After that the tournament calendar points to Rudee Inlet. The 17th annual Wine, Women and Fishing ladies-only event is Aug. 17-18, followed by the 16th annual Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament on Aug. 21-24.

Knot Wish’n Charters

Inshore, spanish mackerel and blues are keeping charters busy. A gold Clark or Drone spoon seems to be working best. Mixed in with the spanish and blues are an unusually large number of ribbonfish. And don’t be surprised to pick up a nice king. Several nice one were landed close in this week.

Key Dreams Charters

Our flounder season is officially on now. Limits of quality fish are being weighed. Jigging bucktails dressed with strip bait or a scented Gulp work well. But remember big fish like big bait. A live spot should do the trick.

Cobia catches are being reported throughout the lower bay. Some really large ones have been landed recently, a few approaching 80 pounds. Live eels, live croaker are your best bait but they will hit artificial baits when spotted on the surface.

Red Drum are still available and should continue to be the rest of the summer.

Kevin Williams caught these on the Eastern Shore

Speckled Trout catches have been good recently.

There are good numbers of spot being caught in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Spot fishing peaks in August and September.

The Virginia Beach Pier reports a nice variety of fish. Cobia, black drum, puppy drum, flounder and spanish.

OBX, NC

Surf anglers on the northern beaches are catching flounder, sea mullet and spot. On Hatteras Island the catch has consisted of pompano, bluefish, spanish, croakers and sea robin.

The OBX pier rundown goes like this.

Avalon: Tiggers and spanish.
 Nags Head: spanish, bluefish, croaker and flounder.
Jennette’s: spanish, bluefish, croaker and flounder. Outer Banks: flounder, spot and sea mullet. Soundside anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway report trout and a variety of bottom fish.

Soundside boaters are catching trout, flounder, striped bass and sheepshead.

The near shore boats are picking up spanish, ribbonfish, bluefish and yes a few dolphin.

The offshore fleet is catching limits of dolphin. There are plenty of yellowfin around and a few wahoo.  Billfish are being caught and released daily. Amberjack are around towers and on structure.

High Hopes Charters

The outstanding fishing continues along the Virginia coast … with a lot of species available.

Spanish mackerel continue providing great action. Fantastic numbers and some nice size fish. Bluefish and ribbonfish are mixed in with them.

After a slow start flounder fishing is picking up steam. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, bay and coastal wrecks, artificial reefs and inside Lynnhaven Inlet are good spots.

Anglers continue catching cobia throughout the bay and along the coast. Chumming and using live or cut bait is working well. When fish are spotted near the surface anglers are sight-casting to them.

Knot Wish’n Charters

Large red drum are around the CBBT and along the coast. Puppy drum are feeding inside local inlets, Little Creek, Rudee and Lynnhaven ….. Rudee Inlet is still full of small stripers.

There’s a few sheepshead to be had along the CBBT.

Look for spadefish around the CBBT islands and navigation buoys. Triggers and spades are hanging around coastal wrecks.

Speckled trout numbers are decent throughout the lower bay and inlets.

Tarpon have shown up on the Eastern Shore in the barrier islands backwaters.

The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier reported roundhead, blues at the end of the pier, and flounder in the surf zone.

Our local offshore marlin tournaments should be great! Virginia bluewater action is fantastic right now. White and blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish are showing in good numbers. Dolphin fishing is fantastic. Maryland had a new state record dolphin caught last week.

The 46th annual White Marlin Open out of Ocean City MD is the first tournament up, August 5-9. Then comes the the 30th annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies-Only Billfish Tournament out of Manteo, NC on Aug. 10-11 and then the 36th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament on Aug. 12-16. After that the tournament actions gets real local, at Rudee Inlet. The 17th annual Wine, Women and Fishing ladies-only event Aug. 17-18, followed by the 16th annual Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament on Aug. 21-24.

Offshore deep-droppers are catching limits of tilefish. Amberjacks (wreck donkeys) are at the towers.

OBX, NC

Spanish, pompano, sea mullet, flounder and bluefish are scattered along the OBX from Kitty Hawk to Hatteras Island.

The OBX pier report goes like this, Avalon: mullet, bluefish and triggers. Nags Head: flounder, mullet, bluefish, and blow toads. Jennette’s: pigfish, gray trout, sea mullet. Outer Banks: gray trout, sea mullet and pigfish. Anglers on the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway are catching trout and bottom fish.

Inshore boats are catching trout, stripers, ribbonfish, spanish …. amberjack are on the near shore AR’s and around the Navy towers. Soundside fishermen are catching lots of trout.

The offshore fleet is catching limits of nice dolphin along with good numbers of yellowfin, black fin, a few wahoo. Daily a good number of blue marlin, white marlin and a few Sailfish are released.

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 angers can sight cast them  ….. for an hour at a time some days.

Cobia are throughout the bay. Sight casting is the most productive technic now.

Spanish mackerel schools are still thick and the fish are large. Anglers are trolling Drone and Clark spoons behind line sinkers or planers. The fish are scattered along the oceanfront from Sandbridge to Cape Henry, and in the bay all the way up to Reedville.

Ribbonfish are feeding near Cape Henry. Anglers are catching them on diving plugs. So you’ve never caught a ribbonfish? They have a striking appearance. Their tiny scales are bright silver, almost reflective. They have yellow eyes and a long mouth filled with sharp teeth. They are often caught by recreational anglers on piers and in the surf of the Southeast. Ribbonfish are a prized food fish in Japan, but have yet to be widely embraced by American eaters. The flesh is between flounder and sea trout – mild with a hint of briny, ocean flavor. The texture is delicate, with white, flaky meat. Cooking methods listed online include poaching, baking, steaming, sautéeing or deep-frying.

Paige II Charters

Flounder fishing is good. Fish in the 4-6 pounds range have been caught near the CBBT, the Cell and around wrecks.

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

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

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

The Virginia Beach Invitational Marlin Tournament is being held this week. Six boats fish day one and nine marlin were released. Short Rigger released a blue and 4 whites, Anticipation released a white, Sea Trader released a white, Bill Collector released a white, and Desperado released a white. All 22 boats are planning to fish day two.

Ocean Pearl Charters

Just when you thought spanish mackerel fishing couldn’t get any better, along come reports of 30 to 35 inch whoppers! There has to be a new state record swimming around out there! Drone or Clark spoons pulled behind a planer or an in-line sinker will do the trick. Watch for breaking fish under birds ,work tidelines and shoal edges.

Cobia action is still very good and should continue through the summer. Live eels and live croaker are the best baits now. Try chumming in areas where fish are know to hang out. Look for them near ocean and bay buoys and along the CBBT.

Knot Wish’n Charters

Big schools of red drum are still popping up. If you can’t find fish to sight cast try anchoring and chumming near shoals.

Spadefish are around structure and fall for pieces of clam. Once they are spotted chumming can draw them off the structure and keep them near the boat.

Ocean Pearl Charters

Good reports of flounder are coming from the CBBT area, the Cell and all the artificial reefs.

The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier is reporting spanish, blues, flounders and small roundheads.

Boats deep dropping on shallow ocean wreck are catching flounder and Sea bass. Deeper wrecks are holding sea bass and tilefish.

Offshore bluewater anglers are catching yellowfin tuna, big eye tuna, dolphin, wahoo and swordfish.

OBX, NC

112 pound wahoo caught on the Point Runner!

Surf fishing is a little slow, a few croaker, spanish and bluefish were reported on Hatteras Island and pompano, croaker and spanish and a few trout on the northern beaches.

The pier reports are, Avalon, slow. Nags Head, mullet, bluefish and spot. Jennette’s, black sea bass, pinfish and spot. Outer Banks, spot, croaker, sea mullet and gray trout. Sound side on the the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway, trout and spot.

Inshore Boats reported spanish, bluefish and ribbonfish. Inlet boats caught ribbonfish, spanish, trout and bluefish.

Offshore boats are catching yellowfin, blackfin, dolphin, wahoo and a few billfish.