The other day I heard a customer that was in the store describe the current situation as “ summer doldrums “. He was correct. The weather is hot and balmy and the fishing seems a little sluggish and lack luster. All of which seem to be the recipe of negativity and general grumpiness in regards to our local anglers. However, there are positive aspects to even the most pessimistic properties of this inhospitable time of year.

The offshore scene is making waves, literally. Unsettled weather has kept some anglers mored in the slip. Nevertheless, there have been a few windows that allowed for the pursuit of pelagic prey. The inshore lumps off Chincoteague have been a little spotty with intermittent catches of yellowfin and mahi on both the troll as well as the chunk. The Washington has been a little more consistent with groups of whales pointing us in the direction of our treasured trophies. Most of the activity has consisted of mahi,yellowfin, and a few big eyes but we did get a report of the first wahoo abroad Chincoteague’s own “10-4 Joker” with Captain Crazy Larry. There has also been some deep dropping opportunities for tilefish to offset days where the screaming reels go silent.

The inshore and nearshore scene has still been dominated by some pretty good summer flounder fishing. Inside the inlets, the bite had been confined to the last of the flood and first of the ebb. Combinations of gulp and minnow or silverside are getting results when paired with a brightly colored teaser. There has also been a fair amount of hardheads lurking in these salty seaside sloughs. Most of these croaking critters are small, but we have seen a few that literally “ made the cut “ to the fillet table.

The nearshore structure has also been home to some fine tasting flounder. Anglers have jigged large 5”-6” gulp grubs to tempt keepers onto the ice. Triggers have been supplementing the action with a willingness to gobble up small chunks of clam floated over some of the same wrecks and reefs that you could find flounder. Cobia have been scattered thoughout the area. It would be a good idea to have an eel ready to be deployed if the opportunity presents itself.

The middle Chesapeake has definitely cooled down as the water temperature has heated up. The cobia, while still around, are spread out form the Smith Island target ship all the way to the CBBT. Anglers have had some success bottom fishing with hardheads, spot and kingfish coming over the gunwale. The top prize in the Tangier has been some nice mid summer black drum. A chunk of crab, a shell bottom, and some patients are all that is needed to bend a rod and stretch your line.

We checked with my buddy Capt. Chad from Earning Stripes Sportfishing for some news from the lower bay. Chad reported excellent Spanish mackerel trolling from the cell reef down to the bridge- tunnel. Clarkspoons behind planers trolled along the channel edges did the trick. Captain Nathan Beach of Beach’s Chesapeake Charters has been on the meat with some excellent red drum action which is expected to get even better as we move into August.

One day this past week, my son Sammy who works at the Tom’s Cove Visitors Center on Assateague, asked me to take him fishing after work. I was busy and time was in limited supply. I hesitantly agreed to try the surf for some spot and kingfish. With in minutes Sammy and I were totally engrossed in pursuit of panfish perfection. We had double headers of spot, kingfish, and even a trout. But most of all we had …FUN. So get out there make time and memories, but most of all, enjoy this wonderful place we call home!

Well with temperatures like these, one could say fishing should get easier. The fish may want to leap from the hot waters of the ESVA to cool down in a frying pan of grease . Now that’s a bit of a fish tale exaggeration, but it is pretty dang hot! Lucky there’s some fish and fishermen alike that are tough enough or possibly crazy enough to brave to heat to keep things going.

Flounder, both inside the barrier islands as well as on near shore wrecks have been the the center of our inshore activity. The Flood tide still is producing the best conditions around the inlets with its cool clean water pouring in from the Atlantic. It’s truly amazing to feel Gods air conditioning kick in as you near the inlet. The thoughts of hot, stifling, temperatures that leave us in a glaze of salt from perspiration instead of sea spray are literally melted away and replaced with bent rods and smiles. The baits of choice are silversides or minnows coupled with gulp and teasers with color combinations including orange, chartreuse, pink and white. The flounder that have taken up residence on our near by reefs and wrecks have been taking jigs tipped with gulp twitched directly over the structure.

Elsewhere, in the clear blue waters adjacent to our Eastern Shore, trigger fish continue to stretch lines around shallow wrecks where anglers offer small pieces of clam floated back in chum slicks. The sighting of coastal cobia have also improved around some of these same structures that offer an oasis of sea life.

In deeper depths, tuna are smoking drags as the chunk bite continues to keep steaks on the grill and smiles on our faces. Anglers on the troll have also had the chance to tango with some tuna as well as a handful of billfish, big eyes , mahi, and even a reported king sized king mackerel to add to the pelagic prize list.

The middle Chesapeake has had a little bit of an increase of activity in regards to speckled trout. Early morning flood tide has allowed some cooler water during prime feeding time. These spotted trophies of the shallows have been tempted into the net by paddle tails, mirrodines, and topwater “walk the dog” lures fished through the thick grasses of the ESVA Chesapeake shores and islands. Anglers continue their quest for cobia from the Smith Island target ship all the way down to the CBBT. Sight casting has been the most productive technique as these brown suited brawlers have spread though out the area. Anglers targeting spanish mackerel have had increasingly good results trolling 0 size Clarkspoons trailing #1 and #2 planners. Silver, pink, green, and gold spoons have helped to lure these speedy spotted quarry into the cooler and on to the dinner table. The reefs of the lower Chesapeake as well as the CBBT have been the scene of some pretty good sheepshead fishing along with a bycatch of juvenile black drum.

Bottom fishing has been fairly steady with anglers boating a mix of kingfish, hardheads and spot on bloodworms and crab baits.

We are so lucky to have such opportunities to enjoy the waters around the Eastern Shore. This week in addition to world class fishing there will be the 97th pony swim at Chincoteague. This is a really neat spectacle to participate in that leaves a mark on all young and old alike. So rather you are wrangling a tuna , tempting a trout or watching the saltwater cowboys swim a herd of Easter Shore mustangs across Assateague channel , get out there, stay hydrated, and enjoy this awesome place we call home!