July in upon us and we all want to see fireworks in the night sky as well as at the end of our line. So wrestle a RED, jig up a flaty with some WHITE gulp , and bend a rod on a scrappy BLUE. Just make sure you take time to participate in the sport that we enjoy so much in the country we love even more!
The BLUE of the Atlantic has stolen the spotlight as an offshore extravaganza offers great opportunity to tangle with a tuna as well as pursue other pelagic’s like mahi and deep water tiles. The Washington to the Norfolk canyons have been the most productive province as anglers troll sidewinders and daisy chains along with shirted ballyhoo to tempt tasty tuna to the gunwale. Blue/ white, pink/white, and purple/ black have been among the most tantalizing treats to lure fish to the cooler. Hopefully the tuna action holds and the mahi action magnifies as the summer surges on.
The waters closer to shore are offering some fine floundering with a side of superb seabassing. The flounder have taken up residence at wrecks and reefs in the 50-100 depth range and are targeting 2-4 oz jigs tipped with gulp curtail selections such as the swimming mullet and grub style baits. Spades and triggers are also abundant and will take suspended small chunks of clam when in the feeding mood.
Inside and around the inlets of the VA barrier islands islands, floundering is still flourishing. However, keepers continue to be hard to find. The period of time encompassing high water seems to be the most productive. Kingfish also have made their presence known around the inlets and in the surf. A small piece of bloodworm, crab , shrimp, or even Fishbites is all that is needed to get these tasty panfish into the frying pan. Inshore sharks continue to bend rods and provide sport. While most are species that need to be released, the action is second to none as anglers tempt these toothy predators with cut bait sweetened with a little chum.
While fishing has slowed a bit,the Chesapeake continues to offer some Cobia encounters as folks set out to tangle with the man in the brown suit from the Maryland line south. The CBBT as had the most action with good numbers coming from the bridge itself and as well as shoals and reefs like the cabbage patch. Who knows, you may even be blessed enough to partake in a surprise that will make memories for life. This past week I had 2 reports of large tarpon taking cut Cobia baits. One report ended in an unintentional release and the other with a boatside memory that will be talked about for years to come.
The shallows of the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are heating up…. In temperature that is. The fishing on the other hand seems to have cooled down, with the exception of the early morning hours providing a spec of hope. Rock and speckled trout are still lurking around the grass flats of the sounds. Surface plugs like “The Lonely Angler” have produced aggressive surface explosions that rival any Fourth of July fireworks.
As I sit here watching the fireball in the sky disappear and hopefully turn into fireworks on my line, it’s very clear that we are so fortunate to live in this wonderful place that we call home!
The BLUE of the Atlantic has stolen the spotlight as an offshore extravaganza offers great opportunity to tangle with a tuna as well as pursue other pelagic’s like mahi and deep water tiles. The Washington to the Norfolk canyons have been the most productive province as anglers troll sidewinders and daisy chains along with shirted ballyhoo to tempt tasty tuna to the gunwale. Blue/ white, pink/white, and purple/ black have been among the most tantalizing treats to lure fish to the cooler. Hopefully the tuna action holds and the mahi action magnifies as the summer surges on.
The waters closer to shore are offering some fine floundering with a side of superb seabassing. The flounder have taken up residence at wrecks and reefs in the 50-100 depth range and are targeting 2-4 oz jigs tipped with gulp curtail selections such as the swimming mullet and grub style baits. Spades and triggers are also abundant and will take suspended small chunks of clam when in the feeding mood.
Inside and around the inlets of the VA barrier islands islands, floundering is still flourishing. However, keepers continue to be hard to find. The period of time encompassing high water seems to be the most productive. Kingfish also have made their presence known around the inlets and in the surf. A small piece of bloodworm, crab , shrimp, or even Fishbites is all that is needed to get these tasty panfish into the frying pan. Inshore sharks continue to bend rods and provide sport. While most are species that need to be released, the action is second to none as anglers tempt these toothy predators with cut bait sweetened with a little chum.
While fishing has slowed a bit,the Chesapeake continues to offer some Cobia encounters as folks set out to tangle with the man in the brown suit from the Maryland line south. The CBBT as had the most action with good numbers coming from the bridge itself and as well as shoals and reefs like the cabbage patch. Who knows, you may even be blessed enough to partake in a surprise that will make memories for life. This past week I had 2 reports of large tarpon taking cut Cobia baits. One report ended in an unintentional release and the other with a boatside memory that will be talked about for years to come.
The shallows of the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are heating up…. In temperature that is. The fishing on the other hand seems to have cooled down, with the exception of the early morning hours providing a spec of hope. Rock and speckled trout are still lurking around the grass flats of the sounds. Surface plugs like “The Lonely Angler” have produced aggressive surface explosions that rival any Fourth of July fireworks.
As I sit here watching the fireball in the sky disappear and hopefully turn into fireworks on my line, it’s very clear that we are so fortunate to live in this wonderful place that we call home!
The heat has been very hard to beat as the temperature ascends to nearly unbearable marks. The water temperature has also been rising faster than a flood tide on a full moon. However, there are rewards for those who push on and pursue the summertime sportsfishing experiences that are offered by the greatest place in the world!
The “ hottest “ news has come from the cool blue waters of the Atlantic. The tuna bite continues to sizzle with drags screaming from the Poorman’s to the Norfolk. Yellowfin have eagerly taken sidewinders, as well as skirted ballyhoo and daisy chain style rigs. Tantalizing colors included purple/ black and pink/white combinations. A few marlin and mahi are also showing up, adding to the paligic dinner plate.
Farther inshore, flounder have taken up residence at their summer haunts around structure like the rail cars, wrecks ,and reefs. Most of the productive habitat has been in 100’ or less. With this week’s lighter winds, most flounder were coerced across the gunwale by jigging 2-4 ounce bucktail type jigs tipped with a 5-6 inch gulp mullet or grub bait. Pink shine, orange variants like orange belly shrimp or fire tiger, and good ol’ white have rung the dinner bell for the fish that offers a fin-nominal fillet. While you are just floundering around in the nearshore waters, try drifting a small chunk of clam on a small short shank hook, suspended over some of the shallower structure for some spade and trigger action that will always add a tasty tussle to any salty excursion. Don’t forget to have a jig or a live eel ready to deploy… the man in the brown suit has been spotted off the Va Barrier Islands and typically hangs around some of the same reef oasis’ that attracts flounder and other fish. Definitely a brown bonus to put the icing on the cake…and as hot as it is we need anything with the word ice in it!
The inshore report has been a little less exciting. There are still good numbers of flounder in and around the inlets of the ESVA. However, the keeper to throwback ratio has not promoted a big family fish fry at the end of the trip. Still, there are some nice fish, amongst the shorts and smiles amongst the beads of sweat. The best time has been around high water ( last of the flood and first of the ebb) when the water is little cooler and cleaner. Also, grab the kid’s, some cut bait and chum. A mouth full of toothy fun is only a fishfinder rig away. While not all regard sharks as a prestigious gamefish, they are a ton of sport and will make the hottest day pass with a breeze and memories last longer than a hot summer night!
The Chesapeake action has mainly centered around Cobia from the Maryland line down to the CBBT. While sight fishing with eels and jigs has been good, most fish have accepted a bunker chunk as an invitation to stay for dinner. Most of the action has been in water depths of 15-25 feet near a fairly steep edge or slough. We did best on a running ebb tide first thing in the morning, before the sun got high. The high temperatures have slowed shallow water angling a bit with the exception of some early morning top water activity that included some stripes and speckles.
This week has been challenging for the ES angler. The heat and humidity make it seem like our passion just isn’t worth it…However, the best way to beat the heat is a little salt spray on your face and a seabreeze in your hair (I know not my hair) . So get off the couch and get some Eastern Shore hydration that will remind you of how lucky we are to live this wonderful place we call home!
The “ hottest “ news has come from the cool blue waters of the Atlantic. The tuna bite continues to sizzle with drags screaming from the Poorman’s to the Norfolk. Yellowfin have eagerly taken sidewinders, as well as skirted ballyhoo and daisy chain style rigs. Tantalizing colors included purple/ black and pink/white combinations. A few marlin and mahi are also showing up, adding to the paligic dinner plate.
Farther inshore, flounder have taken up residence at their summer haunts around structure like the rail cars, wrecks ,and reefs. Most of the productive habitat has been in 100’ or less. With this week’s lighter winds, most flounder were coerced across the gunwale by jigging 2-4 ounce bucktail type jigs tipped with a 5-6 inch gulp mullet or grub bait. Pink shine, orange variants like orange belly shrimp or fire tiger, and good ol’ white have rung the dinner bell for the fish that offers a fin-nominal fillet. While you are just floundering around in the nearshore waters, try drifting a small chunk of clam on a small short shank hook, suspended over some of the shallower structure for some spade and trigger action that will always add a tasty tussle to any salty excursion. Don’t forget to have a jig or a live eel ready to deploy… the man in the brown suit has been spotted off the Va Barrier Islands and typically hangs around some of the same reef oasis’ that attracts flounder and other fish. Definitely a brown bonus to put the icing on the cake…and as hot as it is we need anything with the word ice in it!
The inshore report has been a little less exciting. There are still good numbers of flounder in and around the inlets of the ESVA. However, the keeper to throwback ratio has not promoted a big family fish fry at the end of the trip. Still, there are some nice fish, amongst the shorts and smiles amongst the beads of sweat. The best time has been around high water ( last of the flood and first of the ebb) when the water is little cooler and cleaner. Also, grab the kid’s, some cut bait and chum. A mouth full of toothy fun is only a fishfinder rig away. While not all regard sharks as a prestigious gamefish, they are a ton of sport and will make the hottest day pass with a breeze and memories last longer than a hot summer night!
The Chesapeake action has mainly centered around Cobia from the Maryland line down to the CBBT. While sight fishing with eels and jigs has been good, most fish have accepted a bunker chunk as an invitation to stay for dinner. Most of the action has been in water depths of 15-25 feet near a fairly steep edge or slough. We did best on a running ebb tide first thing in the morning, before the sun got high. The high temperatures have slowed shallow water angling a bit with the exception of some early morning top water activity that included some stripes and speckles.
This week has been challenging for the ES angler. The heat and humidity make it seem like our passion just isn’t worth it…However, the best way to beat the heat is a little salt spray on your face and a seabreeze in your hair (I know not my hair) . So get off the couch and get some Eastern Shore hydration that will remind you of how lucky we are to live this wonderful place we call home!
