Coastal Fishing Reports

Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 10 Update:

Dolphin remain at bass pots on the inshore grounds, while sea bass and flounder are also thick at the wreck and reef sites. Offshore, tunas have been a bit tough to come by recently but billfish are around in impressive numbers and are more than filling in the gap. On the beach it’s mostly panfish, but some larger fish are showing up as well, and in the coastal bays flounder and croaker are the main bites.

We had subscribers report good mahi action at inshore bass pots over the holiday weekend running from Delaware down through the Virginia ports. Captain Cook of First Light Charters checked in from Delaware, and said he’s seeing lots of inshore mahi up north. They’ve been getting limits many trips, catching them on both light tackle and while fly fishing, then they’re getting flounder to cap things off. An angler fishing out of Chincoteague said they started by bailing dolphin at bass pots, caught a limit, then worked on a limit catch of flounder. He also noted that the inshore dolphin have grown up a bit and the average fish is three to five pounds, noticeably nicer than he was seeing previously. Captain Monty on the Morning Star is reporting a mix of sea bass, flounder, and some inshore mahi as well, though many flounder being caught are on the small side and there are lots of throwbacks per keeper. He also mentioned that a south current came around one afternoon this week and made for a tough bite.

Offshore a subscriber fishing out of Wachapreague reported hot action bailing for the dolphin at the polyballs and an excellent bite on bottom for blueline tilefish; squid was the killer bait. Trolling was slow but they did pick up a nice white marlin. Another boat fishing in the vicinity of the Washington reported raising and hooking several whites, though they didn’t manage to get any up to the boat. Farther south, boats looking for billfish out of Virginia Beach are encountering a nice run of sailfish in addition to the whites, with some reporting a dozen-plus bites in a day. One angler also reported catching a roundscale spearfish last weekend, and several blue marlin were also released this week.

An angler fishing at Chincoteague inside the inlet fished an outgoing tide and caught five flounder along with missing several bites. Most of the fish were around 16” up to 18”. Dave Moore from Shark Whisperers said he hasn’t been fishing much lately due to an injury, but the last time he made it to the OC inlet he did catch a few sheepshead in the 20” range. He also said he’s looking forward to the fall run of redfish on the beach at Assateague, which may not yet be in full swing but does appear to be beginning—a reader checked in right after the holiday weekend with a pair of reds taken in the suds, both of which were over the slot by several inches. The surf bite has picked up along the Virginia Beach oceanfront in general and anglers fishing the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier enjoyed a steady bite this week for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ribbonfish. One day there were schools of all three species mixed together around the pier willing to hit metal jigs, Gotcha plugs, and other artificial lures.

Inside the inlet in OCMD, FishInOC is reporting some keeper flounder near the Rt. 50 bridge. There are also still good numbers of eating-sized croaker in the OC back bays, including for anglers fishing off Stinky Beach with squid strips, bloodworm, or Fishbites bloodworm. Puffer fish and small sea bass are also plentiful.

Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, September 4 Update:

Offshore fishing remains strong, with flounder producing excellent numbers on wrecks and reefs while mahi are beginning to rebound around the bass pots. White and blue marlin are also becoming more consistent offshore, with yellowfin tuna mixed in. Closer to shore, sheepshead and croaker are available around the Ocean City Inlet, while the fall red drum migration is beginning to take shape along the beaches.

Capt. Monty on the Morning Star reports that some cool water put a crimp in the inshore mahi bite recently, but the water temps have now come back up, and he expects that action to crank back up (hopefully) into September. He also noted that some reef trips have been producing even more flounder than sea bass recently. The mahi action seemed to pick up this week as we saw reports from a few boats that found limits of them from the bass pots. A subscriber checked in after fishing out of Chincoteague and says that he heard that a few swordfish had hit the deep-dropped baits, so he gave it a shot this week but came up blank. Fortunately, the flounder were biting strong at the wrecks, and they loaded up on them, along with catching some mahi around the bass pots. The offshore flounder fishing has been excellent this summer, and there aren't any signs of it slowing down yet. The crew of the Fish Bound put together a 52 fish boat limit this week, which has been the norm on many trips. Fish In OC reports that the offshore boats are starting to see more opportunities for marlin, and some boats are having really good days. The Boss Hogg was one of the boats that enjoyed excellent fishing this week, catching and releasing nine white marlin, a blue marlin, and also boxing a yellowfin tuna.

Dave Moore of Shark Whisperers says there are some sheepshead at the OC inlet, but small sea bass “almost make things impossible.” He mentioned that he hadn’t been out for the early September reds on Assateague yet, but that action should be cranking up soon. Other anglers fishing the rock jetties at the Ocean City Inlet are also catching some sheepshead. There are also some keeper croaker around the inlet, beaches, and back bays, so baiting up some bottom rigs with squid, shrimp, bloodworms, or Fishbites is a good bet for steady action. There are plenty of undersized flounder in the back bays right now with some keepers in the mix, but the ratio will greatly favor the shorties. Anglers are still finding success from Ocean City down to Wachapreague. The flounder action around the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay should pick up steam this month.

As water temperatures begin to fall into the 70s and eventually the 60s, red drum start schooling along Maryland and Virginia’s coastal beaches as they migrate south. The key to finding them from the surf is locating the troughs, cuts, and deeper pockets between sandbars, with the trough immediately off the beach often holding fish as they move in and out with the tide. During higher tides, it’s worth keeping one bait farther out over or beyond the outer bar, while lower tides can reveal productive holes and channels that concentrate feeding fish. A little wave action is generally a good thing, as churned-up water gives drum confidence to move into the shallows and feed. Fresh cut bunker, spot, mullet, croaker, or peeler crab fished on a fish-finder rig are proven producers. The fish can feed throughout the day, although dawn, dusk, and nighttime are especially worth targeting. In Maryland, the recreational red drum limit is now three fish per person per day with an 18” to 26” slot. Virginia regulations also allow three red drum per person per day, with an 18” to 26” slot. Therefore, the large bull reds encountered along the beaches during the fall migration must be released.