##Virginia U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman, fishing Wes Blow, caught this cobia that was already tagged. Photo courtesy of Wes Blow
Fish Forecasts
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ince the last time we talked, the only thing hotter than the weather has been the cobia fishing in the lower Chesapeake and the striper action above the Bay Bridges. Marlin fishing in the deep blue off Virginia Beach had been very good at times in July, and pretty good off Ocean City (at press) with decent numbers of tuna, wahoo, and mahi coming back to the docks. Bottom fishing had hit its strike by late July, and the peak run should occur this month. One of the absolute joys of fishing is you never know what will hit at the other end
Delmarva Coast
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ropTalk’s Delaware correspondent Eric Burnley tells me “This is prime time for white marlin off the Delaware Coast. The canyons offer the best chance for success with temperature breaks at the top locations. Trolling ballyhoo on 30-pound gear is the tried and proven technique. Expect to find dolphin and wahoo in the mix.” Captain Burnley suggests if you want to catch flounder, look for them in deep water at the Old Grounds, Site 11, and the Radford. Deep water requires the use of heavy tackle to handle the six to ten ounce weights often required to present the bait in the strike zone. I have had good success using a Tsunami Ball Jig and a Delaware Bay Green Machine when conditions allow the use of six ounces or less of weight. Baits include strips of fresh fish or squid, smelt, and Gulp! with Nuclear Chicken the hot color this year. 66 September 2015 PropTalk.com
by Capt. Chris D. Dollar
of your line. During my fishing camps this summer, one youngster’s excitement over catching his first striper (albeit it was only 13 inches, it was his first fish of any kind) matched any seasoned salt’s enthusiasm for boating a monster drum, tuna, or wahoo. And take PropTalk contributor and IGFA representative Dr. Ken Neill, III, as another example. In late July he sent a photo of a wild looking, orange fish they caught in deep water trying to make bait to use for marlin. Ken reports they hadn’t a clue as to the species, but Jason Schratwieser, conservation director of the IGFA and
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aptain Jeff Lewatowski has enjoyed a very busy and productive month fishing out of Ocean City , MD, and he expects it to continue through the Labor Day holiday. “We’ll target flounder on nearshore reefs and stripers on the fly near the jetties and bridges. A variety of other fish will keep us busy into early September before moving the boat back to Kent Island to target stripers,” he says. ccording to Ric Burnley, September is the best month to fish Tidewater, VA. “Starting at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, anglers will be able to drift a two-ounce bucktail and strip bait for flounder or anchor to the pilings and rocks with fiddler crabs or chunks of clam for sheeps-
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Virginia Beach native, did. It was a deepbody boarfish, found in deep water (330 to 980 feet) in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Dr. Neill donated the fish to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for its fish collection. And while summer’s coming to a close, it’s definitely not too late to take part in PropTalk’s Fishing Challenge. Find full details, as well as other good fishy stuff, at proptalk.com/fishing-challenge. Now here’s what PropTalk’s pros will be catching this month.
head, triggerfish, and spadefish,” he says. “Boats lurking through the lower Bay will find cobia and schools of red drum swimming the surface. As the water cools, the sight casting action moves closer to the mouth of the bay and into the ocean.” ##Earnest Pribanic with a nice striper he caught in the shallows with Captain Walt. Photo courtesy Light Tackle Charters