Boaters targeting bluefin tuna in the waters off Virginia's Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach had another good week, according to Dr. Julie Ball at Extreme Sportfishing, with tuna in the 130- to 160-pound being caught as close as two miles from shore. The most productive location has been the area between Dam Neck and False Cape, where the bluefins are reported to be schooling with whales and jumbo rockfish. Trolling has been the top tactic, with most of the fish being caught on striped bass lures connected to big game rod/reel combos. Offshore charters running out of Oregon Inlet Marina, Teach's Lair and Hatteras Harbor are connecting with jumbo bluefins, along with a mix of blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, amberjack, mahi mahi, wahoo and sharks. Striped bass are providing good fishing in ocean waters off the Delaware and Maryland beaches. The fish seem to be moving up and down the coast, with good action off Ocean City and Bethany Beach one day, followed by reports of keeper fish just outside Indian River Inlet or off Rehoboth the next day. Most of the rockfish reports listed trolling as the top tactic, with Mann's Stretch plugs, big Bomber plugs, Mojos, bunker spoons and umbrellas as the go-to lures. Dom Constantino checked in with Deanna Adams at Hook'em and Cook'em to report a family fishing trip just outside the inlet that produced a limit of keeper linesiders. Striped bass reports from anglers trolling off the Virginia Capes continued, with numerous fish over the 30-pound mark being caught by boaters running out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center Marina. Topping the report from the marina was a linesider caught by Roger Willey that tipped the scale at 44.50 pounds, followed by a 42-pounder landed by Steve Romeo and a pair of 40.50-pounders by Woody Harrell and Robert Wiley. Wrecks and reefs off Delaware and Maryland are providing on and off action on tautog, depending on sea conditions and how strong the currents are running. Captain Monty Hawkins reported action on blackfish up to 14.25 pounds for anglers fishing aboard his Ocean City charter Morning Star, during the past week. Anglers fishing with Captain John Nedelka aboard the Karen Sue also scored on some real nice tog, according to catch reports passed along by Mike Marsich at the Indian River Inlet Marina. Tautog fishermen are reminded that new regulations went into effect last week that increased the minimum keeper length 16 inches and reduced the daily limit from 10 fish a day down to just five. Catch reports from snags on the east side of the 30-fathom line showed good fishing for a mix of pollock, ling and cod, with some fishermen loading up on the ling. Jeff Claycomb returned from an offshore wreck trip aboard Captain Howard Bogan's Jamaica with 78 of the tasty panfish in his cooler. While surf fishing reports have been extremely slow, anglers fishing along the jetties at the Indian River Inlet are reporting success on striped bass and tautog. Most of the rockfish are being caught bucktails, weighed flies and shad bodies, with the best fishing reported on the outgoing tide when water temperatures are at their warmest. Toggers are fishing green crabs, shrimp and frozen sandfleas tight to the jetty rocks.

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