Divers and snorkelers likely were the first to notice them.
They were seen around the Chesapeake Light Tower and other navigational structures.
They arrived sometime around mid to late May, anglers marveled at the beauty of the ones brought to the surface by spearguns.
But hook-and-liners just couldn’t get them to bite.
Until a few anglers tried using small bits of clear plastic bags on their hooks.
Small pieces of clam were tried and angling in mid-Atlantic waters from that point on changed.
The species soon became a-much anticipated favorite that tasted great and used its flat, round-ish body to put on a marvelous tug-of-war on medium spinning tackle.
Spadefish – those angelfish-looking powerhouses that frequent a lot of waters in the area – had been figured out.
Well, they’re once again here in masse and have been providing the area’s legion of anglers with both excitement and coolers of fish.
Anglers in Virginia can keep four a day per person. Citation size limits are 8 pounds for keepers and 22 inches for releases.
The state record is a 14-pound, 14-ounce giant caught in 2009 by Fredericksburg’s Roland Murphy.
That must have been a good year, as North Carolina’s state record of 11-3 was caught in June off Hatteras by Steven Chadwick.
This exciting species can be found in swarms around wrecks, navigational features and into the Chesapeake Bay.
Enjoy targeting this wonderful fish, but know that there are a lot of others in the sea.
Inshore, puppy drum, flounder and speckled trout catches have been consistent in lower Chesapeake Bay inlets and the mouths of tidal rivers.
Croakers have arrived and right now the bigger ones are being hooked in the James River.
Along the coast, red drums continue to dominate. But cobia have started to show in good numbers. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel have made their annual showing along the coast.
Sheepshead have already populated the CBBT.
Deep-droppers are finding good numbers of tilefish, and offshore trollers are starting to see better numbers of yellowfin tuna – with dolphins, wahoo and billfish set to provide more action.
The season’s first tarpon has arrived in the backwaters of Eastern Shore backwaters and at several places in the lower sounds of North Carolina’s outer banks.
And sharks – what is there to say about them.
Their numbers are as high as ever and are increasing. Count on the bigger ones to attack some of your offshore connections.
Inshore, their numbers are dominated by smaller species, but there are no less of them just the same.
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