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This week’s Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report combines a red-hot offshore mahi report with an important look at how the Hampton Roads fishing community is supporting families affected by cancer. Host Luke Barton talks with Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters about an outstanding mahi bite, how his crew keeps schools feeding, and what anglers can expect as late-summer fishing transitions into September and October.
The second half of the episode features Mike Robey with Hooked on Hope VB, Will Fox with D-Feet Cancer, and Tripp Seed, founder of the AES Cancer Foundation. They recap the record-setting 2026 Spanish Mackerel Tournament and explain how fishing, fundraising, research support, and direct financial assistance are making a difference for children and families facing cancer.
Conditions Recap
Offshore fishing remains one of the strongest options in the Lower Chesapeake Bay region, with mahi providing consistent action for boats willing to make the run. Capt. Bill Pappas reports multiple consecutive high-count days aboard Playin Hookey, including back-to-back trips in the upper 40s followed by three consecutive mahi limits.
The fish have been holding anywhere from roughly 25 to 75 miles offshore depending on the day, and Bill stresses that there is no single magic distance. Productive water, floating structure, buoys, grass, bait, and the location of the fish themselves should dictate the run. Some of the better catches have required going all the way to the edge.
Bill expects the mahi opportunity to continue through September and into the first half of October. At the same time, late-season cobia are beginning their southward migration, creating an opportunity from the bay toward the Virginia Beach oceanfront and Sandbridge before the harvest season closes September 20.
Spanish mackerel remain another major part of the late-summer fishery, although tournament conditions once again showed how quickly the bite can change. During the Hooked on Hope Spanish Mackerel Tournament, quality fish were harder to locate than they were immediately afterward, reinforcing how much daily movement and timing matter in this fishery.
Offshore Mahi Report With Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters
Capt. Bill Pappas and the crew of Playin Hookey Charters have been putting together one of their strongest mahi stretches of the summer. Bill reported two consecutive trips with 49 fish followed by three straight mahi limits, giving charter groups almost nonstop light-tackle action.
For Bill, one of the biggest advantages of mahi fishing is that everyone aboard can be involved. Once a school is located and feeding, the crew rotates anglers through the action so each guest has a chance to hook and land fish rather than allowing one angler to dominate the bite.
Bill and mate Russ use headsets and a system of short commands to coordinate the cockpit, keep anglers moving in the right direction, and manage multiple hooked fish at once. His basic rule is simple: the angler with a fish on has the right of way. Everyone else should clear space and move around that fish rather than forcing the hooked angler to work around inactive rods or other people.
How Playin Hookey Keeps a Mahi School Feeding
Fresh menhaden have been one of Bill’s favorite baits when the mahi are located. When the fish are aggressive, almost any properly presented bait can draw a strike. The challenge comes after the school has been pressured and the fish begin inspecting baits more carefully.
When mahi become reluctant, Bill recommends making the hooked bait drift as naturally as the chum around it. Instead of allowing the bait to stop unnaturally in the water, open the bail, feed line, and use the rod tip to keep the bait moving with the surrounding pieces. If the hooked bait looks different from everything else in the water, a pressured mahi may recognize that something is wrong.
He also cautions against dumping a large cloud of chum into the water. Too much chum can pull the entire school away from the boat. Bill prefers a controlled rhythm of a few pieces at a time, followed immediately by a hooked bait. The idea is to keep the fish interested and close enough to target rather than feeding them until the school drifts away.
For larger fish, ballyhoo remain an excellent bait. Bill described catching a quality 15- to 20-pound bull on a half ballyhoo fished on light tackle away from the main school.
Products and gear discussed in this report included fresh menhaden, chunk bait, ballyhoo, light spinning tackle, offshore communication headsets, and gaffs.
Landing Large Mahi Without Losing Them at the Boat
Bill’s advice for larger gaffer mahi is to keep the boat moving instead of stopping completely and trying to fight the fish vertically beside the transom. Maintaining slow forward movement helps stretch the fish away from the boat, keeps it swimming in a predictable direction, and makes the final gaff shot easier.
Once the mahi begins tracking alongside the boat, the angler can guide it toward the gaff while the captain maintains just enough speed to keep the fish settled. Bill prefers this over allowing a large mahi to regain all of its energy beside a stationary boat, where it can jump, roll, cross lines, or throw the hook.
For the gaff shot itself, Bill teaches anglers to place the gaff over the fish’s head and pull rather than making a wild sweeping motion. Keeping the shot controlled reduces the likelihood of missing the fish or knocking it free.
How Long Will the Mahi Bite Last?
Bill considers the period from the latter half of July through roughly the first two weeks of October one of the best windows for mahi fishing out of Virginia Beach. The fish may move substantially from day to day, but they can remain available well into the beginning of fall and the early swordfish season.
Anglers frequently ask how far offshore the mahi are, but Bill avoids giving a single number because the answer changes constantly. He has found them from approximately 25 to 75 miles offshore and will continue running until he reaches the body of water and structure holding fish.
Playin Hookey will continue offering mahi trips while the bite remains productive, along with late-season cobia opportunities and evening red drum trips. Bill also expects swordfish to become a larger part of the program as the fall season develops.
2026 Hooked on Hope Spanish Mackerel Tournament Recap
The 2026 Spanish Mackerel Tournament was a record-setting year for Hooked on Hope VB. Mike Robey reported 82 boats in the tournament, the largest turnout in the event’s seven-year history, with 16 pediatric cancer families participating on the water.
The tournament raised approximately $24,500 for Hooked on Hope. That money goes back into fishing trips, camping experiences, and other opportunities designed for children battling cancer and their families.
Tripp Seed and the Bay Roamer crew won the tournament with a three-fish Spanish mackerel stringer weighing roughly five and a half pounds. Their largest fish was approximately 2.8 pounds and 24 inches long.
The victory had additional meaning for Tripp. His family has fished the tournament for years as Team Angela in memory of his late wife, Angela, and winning the event had become a personal goal. Tripp described the tournament as competitive on the water but ultimately much bigger than who finishes first.
Hooked on Hope VB and Fishing With Pediatric Cancer Families
Mike Robey says the purpose of Hooked on Hope VB is not simply to help a child catch a fish. The organization creates days when families can step away from doctors, treatments, hospitals, and the constant pressure surrounding pediatric cancer.
Will Fox experienced that firsthand after his son Dalton was diagnosed with cancer at age nine. One of Dalton’s early Hooked on Hope trips created a lasting family memory of him dancing aboard the boat to “Welcome to the Jungle” while enjoying a day away from treatment. Dalton later passed away, but the experience helped establish a relationship between the Fox family and Hooked on Hope that continues today.
Mike emphasizes that these trips are for the entire family. The child undergoing treatment may need the experience, but so may parents, siblings, caregivers, captains, mates, and volunteers. The ability to spend several hours together on a boat without cancer being the center of attention can be every bit as valuable as the fishing itself.
Hooked on Hope has already completed roughly 55 charter trips in 2026 and hopes to reach at least 71. Fishing trips are expected to continue into October before the organization shifts toward fall camping experiences for families.
D-Feet Cancer and the Story of Dalton Fox
Following Dalton’s death, Will Fox, his wife Jen, and their daughter Rachel created D-Feet Cancer to support pediatric cancer research. The name combines Dalton’s nickname, “D,” with a reference to his leg amputation and the broader goal of defeating cancer.
Dalton lived with Ewing sarcoma and underwent years of intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, multiple surgeries, and the amputation of his left leg. Will explained that the treatment protocol used in Dalton’s case had been developed decades earlier, which became one of the family’s motivations for raising money for better research and treatment options.
D-Feet Cancer directs its fundraising toward pediatric cancer research. Will said the organization recently wrote a research-support check for $100,000.08, using eight cents because eight was Dalton’s favorite number. The organization is approaching three-quarters of a million dollars raised.
More information about Dalton’s story, the organization’s mission, and ways to support its work can be found at D-Feet Cancer.
AES Cancer Foundation With Tripp Seed
Tripp Seed and Angela’s parents founded the AES Cancer Foundation after Angela’s battle with leukemia. While D/Feet Cancer focuses heavily on research, AES is built around direct financial assistance for blood-cancer patients and their families.
Tripp experienced firsthand how difficult it can be for a family to relocate for treatment, manage normal household expenses, and serve as a full-time caregiver at the same time. AES works with treatment providers and families to help with practical expenses including rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and other bills that can become overwhelming during treatment.
The foundation has provided more than $100,000 in assistance and works with organizations and treatment teams including Duke University and Virginia Oncology Associates. Tripp described situations where AES has stepped in immediately to keep utilities connected or give families several months of breathing room while they focus on treatment.
The organization’s major annual fundraiser is a golf tournament, and additional information about the foundation and ways to contribute is available through the AES Cancer Foundation.
The Fishing Community’s Role in Supporting Cancer Families
One of the strongest themes in this episode is that the fishing community can do more than simply raise money. Charter captains, volunteers, tournament anglers, sponsors, families, and local businesses create a network that gives people something to look forward to during extremely difficult periods of their lives.
For pediatric cancer families, the time aboard a boat can provide a rare stretch where the conversation is about bait, weather, fish, jokes, and who caught the biggest one rather than appointments and treatment. For families who have lost loved ones, events such as the Spanish Mackerel Tournament also create an annual place to reconnect with others who understand what they have been through.
Anglers who want to support that work can participate in the Spanish Mackerel Tournament, follow and support Hooked on Hope VB, donate to D/Feet Cancer, or support the AES Cancer Foundation.
