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This week’s Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report is a high-energy summer episode with host Luke Barton covering offshore safety, tuna and billfish action, flounder tactics, cobia conditions, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and the importance of staying alert during a hot Fourth of July stretch. The episode features Captain Bill Pappas from Playin Hookey Charters, who shares offshore reports and two intense boating safety stories, and Captain Andy Kim of Sashimi Sportfishing, who breaks down the current flounder and cobia bite around the Lower Chesapeake Bay.
Capt. Bill also talks about keeping in touch with his fishing community through his personal Facebook page, while Capt. Andy explains how his fishing background, boat setup, and time on the water have shaped the way he targets cobia, flounder, Spanish mackerel, and other summer fish.
Conditions Recap
Summer fishing is fired up across the Lower Chesapeake Bay, with warm water, hot air temperatures, strong holiday-weekend pressure, and active fish moving through the bay, oceanfront, windmill areas, and offshore grounds. The inshore and nearshore bite is being shaped by heat, tide, bait availability, current, and fish that are beginning to settle into deeper and more predictable summer patterns.
Offshore, Capt. Bill said tuna fishing has still been fun, but the bite has been changing with moon phase, bait movement, sharks, and water conditions. He noted that the offshore bite can taper when fish feed heavily at night around the full moon, and he continues to look for birds, bait, surface signs, temperature breaks, and productive water around the edge. For mahi, he likes water that has pushed above the mid-70s, especially when that warm water holds long enough to bring in blue water and floating structure.
In the bay and nearshore, Capt. Andy said cobia fishing has been good but tougher than in past years. Many fish have been staying close to the bottom or focusing on spawning behavior. When the cobia bite slows, he has been mixing in Spanish mackerel and bluefish to help customers go home with fish. Around the windmill areas, flounder have been feeding well when anglers keep the bait moving, keep it close to bottom, and set the hook with authority.
Offshore Safety and Summer Tuna With Capt. Bill Pappas
Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters opened his report with a serious safety discussion from a recent offshore run out of Rudee Inlet. He described an incident in which he says he requested clearance by radio, ran between a work vessel and the beach, and then struck what he described as unlit buoy or cable-related gear near the windmill work area. The boat stayed afloat, the crew remained safe, and after carefully checking the hull, bilge, motors, and steering, they were able to continue offshore and still put together a productive tuna trip.
His message to anglers was clear: do not get complacent when running early, especially near active work vessels, buoys, cable operations, and changing construction zones. Capt. Bill stressed the importance of using the radio, recording times and positions, staying calm after impact or a close call, assessing the boat before making decisions, and reporting unsafe hazards when they are found. He also warned anglers leaving Rudee Inlet, running off Croatan, or traveling near the windmill work zone to keep their heads on a swivel and give work vessels plenty of clearance.
Once offshore, Capt. Bill said fishing remained productive even after a stressful start. His crew found tuna, battled sharks on some hooked fish, and still managed to bring enough fish home for a memorable trip. He also described a tournament stretch that included a 300- to 500-pound blue marlin bait-and-switch, a white marlin encounter, and tuna opportunities around bait and surface activity.
For yellowfin tuna, Capt. Bill continues to focus on the right mix of water, bait, birds, and structure rather than simply running to a number. Early in the season, he likes being near a temperature break along the edge, especially around the 600-foot transition where water, bait, and fish can stack up. Later in summer, he may be more focused on where fish were recently caught, where birds and sand eels are showing, and where tuna marks appear on the screen.
When looking at sea surface temperature imagery, he said the most productive breaks are often sharp enough to matter, with a three-degree break within a short distance being a strong sign. Still, he emphasized that tuna fishing is situational. The best area changes with time of year, moon phase, bait movement, and whether the water has blended or is still holding a defined edge.
Mahi, Sharks, and Reading Offshore Water
Capt. Bill said mahi can show up in some cooler water, but he prefers water that is at least around 75 degrees and has had time to hold. In that range, blue water, floating debris, pots, buoys, and other structure can become more attractive. He noted that mahi do not always hold on every piece of structure, and the yellow windmill structures have not held mahi for him the way some anglers might expect. In his experience, mahi often prefer an isolated buoy or floating object that gives them something more specific to relate to.
Sharks continue to be a frustrating part of the offshore tuna game. Capt. Bill described losing tuna to sharks after hooking fish and fighting them long enough for sharks to key in on the struggle. His takeaway was that sharks can quickly turn a good tuna bite into a difficult situation, especially when multiple fish are hooked, the gear cannot be cleared fast enough, and the crew cannot back down or maneuver the way they would like.
Boat Rescue Story and Staying Ready on the Water
Capt. Bill also shared a dramatic on-the-water rescue from the same week. While trolling along the beach in rough conditions, he heard another charter captain report a loss of power. Within moments, the disabled boat was drifting toward the beach in shallow water and heavy surf. Capt. Bill turned back, cleared his lines, moved his passengers forward, and used his boat to get a tow line connected before the other vessel grounded hard on the bar.
The rescue required quick boat handling, calm crew work, and strong communication between captains and mates. Capt. Bill credited his mate Russ for clearing the deck, controlling the rope, protecting the boat, and helping get the tow secured in rough water. He also credited the other boat’s mate for making a difficult throw with the line at the right moment.
The lesson from the story was that anglers should be ready to help when another boat is in trouble. Capt. Bill said the situation could have happened to anyone, and that the same captains who compete or fish around each other are often the people who will come running when something goes wrong.
Flounder Fishing With Capt. Andy Kim of Sashimi Sportfishing
Capt. Andy Kim of Sashimi Sportfishing joined the show to talk flounder, cobia, mackerel, and what he is seeing around the Lower Chesapeake Bay. He runs a 25-foot Seahawk with a tower and a Yamaha 300, a setup he described as a strong bay boat with room, stability, and the visibility needed for sight-fishing.
Before diving into the report, Capt. Andy shared some personal news, including his recent engagement and the announcement that he and his fiancée are expecting a child. He also talked about growing up fishing with his father, catching bait as a kid, mating on boats, buying his own boat at 19, and building his charter business from there.
The flounder discussion focused heavily on presentation and hookset timing. Capt. Andy said the hardest part of flounder fishing is not always getting the bite. It is knowing what the bite feels like and when to set the hook. Because flounder are flatfish with mouths that work differently than many other species, anglers often miss fish by reacting too quickly, too softly, or with the wrong angle.
Capt. Andy likes strip-style baits that move well in the water and imitate something alive. On a recent windmill-area trip, he caught flounder on cobia belly, white strip baits, and even the tail section of an eel that was cut and segmented to give it more action. The key was not just the bait itself, but making sure it stayed close to the bottom and kept moving.
His biggest flounder tip was to avoid dead-sticking. If an angler drops a bait to the bottom and lets it sit, sea bass may eat it, but flounder are more likely to ignore it. He wants the bait bouncing along the bottom so it looks alive and triggers the ambush response. Hook placement also matters. Baits that ride too far above bottom may catch sea bass, but flounder are more likely to eat the lowest bait or the bait closest to the sand.
Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, and Bait Concerns
Capt. Andy said the cobia bite has been good but challenging. Some recent trips have produced fish, including one where his crew caught four cobia, kept two, and then switched over to trolling for Spanish mackerel and bluefish on the way home. That gave the group plenty of meat without needing to overharvest, and the conversation turned into a reminder that just because anglers can keep fish does not always mean they need to take every legal fish.
He said cobia are still worth the effort because one fish can make a trip. They fight hard, are explosive around the boat, and provide a large amount of meat. Capt. Andy estimated cobia yield a high percentage of usable meat, and he and Luke both reminded anglers to keep the bellies when cleaning cobia.
Capt. Andy also discussed concerns about bunker availability and the impact of reduction fishing on the ecosystem. He said he has seen fewer strong bunker schools in the bay this season and shared an example from last year when he watched cobia holding with bait before a menhaden boat moved in. The larger point was that bunker are the base of the local food chain, and when bait disappears, cobia, red drum, striped bass, and other predators can be affected.
For current cobia tactics, Capt. Andy said eels have worked well this year, and he has also been throwing more artificial baits than usual. Bucktails have been productive, and he specifically mentioned the Nomad Sumo Shrimp, a large shrimp-style artificial that sinks well and makes sense when cobia are feeding on mantis shrimp. He also mentioned a 3D deep glide baitthat mimics a fish and looks strong in the water. His advice for learning more from every cobia is to open the stomach when cleaning the fish and match future baits to what that fish was eating.
Looking Ahead
The Lower Chesapeake Bay is entering a hot and active summer window. Offshore anglers should keep watching tuna, mahi, marlin, sharks, water temperature breaks, bait, and birds, while staying alert around work vessels and any construction-zone hazards. Capt. Bill expects July to continue offering tuna opportunities, with more mahi-focused trips building as summer progresses.
Inshore and nearshore anglers should find cobia, flounder, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sea bass, and other summer options depending on tide, bait, current, and wind. Capt. Andy’s flounder advice is especially useful for anglers fishing the windmill areas, wrecks, and bottom structure: keep the bait moving, keep it near the bottom, adjust weight for current, and set the hook with confidence.
For anglers looking to book, contact Captain Bill Pappas from Playin Hookey Charters or follow Bill Pappas Jr. for updates. To fish with Capt. Andy, contact Sashimi Sportfishing.
