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This week’s Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report is a community-driven early-summer episode with host Luke Barton covering a hot Lynnhaven redfish bite, the upcoming Spanish Mackerel Tournament, and a wide-open offshore tuna and mahi report. The episode features Mike Robey with Hooked on Hope VB, who shares the story behind the organization, how the tournament supports pediatric cancer families, and how he is catching red drum around Lynnhaven structure. The second half features Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters, who breaks down recent offshore action, the Tech Tackle Classic, yellowfin tuna tactics, mahi patterns, boat setup, and tuna steak prep.
Conditions Recap
Summer fishing is settling into the Lower Chesapeake Bay, with warm water, better weather windows, and more fish pushing into predictable early-summer patterns. Inshore, Lynnhaven Inlet and the Western Branch have been producing red drum, with water temperatures jumping quickly from the upper 60s into the 70s and even around 80 degrees during the recent heat. Mike Robey described green but fishable water, active tide movement, and productive depth ranges around seven to 13 feet, especially near docks and pilings.
Offshore, Capt. Bill Pappas said the yellowfin tuna bite has been strong when boats find the right water, bait, birds, slicks, and surface signs. Mahi are around, especially on floating debris, grass lines, and grass patches, but tuna are the main draw right now. He also pointed toward a building summer offshore pattern, with July tuna availability and August mahi opportunities for anglers looking to book trips out of Virginia Beach.
Hooked on Hope VB and the Spanish Mackerel Tournament With Mike Robey
Mike Robey with Hooked on Hope VB joined the show to talk about the mission behind the organization and the upcoming seventh annual Spanish Mackerel Tournament. Hooked on Hope grew from Mike’s own family experience after his youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at two and a half years old. Fishing had always been an escape for his family, and that experience eventually turned into a way to help other pediatric cancer families get away from the stress of treatment, hospital stays, clinic visits, medication schedules, and the strain that cancer places on the entire household.
Mike said the trips are about more than simply catching fish. For many families, a fishing charter or camping weekend gives the child, siblings, parents, captains, mates, and volunteers a few hours where the diagnosis is not the center of everything. They may remember the fish, but they also remember dolphins, turtles, the breeze, conversations, and time together as a family.
The Spanish Mackerel Tournament is Hooked on Hope’s biggest fundraiser and the organization’s only major fundraiser of the year. Mike said 50% of tournament entry fees, along with raffle money and merchandise sales, goes directly back into providing fishing charters, camping trips, and family experiences for pediatric cancer families. Hooked on Hope pays for the charter experience, including fair compensation for captains and mates, so participating businesses can support the cause without being asked to absorb the full cost every time.
This year’s tournament is scheduled for August 8, with the captains meeting on August 7. Entry is $250, and teams must have a child under 18 on the boat to participate. The event also includes an awards party at Ballyhoos with bounce houses, food, face painting, raffles, family activities, and a strong community atmosphere. Mike said 15 pediatric cancer families are expected to fish the tournament this year with their entry fees covered, allowing the prize money to remain strong for the rest of the field.
Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters won last year’s tournament with one big Spanish mackerel, and Mike said there is already plenty of friendly competition building around who will bring home the belt this year. With large Spanish mackerel already being reported and several local captains seeing fish, expectations are high for a better mackerel showing than last year.
Mike also mentioned that anglers and supporters can donate through Hooked on Hope VB or the Spanish Mackerel Tournament website. The organization also uses supplies such as bottled water, snacks, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, and other simple items for family charters, making small donations useful as well as larger financial contributions.
Lynnhaven Red Drum Report With Mike Robey
Mike’s current fishing has been focused primarily around Lynnhaven Inlet, especially the Western Branch and areas around Great Neck Point. Red drum have been the main target, with over-slot fish making up much of the recent action. He has also caught a few striped bass and plenty of bluefish, but the red drum bite has been the consistent draw.
One of the most interesting parts of his report came from his work tagging red drum for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Since beginning in early May, Mike has tagged around 20 fish and already recaptured three of them. Two of those recaptures came from the same spot where they were first caught, which surprised him and suggests that at least some of these Lynnhaven red drum may remain very structure-oriented once they find an area they like.
Mike is targeting docks and pilings with strong tackle because these fish are powerful and quick to use structure. His setup includes 50-pound braid, about three feet of 60-pound leader, and a large 5/0 circle hook. He likes live croaker in the four- to six-inch range, although he used crabs earlier before croaker became easier to find. He hooks the croaker near the back half of the bait so it can keep swimming naturally around the structure.
The key part of the setup is strength. Mike said the heavy leader is not overkill when fishing around pylons, oysters, and structure because these red drum know how to get back into trouble. He prefers an outgoing tide, but any moving water can produce, and he has even caught fish during slack tide over the last couple of months. Most of his better action has been in roughly 11 to 13 feet of water, though he will fish shallower areas around seven or eight feet when the current looks right.
For catching croaker bait, Mike keeps it simple with Fishbites on a two-hook bottom rig. He usually gives himself 45 minutes to an hour to catch enough bait, often picking up one croaker at a time. His red drum rod setup includes a seven-foot Black Hole Charter Special rod paired with a 6000-size Shimano Saragosa, the same type of outfit he is comfortable using for cobia.
Spanish Mackerel Tournament Gear and Raffle Notes
Mike also previewed some of the raffle opportunities tied to Hooked on Hope and local tournament season. He mentioned a Penn 50W reel, a custom tuna rod by Richard Wadden of Reel Blast, a gaff, and a SORD knife package with a knife sharpener and several different knife sizes. Those raffle items help raise money for Hooked on Hope while giving anglers a chance at quality offshore and fish-cleaning gear.
The conversation also touched on sight-fishing gear, including Maui Jim sunglasses with HCL Bronze lenses and a gold mirror, along with the importance of good fish-cleaning tools and dockside fish care. Luke mentioned KillerDock cleaning stations as a high-end option for anglers who want a better setup for processing fish at the dock.
Offshore Report With Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters
Capt. Bill Pappas of Playin Hookey Charters joined the second half of the episode with a full offshore report. He started by talking about the Playin Hookey repower with Yamaha 350s from Troy Marine and how the boat is performing offshore. Capt. Bill said he expected the additional horsepower to cost more fuel, but the opposite has happened. With the new setup, he is often saving 20 to 30 gallons on an offshore trip compared to previous numbers while running faster at lower RPMs.
Capt. Bill also talked about prop setup and why he likes four-blade props for his boat. While the four blades reduce top-end speed, they help keep the boat planted and connected to the water when running offshore. His point was simple: the important number is not just how fast a boat can go, but how fast it can go while staying in the water and handling the sea properly.
That offshore setup has been put to work during a strong tuna stretch. Capt. Bill recapped the first Tech Tackle Classic, an offshore event that began as an alternative to a golf tournament and grew into a nine-boat charter event. The fleet had a strong weather window, good camaraderie, and a mix of tuna, mahi, marlin, and bigeye action. Zach Castro and Hunter won the event, with Jake Bolts in second and Russ Costina on Top Notch in third. Capt. Bill said the format created business for local charter boats while also giving participants a safe, professional, and competitive offshore experience.
Yellowfin Tuna and Mahi Tactics From Capt. Bill
For recreational anglers looking offshore, Capt. Bill said the first step is getting elevated. A tower, bow position, or any safe high vantage point helps anglers see birds, slicks, bait, breaking fish, whales, grass, and other signs. He looks for warm water, but he is especially interested in temperature breaks where cold and warm water meet before blending together. Those edges can concentrate bait and tuna.
He emphasized reading the water rather than simply running to a number. Slicks, birds, whales, and visible surface activity all matter. Dolphins can sometimes be around tuna, but he warned that tuna around dolphins are not always as easy to catch as anglers might expect. Mahi are more structure-oriented, and Capt. Bill wants to see something floating, especially grass lines, grass patches, and debris that can hold bait. He noted that shiny balloons are usually not worth much time for mahi, though they should still be picked up and removed from the water when possible.
Capt. Bill also described a recent yellowfin bite that started from the tower while he was working a new Sterling Tackle lure in the shotgun position. After seeing fish, he drove past them instead of running directly over them, turned to bring the spread through the zone, then worked the long line aggressively. The lure got crushed, he kept the boat moving, and more tuna piled onto the spread. The result was a multi-fish hookup that ended with four 40- to 50-pound yellowfin in the boat.
His tuna advice once fish start biting is to keep the boat moving until enough fish are hooked. One bite should not automatically stop the boat. A second bite should not automatically stop the boat either. He wants to keep the spread working until the school is fully engaged, then slow down once there are enough fish on for the crew to manage.
For tackle, Capt. Bill said he is not using 80 wides for the current yellowfin fishing. He is using 50s, and he also mentioned fish being hooked on a TLD 25, which can turn a yellowfin into a serious workout. He also talked about wanting to upgrade and standardize his offshore spread with help from a reel sponsor and a local rod builder who wants their gear tested hard on a working charter boat.
Boat-Side Tuna Tips and Fighting Fish Around the Props
Capt. Bill said the end game is where many tuna are lost. When a tuna gets close to the boat, anglers and captains need to pay attention to which side of the boat the fish naturally wants to fight on. If the fish has shown itself on one side several times, that may be the side where it will be easier to finish. He also said a little boat speed can help keep pressure and control, although there are situations where the captain has no choice but to stop, especially with multiple fish, crossed lines, or fish near the props.
If a tuna gets wrapped in the prop and the fish is somehow still connected, Capt. Bill’s advice is to stay calm first. From there, the crew can use a gaff to carefully reach down, catch the line, pull it back where it can be controlled, and hand-line the fish up if needed. He said they have saved multiple tuna this season from situations that looked nearly hopeless, including fish that had been wrapped, sharked, or stuck near the motors.
His larger point is that tuna are both frustrating and rewarding. Some fish will be lost even when everyone does things right, but preparation, communication, boat handling, and staying calm at the end of the fight can turn a bad situation into meat in the box.
Capt. Bill’s Yellowfin Tuna Steak Method
Capt. Bill also shared his preferred way to cook yellowfin tuna steaks. He starts by never rinsing the fillets. Instead, he dries the outside with paper towels and removes any blood from the surface so it does not create a fishy flavor. He cuts the steaks about an inch and a quarter thick, brushes both sides with peanut oil, salts them heavily with kosher salt, and lets them sit for 10 minutes.
After the salt pulls moisture from the steak, he scrapes the salt off gently with the back of a butter knife, following the grain instead of digging into the meat. He re-oils the steaks, adds garlic from a grinder or garlic powder, and heats a stainless, nonstick, or cast-iron pan with a thin layer of peanut oil. He also likes adding a small amount of bacon grease right before the steaks go in.
For an inch-and-a-quarter tuna steak, Capt. Bill cooks each side for about one minute, moving the steak slightly to pick up the flavor from the pan before flipping. If the middle is still too red or the steak was not fully thawed, he may briefly touch the long side of the steak to the pan for a few extra seconds. After cooking, he lets the steaks rest briefly and serves them with rice.
Looking Ahead
The Lower Chesapeake Bay is entering a strong early-summer window. Inshore anglers around Lynnhaven should have red drum, bluefish, striped bass, croaker, and bait opportunities to work with, while the upcoming Spanish Mackerel Tournament is giving families and local captains another reason to get ready for August 8. Mike Robey expects the event to keep building as more boats sign up and more anglers rally around Hooked on Hope’s mission.
Offshore, Capt. Bill Pappas said the tuna fishing has been excellent when boats find the right water and signs. July still has offshore potential for yellowfin tuna, and August should bring more mahi-focused opportunities for Playin Hookey Charters. His advice is to get high, read the water, find the breaks, watch for surface life, and be ready when the fish show themselves.
