Waterlands

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Mahi-mahiShoulder season

Cape · Virginia

Wishart Point

37.88°N · 75.49°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Chincoteague to Parramore Island VA out 20 NM

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 12 AM · Mahi-mahi

45/100Good
Now
301 PM EDT
Best window
1 PM-12 AMDusk
Tide now
Low0.4 ft

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 1 PM · now

Time1PNOW
Score30Fair
Tide0.4 ftLow
Current0.5 knmodeled · toward SW
Wind16 kn NEgusts 31 · steady
Sea stateVery rough8.7 ft · 8 s
Air temp65°Mild
WeatherOvercast85% chance of rain
Water69°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Mahi-mahi is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with VMRC before you keep a fish.

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Mahi-mahi is best here

Shoulder season for Mahi-mahi · 2 more weeks at shoulder

Mahi-mahi season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Mahi-mahi · 2 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Mahi-mahi in Virginia

Spot profile

Wishart Point

Depth
Up to 2 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Point · Inner · ProtectedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonMahi-mahi

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Wishart Point

Wishart Point is a cape in Coastal waters from Chincoteague to Parramore Island VA out 20 NM, Virginia. Depth is up to 2 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 20 species here; the best right now are Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker and black sea bass. It is peak season now for little tunny, red drum, scup and sheepshead, and shoulder season for Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic croaker, black sea bass and bluefish. Atlantic bluefin tuna peak from June through July and in December. Atlantic croaker peak from June through August. Black sea bass peak from May through June and from October through November.

Tackle & technique

Mahi-mahi
Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna follow schools of herring, mackerel, sand eels and menhaden over banks, ledges and shoals, mostly in the top 150 feet. Troll spreader bars and daisy chains to find fish, then switch to live bait, chunks or stick baits once a school is located. Heavy tackle and a NOAA HMS permit are required, and size-class limits change through the season.
Atlantic croaker
Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Bogues Bay

    Bay · 0.8 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black sea bass 30

    18 kt NEH 6:56 PM · 3.1 ftL 1:35 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Powells Bay

    Bay · 0.9 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black sea bass 30

    16 kt NEH 6:56 PM · 3.1 ftL 1:35 AM · 0.4 ft

  • Island Hole Narrows

    Gut · 1.5 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black drum 30

    16 kt NEH 6:56 PM · 3.1 ftL 1:35 AM · 0.4 ft

  • The Four Mouths

    Bay · 1.5 mi

    30
    Top: Atlantic bluefin tunaShoulder season
    • Atlantic bluefin tuna 30
    • Atlantic croaker 30
    • Black sea bass 30

    16 kt NEH 6:56 PM · 3.1 ftL 1:35 AM · 0.4 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with VMRC before you keep a fish.