As David said, school of menhaden are actively pursued along the Viginia/N.Carolina coastline. Spotters are used to track the migration of bluefins from Hatteras to Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) and back, or from Bimini to NS in case of the giants bluefin. But even more importantly, spotters especially from the mid-atlantic up to the Grand Banks are used to find the gulf stream. This corridor of warm water that moves from around the keys to Newfoundland carries life. Planktons, baitfish, etc thrives in that warm current. The problem for fishermen is that the gulf stream constantly moves. Depending on where you live, it could be 70 miles away one day or 90 miles the other. Secondly, along the stream are eddies. Think of it as a vortice that broke away from the stream and is spinning away from the main body. As that eddie breaks away, so does the baitfish. As an eddie moves further away from the main stream, it also decreases in size and speed and it concentrates the baitfish. Remember that this eddie's temperature maybe 75F while the water outside it maybe be 70F. The baitfish,unlike tuna, can't regulate their body temperature so they have to stay with the eddie. So effectively, the eddie has become a trap for baitfish. I've run across eddies that could not have been more than 500 yard wide. Within that body of water were blue marlin, dolphin(mahi-mahi), yellowfin tuna and mako. They were feasting on baitfish. If you're into big game fishing and tournaments, finding such an eddie usually translates into a top finishing place.
Sorry for being long winded... fishing has always been a passion for me..
