The Fishing Thread got a little lengthy, so I will restart monthly threads. Shad season is winding down here in the DC area, but bass fishing is picking up locally. Croaker are making their annual migration into the Chesapeake Bay, while in the OBX cobia should arrive to Hatteras around mothers day. The dolphin and tuna fishing has been spectacular down there.
I am heading down to Oak Island, NC for a week of live baiting for king mackerel May 9-16th. I'll also be looking for bluefish and spanish mackerel. I will post pictures of any cool catches.
So, who has been on the water? Share!
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My recent fishing experience consists solely of seeing someone haul in a snakehead from Four Mile Run the other day while walking @ lunch.
There is a God....fishing and Virginia Tech football on one site. Speckled Trout bite is great up in the Rappahannock right now. They are all up in the marsh flats.....been throwing Gulps and MirroLures at them.
How far up the Rapp are these flats? I'm not seeing them in Mobjack yet.
Carter's Creek area
Thanks, Mr. Smith. Not looking to jump your "claim", as that's a bit farther than I will likely be running, but just wondered in general how far up the river they were. I am a casual, and catch and release only, trout fisherman. I prefer to target flounder and reds, but trout are fun to catch and a sure harbinger of spring. I also use Gulp jerk shad for reds in the flats, and I know they're deadly on big trout as well.
And if no one else has done so, please let me welcome you to TKP. I am in Mathews, just around the corner. So, again, thanks for your report and the specifier. Much appreciated.
No problem. I am going up there this weekend and will be sure to give another report! And thank you for the welcoming.
Tried around the Gwynn's Island bridge today, caught one 12" striper and had maybe three other bites. It just ain't happenin' here yet, though I heard of some croaker caught in Milford Haven last evening. Like you, I will be going regularly and will give a report when I can.
Water should be a bit warmer this weekend after mid-high 80's all week. This could be an interesting weekend.....
Yep. It's kinda like those azalea buds I have on my late bloomers here. They just get fatter and fatter, and then when you're not looking, BLOOM! I believe this year's fishing will explode...and soon. Now, if I can just figure out that imgur trick so I can share a pic or two.
Croakers are dominantly bait fish in Florida - Snook and Grouper Candy! Sizes used are typically from as big as your hand to a few inches longer. We talking about larger ones to harvest up here? I'm ignorant here... How big? etc.
We use croakers for bait here, too. Live ones for cobia and flounder, cut strips for about everything, but for me, flounder bait. We do harvest them for the table, however, and they are delicious fried up. Since they're typically the first spring fish in abundance in the Chesapeake Bay, where I live, they're also often the first fresh fish meal of the year for us. Croaker are firm of flesh, and the bigger ones offer a decent boneless, skinless filet for the pan. Folks around here are likely to leave them relatively whole, and some folks fill the freezer with them, but I like 'em freshly caught. Gives me yet another reason (as if I needed another one) to go fishing regularly. As the small redfish and the flounder become more available, the croaker takes a back seat, but the world record croaker was about 8 lbs and caught just a few miles from where I live, so size can be had, and typically, anything over half a pound is considered food. Or crab bait, or fish bait....just depends on when you get them and what you're after.
We have an abundance of food fish here when the summer gets started, but snappers (for instance) and many of the other "pan" type fish you guys have in FLA aren't amongst them. Grouper are a deep water fish here, not in the Bay, nor do we have snook. We have a few reef fish like tautog and black sea bass, but restrictions and reef access keeps them from being prime targets for most of us.
Thanks for info. I now live in Christiansburg so my salt water fishing plans (fishery and availability) have changed dramatically.
I used to live in Pax River NAS officer base housing and have fished and crabbed plenty in that part of the Chesapeake (this was in early 1980s). There were few stripers around then, so I really want to sample that fishery in the near future. I used to catch some large blues (crab bait) and large Northern sea trout (weakfish I think, right?). Love the flounder fishery which is seasonal in FLA from early November to early December. I'll have to relearn a lot and do some fresh water fishing here but really busy building business at home and working right now.
I just left Giles Co. in 2012 to move back to the coast. You have a really good setup for fishing there, but it is a ways from the salt. Hit the New, wade it if you cannot afford a river boat or a guide, get into trout fishing the local streams, etc. Claytor Lake can be fun, as well.
The blues are still here in the Chesapeake, but the stripers (around here, they're called rockfish) have retaken their place at the top of the chain and really big blues aren't usually seen in the Bay these days. Those big grey trout are hard to come by these days. Speckled trout are still a popular fish, though, as are redfish (known locally as puppy drum).
Plan on a trip to the OBX, which is bumpersticker talk for the NC Outer Banks for some very good surf fishing, and don't neglect Tennessee and West B'God for trout fishing. Folks on this website will provide you with detail, in my case perhaps too much detail, if you have specific questions. Good luck on your business endeavors, but don't neglect the inner self. Fishing is a great stress reliever!
Thanks for the local info. I have placed many fishing posts in this blog (see other threads). I lived in FL for 23 years and fished A LOT (Boats, beach, river wading, sebastian inlet rocks, Middle Keys - Atlantic and bay side, etc.). Like you, if I new how to post some pics some of them would drop the jaw. Caught Lots of Reds, Snook, Mangrove Snapper, red snapper, Mahi, some grouper, kings, etc. Reds are one of my favorite. Good times.
I grew up in Va Beach before going to VT and surfed and fished the outer banks beaches heavily in the late 70s and early 80s when you could go almost anywhere. Again, good times! Will go again sometime, just too much to do right now.
I did some wading at McCoys when I was a VT student and caught some smallmouth and redeyes. I remember the redeyes fighting for a couple seconds and then giving up while the smallmouth fought like dogs to the end. I always did catch and release then. Was hoping form rock to rock and fishing the gaps. Good times.
I'd really like to hook up with someone that knows the Musky fishing in the New River. That would be pretty cool.
I did the same things from the late 50's to the late 60's before I went to VT. Grew up in Chesapeake, went to Great Bridge. Fished until I learned to surf, then surfed and fished Va. Beach, Sandbridge, and the Outer Banks, also "heavily". Met a lot of like minded folks with the same experiences when I went to Tech. Still fish with some, some still surf, in their 60's, mind you. While I know a bunch of folks who musky fish the New, they are a clannish sort. If you talk the talk and walk the walk, though, you'll meet up with some of them. They run the gamut from fly fishermen obsessed with musky on the long rod to die hard bait fishermen who use net caught suckers and store bought rainbow trout to catch them.
Note: I believe I can truly say that there has never been more muskies in the New River than there have been the past few years. If you wanna catch one, you can do it. Good luck.
welcome to TKP!
Thanks!
Just putting this out there for the local NRV people.
http://nrv.macaronikid.com/town/nrv/calendar/event/kids-fishing-day-at-p...
nothing better than taking a kid fishing!
Totally agree! Grew up fishing with my Dad and still do! Love it
I just took my Cub Scouts fishing this past Thursday at Dorey Park in Henrico. Not only did DGIF loan us some rods and tackle, but they were nice enough to stock 1700 channel cats the day before. Needless to say, my kids were hooking cats left and right all evening long on simple nightcrawlers and having a blast. It was the first time fishing for a few of them.
I've been catching a few brown trout on Spring Creek in PA
Pretty fish!
Nothing is prettier in fresh water than a nice healthy brown trout.
...except a nice healthy wild brook trout. But, yeah, I agree, trout are beautiful fish.
I'm jealous of everyone on here who is able to make time on the water.
Tight lines!
I caught a 16 inch brookie at 10 years old at in a creek behind my Uncle Haven's house in Cresco, PA. It was pretty, but I always liked brown trout more.
The previous thread reminded me to dig out my dad's bamboo fly rod from the 1950's. It was back when they sold an extra tip in case one broke so I have the butt, the mid section, and both tips.
The first fishing I did with any regularity was catching bream and small bass with a flyrod. Dad would come home from work and then take me fishing in a pond on a friend's horse farm. Dad would paddle and I'd work a yellow popping bug along the shoreline until it was too dark to see. I was probably 7 or 8. Good times.
Still catching crappie, yellow perch, and pickerel at Beaverdam Reservoir in Gloucester and waiting for the action to start in my area of the Bay.
French or anyone else knowledgeable about fishing in the Bristol, VA/TN area. I've got a fishing Kayak on the way and I need suggestions for the best spots to take it out. Any suggestions on favorite spots around here?
I grew up fishing on South Holston Lake. I have never floated the North Fork to fish, but there is supposed to be spectacular smallmouth fishing. I liked using Tiny Torpedos in slow water and hellgrammites that I pulled off the rocks in faster water (drifting nightcrawlers on the bottom worked too.) Keep in mind, I was waiting so boat control could be challenging on the faster water. Most of my buddies swore by small white curly tail grubs, but I never did well with them.
As for lakes, Beartree usually harbors a decent stocked trout population, as does Laurel Bed (above Saltville in the Clinch Mountain WMA.) You need a daily permit to fish Laurel Bed and a trout license to fish both. South Holston would probably be tough to fish in a kayak because of all the boat traffic, but I used to catch a ton of catfish and carp in the Wolf Creek cove and the cove at Avon's boat landing.
I know there are a group of Hokie alum that do really well catching striped bass from kayaks on Boone Lake, but I have lost track of how to find them or their youtube videos.
Thanks for the info. I plan to try out South Holston quite a bit this spring and summer. Unfortunately Boone lake had a sink hole and they are still trying to repair and fill the lake back. That also means a lot more boats on South Holston.
French is right on the North Fork of the Holston - smallmouth fishing can be really good. We typically float the river from where the bridge crosses at Wadlow Gap down to a small park area in Yuma. It's about a 6 hour float depending on flows. If you want to shorten it you can put in on the north side of the river just above the bridge at Weber City. That's also a good area to put in and just fish and then take back out. There's some informal put in's along the road, and the river is relatively quiet down to the bridge. Fishing can be great here - try topwater early and be sure to try a jerkbait such as an xrap in the faster sections in the 4' deep range. The takeout in Yuma offers a deep pool right across from a water treatment plant that can be really good as well. I usually have a topwater such as a popper or spook tied on, a hard jerkbait, a small Texas rigged plastic like a Yamamoto grub, a spinnerbait and whatever else I feel like throwing tied on. These would be a good start. The river is catch and release only, with a one fish over 20" limit.
I appreciate the information. Just got my Kayak yesterday and will be ready to try it out next weekend. It's too bad I won't be around to try it out this weekend with what looks to be great weather.
We have a family fishing trip we take to Buggs Island (Kerr Dam/Reservoir) every year on the the last weekend of April, first week of May. It's really laid back, and we mostly fish for Crappy and Catfish. We had some pretty good success this past weekend, especially Saturday night and Sunday morning. About 40 crappy and 10-12 cats. I caught my biggest Cat ever this time. About 10-12 lbs. There are some MONSTER Catfish in there though, I have seen a couple of 30+ pounders and I think the record there is over 100+.
Fresh cut bait- bigger bait, bigger cats!
So when do you start using the Bass caught as bait for the catfish?
Exactly, that one was off a white perch we caught that morning.
While I agree, in general, with your statement, I have been in the boat with two 35lb flathead cats caught in Claytor Lake on 1/4 oz walleye grubs tipped with a shiner. Just shows to go ya.
Flatheads are so so different from the bluecats. I have never caught a flathead in any situation besides:
1) daytime
2) hottest part of the summer
3) using a live bluegill under a slip float.
My experience is that flatheads won't touch anything but something that is, or looks based on your example, alive. Channel cats and blue cats are not nearly as picky.
I am going to be fishing for king mackerel on Ocean Crest Pier Monday-Wednesday of next week. Hopefully this will be me.
I've trolled forever and the fishing threads have 'lured' me in... I'm going to Western NC with my family in June and staying on Lake Glenville. Does anyone know the area well and can help me figure out which trout streams are best, for size of fish and solitude?
Solitude comes from within
True, Horse, but fishing delivers it to the mainline.
Solitude is next to the Duck Pond
Commenting on The Key Play = Enlightenment
Tried to help, reached out to my NC fishing fanatic bro, but he had limited knowledge of Glenville, other than to say that all the tributaries have either wild or stockies. Sorry, I really thought he'd be in the know. After you go, please elucidate the rest of us on your experience.
Will do! Will likely try to fish the French Broad, Nantahala or Davidson once, then find whatever the closest creek is to where I'm staying and fish that in the mornings.
Bream bite is good where I am for freshwater......Caught about 15 on a little Rapala topwater around 5-6 pm.
Useless post, maybe, but still not happening here in my neck of the Chesapeake Bay. Did talk to a guy with a boat I'd have been tempted to kill him for, he'd caught six croaker in three and a half hours of fishing, near the mouth of the East River in Mobjack Bay. Six croaker when they're in is a ten minute exercise, so my feeling is they're still not in. I'm not willing to put in the effort for that return, so I'm still pecking away from docks and wharfs, but I'm not getting bit, proof enough to me that thangs just ain't hoppnin' here yet. Hope someone's doing better somewhere.
Caught some stripers at night around green lights while trekking with my jon-boat. A croaker here and there as well during the day. Buddy of mine was in Wilton Creek up past Piankatank and caught some small trout. It is about to explode real soon now that the water clarity is starting to decrease and the winter tides are completely gone.
With the winter clarity came a lot of algae as well, and while we got a couple of small croaker yesterday at high tide in a creek off the East River, still nothing much going on here. Wilton Creek is a known trout hotspot, unfortunately one that took a big hit on the big trout the last couple of years from the cold.
Like you, I keep waiting for that explosion. I'm still not seeing the schools of bait, either. Water temps are going up fast, though, and the water is starting to look right. Matter of days, I'd bet. Thanks for your report, Brett. It's nice to have someone else down my way getting out and willing to share info. I'll be jumping in soon, I assure you.
No reports of cobia down at Hatteras is alarming for me. They always make a big showing around the Cape Point shoals before coming into the bay.
This storm pushed some nice speckled trout and big (too big to keep) puppy drum at Avalon Pier over the weekend.
The place to be the last few days was Seaside Heights in New Jersey. I have seen dozens of reports, pictures, and videos of people catching huge chopper bluefish on topwater plugs almost every cast. Betty and Nicks facebook page has tons of videos. Here is one that a local posted on their facebook page.
Editors note: It must be nice to have a collection of Van Staals for surf fishing.
Blues are always pretty fun to fish, they put up a good fight
I'm planning on hitting the new river tomorrow to try and land some smallies! Any one been lately in the McCoy area of river?
Caught this one on campus today. Studying for finals is overrated.
Looks like a spawned out spotted bass. Way to go.
Going to be heading down to Emerald Isle tomorrow so hopefully I'll be able to give a couple decent reports. My brother and parents are already down there and have said they have caught some blue, croaker, skate and a few near pound mullet. Dad managed a 3 1/2 foot scalloped hammerhead today at low tide on a drum rig. Needless to say I'm chomping at the bit.
In past years, around this time of year there are small pods of big bluefish that run up the beach. Always have one rod with a fresh bunker chunk, spot, small bluefish on a fishfinder rig with a 50lb bite leader.
Me and the lady friend got down here and went to eat with the family. Got news as we set down about an hour earlier my brother caught a Spanish from the surf today on cut mullet. Day late and a dollar short. I'm going to hit it early in the morning and see what I can drag in.
I wish I had more to report. I spent a week at Oak Island NC fishing with my dad. Our target species was king mackerel caught using trolley technique ("pin rigging") with live bait. We arrived on Sunday, which coincided with the tropical storm that hit the coast. Monday was spent rigging because the water wasn't fishable. Unfortunately, the water never cleared up in a way where the kings would be around. Both Dad and I hooked large spinner sharks (50-70 pounds) that we intentionally broke off at the pier. There were two VERY large sharks hooked that were brought close to the pier. One was a 8 foot plus blacktip shark that was foul hooked. The second was a GIGANTIC (every bit of 9 feet + long) tiger shark. The angler hooked the tiger shark closer to the beach on a whole dead bluefish on a bottom rig using a 4/0 reel. He locked the fish down immediately and had it to the pier within just a few minutes. As they dropped the gaffs (they were not the brightest lot), the fish realized it was hooked and took off. The angler had locked down his reel to keep the fish off the pilings, and when it took off, the gearbox on the side of the reel exploded. I tried to get a picture of the fish (I have seen one other tiger shark and this one was much bigger) but fumbled my iPhone when the fish took off. I did grab this picture of one of the spinner sharks hitting a bait.
For lighter fare, I caught a bunch of small bluefish (all on small sibiki rigs with a 1oz silver diamond jig on the bottom.) There were a handful of sand perch and croaker mixed in. I caught two small spanish mackerel and one keeper speckled trout. I didn't join in, but both days I fished, there were folks fishing with cut shrimp at the mid point of the pier and they SLAUGHTERED the sea mullet ("whiting" down there.) One group of three filled four medium sized coolers full of sea mullet.
Heading out in a few minutes for my first flounder trip of the year. Fishing around the Gwynn's Island area (Chesapeake Bay, for those of you outta staters), jigging with Gulp! and hoping for a fine fried flounder dinner this week. I'm hoping to have one in the box before most of you are having your first cuppa Joe. If they're in, we'll get 'em, if not, well...that's fishing. At least I ain't heading off to work!
Aaaiiite. Got the croaker. Caught thirty five, with a few whiting (roundhead, sea mullet, kingfish) included, one small striper and one really nice 19" flounder. Problem was, we were flounder fishing, but still. All fish on Gulp swimming mullet and 5/8oz jigheads. Six pound test and light tackle made for a fun half day fishing. Flounder in the pan tomorrow. Good luck to all, things are getting right around here.
Pretty work! I am glad the croaker are making a good showing.
French, we could have caught hundreds of them they were so thick. Tough to hook small to medium sized croaker with 4" Gulp and 5/8oz jigheads, though. My graph was so filled up with fish that I turned it off and then back on to make sure it was working right. We kept the croaker and the bigger whiting for future flounder bait out in the deeper water where the gulp just won't work, eating the flounder tonight.
When they are thick, I will have small ones hitting a 1oz diamond jig on the bottom of a sibiki. Croaker = not brite.
By the way, someone sent me this picture from Oceancrest Pier
My reaction in my office:
One of the piers I used to fish from decades ago had a worn wooden sign posted above the entrance that declared "You shoulda been here yesterday!". That sign was years old at that time, and never came down. Fishing can be a maddening pursuit at times, can't it?
As my Dad would always say...that's why they call it fishing...not catching.
It is easy to know when you need to be there on the northern beaches. If you watch the forecast, you go cobia fishing on light easterly winds, and you go drum fishing in October on easterly winds that are enough to make things choppy but not full blown vicious northeasters. The key to success is having the flexibility to go when conditions are right.
Southern-facing piers are much more complicated. I never truly have figured them out.
Just wanted to give an update, strange tides is the theme for this trip. Hard tides are making for hard surf fishing. Finally caught a break this evening and the lady friend caught herself a nice 3.5 foot black tip on a 25$ berkley set up, she thought the surf pulled her pole over, easily gonna be the memory of the trip. Got into some nice mullet and caught around 10 blues roughly 2 pounds. We switched from high lows to bluefish rigs and that seemed to be the key. Everything that wanted to eat wanted it off the bottom. Hopefully the fishing will keep up and I'll be able to update more. Also seen a school of unknown baitfish pass the house and massive blues and kings were busting them to pieces. Tried all we could to get near em but couldn't reach that far. Bout 10 minutes after they passed my dad hooked a nice 15 poundish black drum picking up the scraps. Hopefully the nice fishing continues tomorrow.
Black Drum are yummy at that size and smaller. Too big and they get wormy.
Were you in NC?
I have to adjust my saltwater targets up here from Florida. I'm thinking Red drum, Black drum, Pompano, and Flounder. I'm not a big fan of Bluefish or croaker as table fare. A Kingfish off the pier would be sweet - great smoked fish dip if smoked same day.
Pompano in Florida is always a winter target - if the water hit 68F and almost clear, they were there.
Flounder in Sebastian Inlet were always a November to mid-December catch when they would go through the inlet to spawn after the first good front pushed through. Tide mattered a lot. When is the season up here?
Yeah man right outside Morehead. I've had drum before and. Your right it's pretty great. We don't keep to much while we are here unless we get into a big school of mullet or croaker. I also agree on the blues. Unless they are under 3 pounds and bled as soon as you get em off the hook, it's rough eats.
If you are going for pompano, you can't beat using sand fleas on small hooks and a flourocarbon double dropper rig. If you have kids with you, have them dig for the sand fleas.
Same rig used in Florida. The commercial beach pompano fisherman would blanche the fleas before using them. I never understood the difference, but it did get more hits. Fresh clams worked well also.
When is it Pompano time on the OBX?
Fry up a big croaker fillet and a small red drum fillet and do a blind taste test. Good luck telling the difference in flavor.
I'll have to d that some time. I prefer blackening and grilled/baked over fried, but I could do it that way as well.
What is a typical eating size croaker? My experience with them is only as bait from 3" long to as much as 10" long (big Snook love that size in the inlets - their pretty good for grouper bait offshore also).
Yeah, I just fry croaker, after filleting and skinning. For blackening and grilling/baking, the larger and thicker fillets from the drum are going to cook up better. I personally like the bigger croaker, usually the 3/4lb and up fish, but a friend of mine is partial to the smaller ones. He doesn't fillet them, just cleans 'em up the old fashioned way, cuts off the head and tail, guts and scales them and fries them whole. I will eat a few every spring until I can reliably get flounder and drum, then usually don't fish for croaker except to use for flounder bait. But occasionally during the summer my wife will ask especially for a croaker dinner, and they are usually available. Are they my favorite fish? No, but there are many fish other folks are partial to that I personally consider inferior to croaker, so I know it's just a matter of taste and everyone's is different.
it is a matter of taste...I'll take a fried croaker fillet over flounder all day. i just seldom catch croaker because i fish exclusively with artificials. my neighbors love me though...i give most of my flounder away.
I fish mostly with artificials myself, and I can assure you that croaker will bite them. I have been catching a dozens of them on 4" Gulp swimming mullet on a 5/8oz jig head, and when I really WANT to catch them, have been getting them on 2" Yum curly tailed grubs. When they're thick, they'll eat 'em right up. Man, if you lived next door, we'd be a good symbiotic match.
Yep... I have had 6 inch croakers try to eat a 1 1/2 oz diamond jig that was almost as big as them.
Damn all these pier/surf fishing comments. Every time I go fishing from the pier or surf all I catch is a half dozen 12" long sharks (blacktips? sand sharks? beluga sturgeon?). Of course I'm usually holding a beer and it's mid July while my kids and wife are running around enjoying the beach. I don't know how they can remain in such proximity to the water for so long without even attempting to fish. Some people.
it is all about weather and water. those sand sharks tend to show up (along with skates farther north) in colder water or muddy water. The best pier conditions (which are the worst for boat fishing in the salt) are a light onshore winds that make the air cool, the water warm, and pushes good water in close along with bait and pelagic's.
For any of you non saltwater bros', I am heading out to the Shenandoah near Luray this weekend to float the river near Shenandoah River Outiftters. Anybody hear anything coming out of that area recently? TIA.
I haven't but it certainly is a good time. Here is the Charlie Taylor report, which is usually based on annual trends rather than any first hand information for fishing outside of the immediate DC area:
SHENANDOAH RIVER - Smallmouth bass numbers are good, although sizes are small. Small topwater lures and skirted plastic grubs are the choice of more successful anglers. Catfish are hungry, attacking minnows, nightcrawlers and chicken livers with gusto. Sunfish are still cooperative, hitting tiny poppers, Beetlespins, spinners and plastic grubs.
Went surf fishing today down here in Hilton Head, I was using a double bottom rig with cut Spanish sardines as bait. Beautiful weather! The Blues were biting and I was able to land 10 in the 5-10lb range. Overall a successful day!
5-10 pounders? CHOPPERS!
Choppers? Ya I didn't have a scale but I would say most were 5-6lbs.
Yep, small blues are under a pound, taylor blues are between a pound and 4 pounds. Choppers are the bigger ones.
They are the most fun. Ain't nothing like hooking a chopper on a bass rod from fresh water.. best 5 minute fight you'll ever have.
Ahhh ok thank you for explaining! It was an awesome time! And they do put up a good fight!
I grew up with the little ones, under a pound, being snappers. Then came the taylors, but the line between them and choppers became blurred. For a fact, any bluefish over 10lbs is a certified chopper. It's that middle thing between the 4's and the 10's that I was always fuzzy on.
Side note, over the years, I have been bitten by every damn size of bluefish, and they all can inflict a bloody wound with no problem.
They will hurt you. I never have hit a big run of the choppers in the surf. A ton started shredding our live baits in late May back in 07-09 off Bogue Inlet Pier. I call them "Yellow Eyed Demons."
I think those yellow eyes are just a reflection from that obviously well worn t shirt of yours.
I have gotten into big runs of 10-18lb blues in the surf. Fishing Gator and Hopkins spoons, running after them after landing one just to keep up and stay in them, the whole nine yards. Then, on the way back, picking up speckled trout up to five lbs that were flopping on the beach after exiting the surf to avoid being cut in half by the choppers. It was in the '60s-70s though. Still amazed at the power a 15lb bluefish brings to the fray. Ahhh, the good old days! Sandbridge a couple of times, but the other times were all on the OBX from Nags Head to the end of Hatteras Island. In those days, there were very few 4wd vehicles, maybe an old jeep or two or a dune buggy, so shank's mare was the way you had to move and it was hard to keep up after 20-25 minutes or so.
Anybody do any fishing at Belle Isle State Park. Heading there tomorrow for a family outing. Going to put some lines in the water with my dad and see how things go.
Croaker are everywhere, now. Flounder are showing up, got five yesterday locally, but also heard of a good catch over near Kiptopeake and Cape Charles. Friend spotted a cobia near the York. Crabs are plentiful and big...it's on!
Caught a whole lot of nothing last Saturday. Some teenager was next to us and caught about 6 croaker. Had several crabs bite though.
We couldn't keep the croaker off of our flounder baits. Could have filled up a trash can. I was catching two at a time for fun with 2" curly tailed grubs on 1/8oz jigheads and a double rig. No size at all, though. The biggest were smallish mediums I'd only have kept if I'd had to or for bait. Fishbites/bloodworms couldn't have been any better there were so many croaker in the water. The only flounder we could catch were in areas there weren't as many croaker. Too much competition, I guess.
For those of us in NOVA, Beaverdam Reservoir Opens tomorrow May 30!
'nother day, 'nother flounder, but just one keeper. Caught two in all. Two. Maybe 45 croaker, one white perch and one spot. Lost at least one other flounder, but it was hot, hot, hot out there. Oyster sandwich at the Seabreeze with a chilly bev.
Good day.
Pretty work. My buddy Jake got five cobia with the biggest just over 40 pounds on two trips this weekend. He said most of the fish were following turtles heading south. That shouldn't matter because it sounds like the bigger fish are up in the bay.
I have heard of one cobia caught here in the middle bay. It was a 25lber caught yesterday on a live croaker at the Wolftrap Light, we think. The guy was cryptic, but the folks at the marina know him and said he's money. They also said that the cobia usually start showing up near here in early June, but expect things to start happening next week or so due to the cold spring. Our problem right now is the wind. It's been blowing for weeks. Hard to get a small boat out in that stuff, and really difficult to see them cruising with 2' waves to hide them. While we have some turtles around here, usually if the cobia are running with anything, it's rays.
Yep- all the cobia reports I am hearing are around the northern half of the bridge/Lattimer Shoals. I have not heard anything from Buckroe or Middle Bay yet.