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The Saltwater Review - May 3, 2001

by Lewis S. Gillingham

OVERVIEW	Chincoteague	Wachapreague	Cape Charles	Onancock
Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel	Virginia Middle Bay	Virginia Beach	Virginia Piers	Grandview
Buckroe Beach	Harrison	Lynnhaven	Sandbridge	Outer Banks, NC

  OVERVIEW
Virginia's Trophy Striped Bass season will open May 1 and run through June 15. This special season carries a 32-inch minimum size limit coupled with a one-fish bag limit. From May 1 through May 16, anglers may possess one-fish, 32 inches or greater. From May 16 through June 15, anglers are allowed to possess two striped bass within the 18 and 28-inch slot, but one fish of the two-fish allowed during the May 16 through June 15 slot season may be 32 inches or greater. Most important, anglers must report their Trophy catch (all 32-inch or greater fish caught and kept between 1 May and 15 June) on forms available at all Citation Weigh Stations, many other tackle shops and marinas and our homepage web site (see address above). A reporting form is also enclosed in this report.

The VMRC has scheduled a public hearing to finalize the closed period for the 2000 Recreational Summer Flounder fishery (see enclosure). Currently, the minimum size limit for Summer Flounder is 15.5 inches and the possession limit is 8-fish (and will not change in 2001) but the closed period of 24 July 2001 through 1 August 2001 will be increased (again refer to the enclosed Notice) to gain an additional 4% reduction in catch.

Anglers are reminded that a 12-inch size limit and 4-fish possession limit is in effect from May 1 through August 15 for weakfish (grey trout).

Flounder fishing has been exception since the season opened March 29--barring strong winds. The seaside inlets along the Eastern Shore Barrier Islands and waters in the vicinity of the CBBT complex have been the most productive. 

Schools of croaker swarmed into the Bay weeks ago. Best catches are generally made well up inside the rivers and often in the warmer shallows. Even though these ocean run fish are generally "skinny," several fish in excess of three pounds have been recorded with the heaviest to date, a 4-1/2-pound whopper, boated on the York River above Gloucester Point.

Bluefish in the 1 to 3 pound range have made a strong early season showing at several locations, including the CBBT, HRBT and from the piers located between these two crossings.

Chincoteague -

Donna from Captain Bob's reported good catches of flounder the past several weeks, as flatfish to over 8 pounds were weighed. The most recent "hot spot" has been the waters between buoys 4 and 6 in water 10 to 20 feet deep. Flatfish are just beginning to move into Queen's Sound, where overall action remains slow. A few trout and taylor blues have also been reported.

Barnacle Bill's told of excellent catches of flounder, as fish were "spread-out all over." The shop spokesman indicated limit catches had been made at Four Mouths, along the main channel and Queen's Sound Flats. Taylor blues had also arrived inside the inlet and recommended Chincoteague Point as the top location.

Wachapreague -
Wachapreague Marina's annual 10-day Spring Flounder Tournament finished-up Sunday and despite breezy conditions for much of the event, overall catches were impressive. The winning flatfish was boated by Joan Phares of Richmond at Green Channel and weighed 6 pounds, 13-1/2 ounces. Delaware angler Carolyn Joseph boated the second place winning fish at Quinby Inlet and it weighed 6 pounds, 9-1/2 ounces. Jim Sheuty of Pennsylanvia nailed down third place on the flats at the Hummocks with a 6-pound and 5-ounce flounder. Silversides, live minnows and cut squid were the top baits.

Captain Zed's annual 10-day Spring Flounder Tournament likewise came to a close Sunday, as Richmond angler Joan Phears was the winner with a 6-pound and 14-ounce flounder. Second place went to Carolyn Joseph for a 6-pound and 9-1/2-ounce flounder. Paris Sexton took third place with a 6-pound even flatfish.

Cape Charles -

Chris' Bait and Tackle reported decent weekend catches of flounder despite strong NE winds. Several limit catches were recorded out of the seaside port of Oyster while flatfish to 5 pounds were claimed off Cape Charles. Anglers bottom fishing from the State park Pier at Kiptopeke decked flounder and a few trout. No weekend rod and reel catches of black drum were reported but commercial catches have been made on both the seaside and bayside.

Onancock -
 

Lower Bay/Bridge Tunnel -
Cobbs Marina reported decent hauls of both flounder and tautog from the CBBT complex. Prior to the weekend, Daniel Ponder nailed a 7-3 flounder at the Third Island, where a 12-9 tog was boated the week before.

Bubba's Marina said tautog and flounder dominated the weekend catches coming from the CBBT complex while boats running offshore returned with good hauls of large sea bass.

Donnie Wallace from Wallace's Marina said most of his customers were concentrating on the impressive spring flounder run. Donnie weighed flatfish to 5-1/2 pounds that were caught at the mouth of Back River but indicated the Third and Fourth islands and the 8 and 12 mile posts of the CBBT were likewise productive locations for flounder. The few anglers not fishing for flounder recorded decent catches of tautog at the CBBT complex and the Back River Reef site during the daytime and grey trout to 8 pounds at the HRBT after dark.

Johnny from Sunset Marina said despite a "very windy weekend" good hauls of flounder and croaker were recorded around Fort Monroe. Johnny added that he was still looking for the season's first lunker photo for the marina's bragging board.

JR from Vanasse Bait and Tackle said flounder were biting around the mouth of Back River while schools of hungry taylor blues had invaded the CBBT complex. The croaker bite had yet to become red hot but grey trout to 7 pounds were showing at the HRBT.

A spokesperson from Salt Ponds described the weekend as windy and very quiet. So windy, in fact, even a well known local dentist who "fishes nearly every day" had remained in port recently.

Jimmy Lewis from A & S Feed and Bait Supply reported excellent catches of jumbo croaker on the York River at several locations including the lumps, the public fishing pier at Gloucester Point, the mouth of the Perrin River and off the Coast Guard Pier. Possibly the best haul of large croaker was made by Orin Farenholt and came from the lumps. Orin's catch included several fish at or near 3 pounds and a 4-1/2-pound lunker. Jimmy added that flounder were hitting just above the Gloucester Bridge on the Yorktown side but the spring speckled trout run inside Mobjack Bay was running late with only a handful taken thus far.

Members of the Peninsula Anglers Club report good success on grey trout, sea bass and yellowfin tuna. Doug Roper and a fishing buddy worked the HRBT Sunday and Monday and recorded good catches of grey trout each day. Captain Richard Bartlett and his party worked several of the Triangle wrecks and ended with a decent haul of black sea bass measuring up to 20 inches. The group tried but did not catch any tautog but were "rewarded" with a small cunner for their efforts. Early in the week, Don Crist and party boated nine yellowfin tuna and four gaffer dolphin off Oregon Inlet. The Richardson's fished their private boat, the TUNA CHASER, the same day off Oregon Inlet and boated six yellowfin tuna.