Skates and dogfish. That’s what will be biting in the surf for the next couple months, not a very exciting forecast. Skates, yikes! What exactly is a skate? Is it a sting ray or what? Though similar in many regards, skates and rays are two different creatures. Both are cartilaginous fish, meaning – like the sharks – they don’t have bones, but rather cartilage. Also, they don’t have … [Read more...]
Dogfish Days
For the next month or two, about the only fish biting in the surf in Virginia and North Carolina will be dogfish. Small sharks. Atlantic spiny dogfish to be exact. And there are no shortages of these bait snatchers. While there is little or no consumer or sporting interest in dogfish in the United States - they are considered trash fish - they are prized in Europe for their use in the classic … [Read more...]
Ice Fishing
One day, a rather inebriated ice fisherman drilled a hole in the ice. He peered into the hole and a loud voice said, "There are no fish down there." He walked several yards away and drilled another hole and peered into the hole and again the voice said, "There are no fish down there." He then walked about 50 yards away and drilled another hole and again the voice said, "There are … [Read more...]
Virginia State Record Atlantic Tripletail Certified
An 8-pound 9-ounce Atlantic tripletail caught on July 14, 2021 by Hayden Head of Yorktown has been certified as the initial Virginia State Record for the species by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. The record-setting tripletail measured 23 inches and had an18.5-inch girth. Hayden, his dad and four other anglers were primarily searching for cobia but spotted the fish hanging below a … [Read more...]
Going, Going, Gone
That’s the Virginia rockfish season, and it’s almost gone. Virginia’s striper season ends next Friday, New Year’s Eve. December 31st. After that, it’s all catch and release. The Bay water temp at the CBBT is now 50 degrees and most of the large rockfish are being caught on the east side of the Bay. Some are coming from areas near the mouths of the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and … [Read more...]
Cold Water, Hot Fishing
As the water in the bay dips beneath the 50-degree mark, big rockfish are piling up along Cape Charles. Many now have sea lice, a sign they have moved into the Bay from the ocean. The best baits for the big fellows are live eels bounced along the bottom. With just 2 weeks left in the season, the lower Rappahannock has also been producing lots of nice fish. Good catches are also coming in from the … [Read more...]
The Tuna Are Here
At least they are "here" off the coast of North Carolina. Country Girl Charters out of Manteo fished Wednesday and loaded up with Yellowfin Tuna and Triggerfish. Fishing offshore has been excellent when weather permits. Sea bass are also being caught in good numbers off structure in deeper water. At Nags Head, when the wind isn’t blowing, fishing has been good. On Wednesday, the … [Read more...]
Looking for Big Rocks
The water temperature in the Bay has dipped into the mid-50s. It’s Rockfish time. The Big Rocks have now drifted out of the rivers into the main bay and some ocean-run fish from the Atlantic have also squeezed in, all looking for a wad of menhaden to attack. Boats found the big stripers this week, many on the Eastern Shore side. The Plantation Lights and Cape Charles areas were … [Read more...]
Stripers in the Sound
I have been fishing for stripers in the sounds on the Outer Banks for over 30 years. At first, we caught a few fish, but they were largely throwbacks. Then a few 18-to-20-inch fish showed and there were lots of them. In the past two years, however, not only are there lots of stripers in the sounds, there are some big stripers. Capt. Reese Stecher of Beach Bum Fishing has been … [Read more...]
Brrrr! It’s Sea Bass Time
One of the best eating fish that swims in the ocean is a big, fat sea bass. Not one of those little runts that steals your bait in the summer, but a 14-or 16-inch sea bass hauled up from deep water wrecks. And they’re biting now in deep water out of Virginia Beach over most any structure. Bundle up and go catch a few. In fact, sea bass, tautogs and flounder are all available now around … [Read more...]
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