Capt. David of the High Hopes Charters took a father and two sons on a trip and caught some nice Spanish mackerel. They also caught some ribbonfish – lots of ribbonfish, about 30 in all. After making occasional appearances, ribbonfish showed up in force last summer in Virginia waters. The ribbons are hitting spoons intended for Spanish mackerel. The ribbonfish schools hang near the … [Read more...]

They say - whoever “they” is – that if you have black snakes around, you won’t have copperheads. They are natural enemies. Better to have a harmless black snake or two than a nest of poisonous copperheads. Recently, I heard just the opposite, that copperheads and black snakes co-exist. This source said that the black snake/copperhead myth was just that – an old wives’ tale. So which is it? My … [Read more...]

(DWR photo of a 60-pound flathead)   Smallmouth Guide Brian Bodine posted a short video on Facebook that got my attention. Brian had caught a 20 pound flathead catfish on the James River with the tailfin of a smallmouth bass extending from its gullet. Despite mighty objections from the live catfish, Brian extracted the partially digested smallmouth. Brain measured and it  was a 19-inch … [Read more...]

While demand for saltwater recreation is surging, the number of charter boats available for trips is diminishing -  not because of labor shortages but because of a parts shortage for engines. As many homeowners are discovering, it is hard to get parts these days. Most come from China and that overseas highway is filled with potholes. So if you are thinking about an offshore or even a nearshore … [Read more...]

  Two new arrivals in the Chesapeake Bay have created quite a fishing stir. Spanish mackerel along with some big spadefish have made their presence known. Add to that, cobia, red and black drum, croakers, whiting, flounder, bluefish and stripers – and what’s an angler to do? Go fishing. The charter boat Knot Wish’N found lots of Spanish ready to bite while Paige II Charters put limits … [Read more...]

By Alex McCrickard, DWR Angling Education Coordinator Every spring, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) stocks channel catfish at various urban impoundments across the state. This effort is part of DWR’s FishLocalVA initiative and is aimed at creating exceptional angling opportunities in urban metropolitan areas. It’s an effort that has a lot of moving parts, from acquiring the … [Read more...]

  On the saltwater scene, lots of anglers have “The Blues”, as in bluefish. Blues are surfacing on the lower Chesapeake, along the Virginia Beach Shore and at Nags Head on the OBX. Jenette’s Pier reported some nice catches of bluefish. Spanish were also taking Gotcha Plugs from the pier jockeys. Inshore boats were picking up blues, Spanish, a few Kings and some cobia. The cobia action … [Read more...]

The water temp along the Virginia Beach ocean front is up to 62 degrees and things are starting to happen. Grey trout made a showing at Rudee Inlet this week. They should soon be biting along the CBBT. Big black drum are now in the shallows of the Eastern Shore. Red drum are there as well. Fisherman’s Island is a hotspot. The rockfish season kicks off on May 16, running until June 15.  In … [Read more...]