INSHORE SPECIES
The entrance to the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean is seventeen miles wide and offers shallow flats as well as depths of more than one hundred feet. The tunnel complex spans across the entrance and is comprised of two separate bridges and four man-made islands. The bridges are supported on several thousand piling. This creates a large area for marine life and the schools of fish that come to feed along the bridge. This in turn attracts a large variety of game fish that make this one of the “hot spots” on the East Coast. It is home to a vast number of species: Striped Bass, Flounder, Red & Black Drum, Cobia, Trout, Spot, Croaker, Tautog to name a few. As these fish migrate seasonally the Outer Banks of North Carolina becomes the place to be. The spring and fall runs can be spectacular along the banks!
Speckled Trout, Puppy Drum, Flounder, Gray Trout , Spot, Croaker and small Stripers are all available in the Rivers and Inlets. All of these species can be caught in the same spots. Speckled Trout (right) are king! In the fall, nice-sized (2-4 lbs.) Specks are pretty abundant while trophy-sized trout (5-8 lbs.) are available but not as common.
Out on the bay
The Striper deserves top billing. It's a
pure and simple fact, more anglers would rather catch a striper,
and they like the big ones! Striper sport fishing goes back well
before the American Civil War. That's why the Striper is
considered our original salt-water game fish. Mid October till February
provides the best fishing for Stripers. During this time the fish weigh
in from 25-50+ pounds. It is not uncommon for it to be a 20 minute
battle to bring in a big one. You have to rig to whatever technique is
best for the season. Your Charter Captain or Tackle Dealer will know
just what it takes!
Red
Drum is back on the roster of great sport fish, we find them
reasonably
plentiful in the Bay. Check with your Charter Captain or Tackle
Dealer to find when. The large cows in the 30-pound-plus range are
caught here more often than any other spot on the East and Gulf Coast.
The smaller ones, called Puppy Drum are available all summer
throughout the Rivers and Inlets.
Cobia,
great for sport and table. The Cobia is a strong powerful light tackle
opponent. Capable of strong runs, occasional leaps, and bulldogging,
these flat-headed fish remind us of its smaller cousin, the remora.
Cobia popularity
hinges on its battling attitude. Considering the fish can exceed
100 pounds, it can surpass the power of most other inshore fish. Around
piers and pilings, anglers have to use heavy tackle and line in an
attempt to stop the initial run. But in the open bay, it's a light
tackle game ideal for 20-lb test casting and spinning gear. Cobia can
grow to six feet in length, being a dark brown along its back. A few
dark stripes run between white ones along its sides, most noticeable in
younger specimens. In shape, they appear to be like a small shark. When
a Cobia is spotted near the surface, the sighting of it makes a
fisherman's day. They're lurking in the bay all summer, waiting to
challenge you!
The Bluefish is one of the world's
premiere light tackle fish. When hooked, it'll splash the surface,
often consecutively. And then it bears
down, turning its powerful body against you. A feeding bluefish is
fearless, fights to the end, and then considers your fingers for
dessert. The smaller class are plentiful all summer and in a sense,
fill an inshore niche in the bay almost like the Dolphin does
off-shore. We enjoy a spring and fall run of the bigger class fish
some weighting 20 lbs!
Gray
Trout are often found near the periphery of eelgrass beds, where
they primarily feed on shrimp, larger zooplankton, crabs, other
crustaceans and small fish. In the estuary, adult weakfish occur in
schools and frequent shallow sandy bottom areas with
salinities above 10 percent. Larger fish (2 years and older) appear in
the lower Chesapeake Bay in April and May with age-1 fish becoming
abundant in the summer. In the fall, adult weakfish begin an offshore
and southerly migration to the continental shelf from the Chesapeake Bay
to Cape Lookout, North Carolina where they over winter. North of Cape
Hatteras, spring warming of coastal waters prompts adults to migrate
from their offshore wintering grounds back to the Chesapeake Bay and
estuaries.
The
Tautog is a member of the Wrasse family, exhibiting
shell-crushing jaws. With their prominent lips and nasty teeth, they
require either long-shanked hooks or a pair of fishing pliers. Of the
several salt water panfish available to
Virginia salt water anglers, the Tautog is the favorite. It's name
simply came from Tautog, a native American name. In color they
are greenish brown, often bronze, with dark mottling along their sides.
Larger specimens are often dark gray or black. When you catch one, it
stares at you with that "What in the world do you want with me?" look.
We want to eat it! It's a fine table fish with firm white meat; and when
caught in larger sizes, can be filleted for an excellent Blackened
Blackfish.
Taug regulations are expected to change in 2007. Before you fish make sure you have obtained the most recent regulations!
Spot
can't resist blood
worms. They are found throughout the bay and river in the spring,
summer, and fall. They are lots of fun to catch. They are bottom
feeders.
Croaker like spot can be found just about anywhere. They love Shrimp, squid, blood worms, and cut bait. Its hard to beat a cooler full of 2 to 4 lb Croakers! Like spot, croakers are great to eat fried and broiled. They can be frozen and are good when thawed unlike some other species.
Spade
Fish. The Chesapeake's version of an Angle Fish. These guys are
great
fighters, when you add in the fact that they're very finicky and
will not touch anything tossed their way on line greater than 15 lb
test, they become hard to land! They are best caught on small hooks with
Clam, Shrimp, or Jellyfish balls. Squid will work if the fish are
aggressive. Many anglers use a saltwater bobber to float the bait in
front of them. Chumming is effective. They can reach good size and can
be seen occasionally cruising around at the surface near the bridge or
other structure. They are great to eat, tasting a little like Dolphin.
We can't close without mentioning the Flounder and Spanish Mackerel, but the list goes on and on! There is no way to cover all the possibilities that you may encounter on your inshore Virginia Beach Fishing Adventure. Contact one of our sponsors and he or she will see that you get in on the action!
|
Flounder A popular flatfish both in Virginia & North Carolina, Summer Flounder, or Fluke, is found in the Western Atlantic from Maine to South Carolina. Despite its seasonal name, Summer Flounder migrate to deeper waters during the winter months. Average size 3-6 lbs.
[Regulation
4 VAC 20-620-10 et seq.]
|
Spanish Mackerel Back green, shading to silver on sides, golden yellow irregular spots above and below lateral line; front of dorsal fin black; lateral line curves gently to base of tail. Usually caught in tide-lines and around structure.
Minimum
Size Limit....14 inches*
|
