By Lee Tolliver
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 8, 2008
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 8, 2008
THE FINE FOLKS along the Gulf Coast and in Florida love their red fishing.
They even brag about how wonderful their areas are for taking these golden battlers with the spots on their tails.
Enjoy their fishery they should. But brag about it?
Get real!
Channel bass fishing along the coast of northeastern North Carolina and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay pretty much puts anything down south to shame.
The International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record came from Hatteras Island, N.C. The giant, caught by David Deuel in 1984, weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces.
Virginia's big red record weighed 85-4 and was caught near Wreck Island in 1981 by Herman Moore (not the former Virginia football standout).
Red drum along the Gulf Coast don't get that big.
Guys down there get excited about 30- to 40-inch fish. Anglers working Virginia waters last year caught 654 that topped the award minimum of 46 inches. Half of those topped 50 inches.
A 32-incher gets a North Carolina award, but many fish caught along the beach or from the surf top 40 inches.
Both Virginia and North Carolina records never will be topped since regulations prevent the taking of big drum.
North Carolina's fishery is catch and release only. In Virginia, anglers can keep three puppy drum (small red drum) that measure between 18 and 26 inches.
Puppy drum annually provide inshore and inlet anglers with some outstanding light- to medium-tackle action.
But it is the two states' big boys that cause the most commotion - especially this time of year.
Action has been tremendous along Outer Banks beaches the past few days. And anglers working the shoals around northern portions of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel have reported excellent catches lately.
Peeler crabs are the best bait for spotted bronze bruisers. But cut menhaden and mullet also will work.
HAMPTON ROADS
Good numbers of small croaker have started to show in much of the lower Chesapeake Bay. That's good news for anglers participating in the striped bass Virginia Trophy Season that continues in the Bay through June 15. Dropping live croaker over rocks around the islands and tunnel spans can be extremely effective.
Bigger croaker have been available from the Hampton Bar east to Ocean View. Croaker and gray and speckled trout have been caught around the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Red and black drum numbers are on the rise, especially around the Inner Middle Grounds just south of the high-rise spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Black drum could start to show around the bridge-tunnel islands when waters warm.
Flounder catches should be on the rise along the bridge-tunnel, from the small boat channel on the southern end to deep edges around the high-level spans. Rubble piles and inshore wrecks also are producing flatfish.
Bluefish are everywhere. Small to medium blues also can be found inside Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets. Lynnhaven also has a few puppy drum and undersized flounder. Rudee continues to produce decent speckled trout action with the occasional gray trout.
Deep-drop bottom-bouncers will continue to find tilefish, grouper and wreckfish. Many big seabass have started to migrate to wrecks closer to shore.
EASTERN SHORE
Red and black drum are capturing most angling attention, though seaside flounder catches are outstanding.
Big black drum are being caught in decent numbers around buoys 13 and 16, and around Machipongo Inlet. Buoy 16 is approximately a mile southwest of Kiptopeke.
Big red drum can be found all along the seaside barrier islands.
Flounder catches inside Oyster and Wachapreague have been good, with many anglers managing to boat five-fish limits of flatties topping 19 inches. A few speckled trout could be caught from channels around Oyster.
OUTER BANKS
Tuna continue to provide the best action out of Oregon and Hatteras inlets. But billfish are starting to show in increasingly better numbers. Several blue marlin have been released since weather patterns have gotten better.
Yellowfin and blackfin tuna numbers are steady. Trollers can expect to find increasing numbers of dolphin, along with wahoo and king mackerel.
Deep-drop bottom-bouncing trips are producing fantastic numbers of tilefish, grouper, triggerfish, wreckfish and sea bass.
Closer to shore, a few cobia have shown around Ocracoke. Red drum schools have been difficult to locate.
Inshore trips should produce lots of bluefish, and some trout and puppy drum.
PIERS AND SURF
Things are looking up along Virginia's beaches. Bluefish are abundant from Sandbridge around Cape Henry and west to Ocean View. Anglers working the Sandbridge and Virginia Beach piers should be on the lookout for big red drum. Otherwise, catches will include small croaker, sea mullet, some spot, mostly undersized flounder and a few trout.
Along the Outer Banks, big red drum are making a good showing on Hatteras Island. However, anglers are not allowed on the beach from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
During the day, anglers also are catching lots of dog fish sharks, bluefish, sea mullet, croaker, small trout and a few flounder.
FRESHWATER
Largemouth bass action is tremendous on just about every southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina lake, pond and river system.
Early and late topwater bites will provide the biggest thrill. But spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics thrown throughout the day will produce. Most fish can be taken from water less than 10 feet deep.
White perch catches in most rivers and Back Bay have been outstanding, especially around old docks and duck blinds. The mouths of feeder creeks also are good places to look.
Crappie should still be available in relatively shallow water, with the best catches coming from structure located 5 to 10 feet deep. Bridge pilings also should be tried.
Shellcracker in most of the Suffolk lakes should be moving to shallow water. Small jigs and worms worked under corks or on bottom rigs will produce.
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Catches of the week
Amberjack
Cheryl Frazier, Norfolk, 55-0, off Hatteras.
Black drum
Andy Booy, Townsend, 52-inch release, off Kiptopeke.
Dan Hoffler, Eastville, 82-0, Latimer Shoals.
William Lewis, Cape Charles, 51-inch release, off Kiptopeke.
John Wandrick, Cape Charles, 48- and 49-inch releases, off Kiptopeke.
Blackfin tuna
Phillip Wilgus, Virginia Beach, 22-0, off Hatteras.
Blueline tilefish
Mike Delbridge, Chesapeake, 11-0, Norfolk Canyon.
Blue marlin releases
David Frazier, Norfolk, off Hatteras.
Keith LeGrande, Virginia Beach, off Hatteras.
Timothy Slack, Virginia Beach, off Hatteras.
Dolphin
Matthew McBeen, Windsor, 35-0, off Hatteras.
Largemouth bass
Howard Smith, Virginia Beach, 6-15, Pasquatank River.
Red drum releases
Chris Cason, Cape Charles, 47-inch, Bone Island.
Woo Daves, Cheriton, 48-inch, Fisherman's Island.
Dave Griffith, Cape Charles, 46-inch, Fisherman's Island.
Speckled trout
John Dunn, Norfolk, 5-0, Rudee Inlet.
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Fishing reduces stress and gives you a break from our modern world where everything is going a million miles per hour
73
Check & Clear 6
LOC: 38-54-14.60N / 097-14-09.07W
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