http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/fishing-forecast-week-may-1521
Catches of the week
Black drum
- Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, 48-inch release, Buoy 16.
- Jamal Esfahani, Virginia Beach, 50-inch release, Fisherman's Island.
- Steve Wray, Virginia Beach, 47-inch release, Buoy 16.
Golden tilefish
- Ric Hensley, Virginia Beach, 28-0, Norfolk Canyon.
Largemouth bass
- Mike Crescini, Virginia Beach, 6-12, Little Creek Reservoir (Virginia
Beach).
- Kevin Mills, Chesapeake, 5-5, Lake Smith.
- Craig Owens, Chesapeake, 4-1, Northwest River
Red drum releases
- Gary Capps, Chesapeake, 501/2 inches, Fisherman's Island.
- Jamal Esfahani, Virginia Beach, 471/2 inches, Fisherman's Island.
By Lee Tolliver
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 15, 2008
THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE amount of fishing energy spent on the outstanding red
drum action that takes place this time of year in Virginia and North
Carolina.
But anglers would be remiss if they did not take the opportunity to tackle
the redfish's cousin - the black drum.
The good thing about late spring drum fishing is that there is a good chance
of catching one species or the other, or both, on the same trip - especially
when efforts are concentrated around the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
The two work basically the same areas of the Bay, roaming the shallow
bottoms of shoals and flats in search of eels, clams, crabs and baitfish.
Big black drum roam the inner middle grounds near the high-rise spans of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and channel edges heading to the northwest.
Buoys 16 and 13 - located about a mile off Kiptopeke and Cape Charles,
respectively - are some of the best locations. Latimer Shoal, the Cabbage
Patch, the Old Plantation Flats and the Cape Charles Reef are nearby areas
that also have been known to produce big black drum.
And big is the key word.
Just like with red drum, the Chesapeake Bay area is a mecca for the species.
The Virginia record of 111 pounds is 2 pounds, 1 ounce shy of the world reco
rd. The IGFA world mark was caught in 1975 near Lewes, Del. Betty Hall set
the Virginia standard near Cape Charles in 1973. North Carolina's record is
a 100-1 fish caught from the Cape Fear River by Charles Dycus in 1998.
Smaller black drum, especially along the Outer Banks, are a standard for
anglers wanting to take home a few fish. Smaller black drum sometimes are
confused with sheepshead, and they are equally good to eat.
While some anglers continue to take bigger fish home, they sometimes have
worms in the meat.
Unlike the red drum, the black drum record is still up for grabs -
because keeping large fish is allowed.
In Virginia, it takes a 46-incher for a release award and an 80-pounder for
a weight award. In North Carolina, those numbers are 40 inches or 35 pounds.
HAMPTON ROADS
Drum fishing for blacks and reds is heating up around the mouth of the
Chesapeake Bay, and will heat up more if Mother Nature will calm down a bit.
School-sized striped bass and a few trophies exceeding 32 inches are
available all along the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads bridge-tunnels.
Early evenings and mornings are great times to enjoy good topwater action.
Dropping live spot and croaker over the tunnel tubes will produce the
biggest fish.
Bluefish from 1 to 10 pounds seem to be everywhere. They are more than
willing to provide some of the best light- to medium-tackle action going.
Puppy drum and speckled trout join the blues inside Lynnhaven and Rudee
inlets.
Croaker are becoming larger and more abundant around both bridge-tunnel
spans and along Ocean View.
Flounder action should improve greatly when the weather stabilizes and
waters clear. Areas along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and around
inshore wrecks likely will be the top flatfish producers.
Early reports from divers indicate that spadefish are starting to move into
near-coast structures such as the Chesapeake Light Tower. Waters need to
warm, though, before a bite will turn on.
Anglers venturing to the edge of the Norfolk Canyon and to deep-water
structures will find a good mix of tilefish, grouper, wreckfish and other
species. Sea bass have started to migrate to structures closer to the coast.
EASTERN SHORE
Drum take the lead role for anglers working the barrier islands around the
tip of the Shore and up past Cape Charles.
Reds and blacks alike are abundant and willing. Clams and crabs are the top
producers, but eels and cut bait on fish-finder rigs also will produce.
The action should make for an outstanding turnout for the Black Drum World
Championship Fishing Tournament, Friday through Sunday out of Bay Creek
Resort and Club in Cape Charles.
Flounder catches continue to be outstanding around Chincoteague,
Wachapreague and Oyster on the Shore's sea side.
Croaker are starting to show, but numbers and size are not what they will be
in a few weeks.
A few speckled trout could be caught around Oyster.
OUTER BANKS
Tuna again are providing excellent catches in the offshore scene when seas
are calm enough to venture out.
Yellowfin have been the top catch, but bigeye showed up in great numbers
before last weekend's big blow. Blackfin also remain a possibility.
More billfish, dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel have shown.
Action should be good for the 14th annual Hatteras Village Offshore Open
that started Wednesday and runs through Saturday.
Deep-water wreck anglers can expect continued good numbers of tilefish,
grouper, snapper, triggerfish and sea bass.
Closer to shore, big bluefish are the best possibility. More red drum and
cobia have started to show, though numbers of the species are not up to
previous years' standards.
Trout and puppy drum should be available in the sounds and inlets.
PIERS AND SURF
Action continues to improve along Virginia's beaches, especially around the
southernmost barrier islands where a fantastic red drum bite is taking
place.
Along the southern Bay shore and the Atlantic coastline, anglers can expect
a mixed bag of small croaker and spot, undersized flounder, lots of bluefish
and some striped bass.
Action is good around the few Outer Banks areas that remain open to beach
driving. Access to many areas near Buxton and Cape Point has been cut off
because of shore bird protection closures.
Where anglers can fish, they can expect to find trout, sea mullet, croaker,
spot, small flounder and lots of bluefish. Big red drum and cobia are always
a possibility.
FRESHWATER
Largemouth bass will continue to be the most targeted species for the next
few weeks. Good action is available on nearly every pond, lake and river in
southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
Action will remain good all day, but early and late are starting to be the
best times because of continually warming waters.
Shoreline structure remains the best, and easiest, location to find
largemouths.
Shellcracker catches from lakes in the Suffolk area should be on the rise.
Big fish topping a pound have started to move out of the depths and closer
to shorelines. They can be taken on worms under corks, on bottom rigs and by
casting small jigs. Prince and Western Branch historically produce the most
big fish.
Bluegill also should be making a move to the shallows. Crappie likely are
starting to head to structure in water 10 feet and deeper. Bridge pilings
are a good place to look for early summer slabs.
White perch also should be available since the tasty panfish are schooling
around the mouths of deep creeks.
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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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