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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
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.
Minimum Size
Limit........................14 inches *
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
Red Drum is back
on the roster of great sport fish, we find them reasonably
Minimum Size
Limit.......................18 inches *
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
Minimum Size
Limit........................37 inches *
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
Minimum Size
Limit............................none *
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
Minimum
Size Limit......................... 12 inches *
Weakfish regulations are expected to change in 2007. Before you fish make sure you have obtained the most recent regulations!
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
Minimum Size
Limit……………..…14 inches *
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,
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 Possession Limit.............................…4 per person *
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!
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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. 
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! [
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
summer, and fall. They are lots of fun to catch. They are bottom feeders.
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.
