# fishing in norfolk..



## AddictiveFishing (Mar 6, 2004)

hey fellow fisherman and women....went down to norfolk va on 8/8 to 8/12....i go every year since my step dad is staitiond in norfolk aboard the uss washington....this year was different than any other years that we fish there.....1st thing night fishing was horrible......1 bite in 4nights ....and thats between 3 poeple and 5 poles in the sand.... in the past years we have killed the croakers and spot right in front of the hotel wich is on 60west about 6 miles to the right of the bay bridge.....i could not believe we where not catching fish..... welll it was still good to be out the hustle and bustle of nyc...
so the since the first night we didnt catch anything 
i wanted to try early in the morning so went out to the jetties in front of the hotel since on low tide you can walk out about 100 feet to the rocks 
man speaking of rockes there where so many blue claw crabs there....i must have seen hundreds had me scared to walk around knowing all those crabs where beneath me..lol so i didnt expect to catch much but we tried anyway....on the 1 cast i had my fist bite on clam and it was a double header of sea bass but there where small about 5 inches but we where all happy knowing we cought something....so i tried again and bam again another double header but small.....then some croaker, spot, 3 smalll blues about 1 pound each and alot of summer flounder........i have never cought so many in my life....it was one after another once i put a fluke rig on....i kept 4 all 18inch long except for 1 wich was 10inches but he swallowed the hook i did not try to pull the hook out i just cut the line but when he was in the water he did not swim away...after a few seconds he spit some of his guts out and then i touched him with pole and did not move so i kept him. all together we managed 27 croaker, more than 50 small sea bass, 7 cocktail blues, 12 spot and kept 4 fluke for dinner. 
the total of fluke cought was about maybe 35 or 40 between 3 people.......had a great time down in va always do...just wish i could meet up with some of the members on the board.....tight lines


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Nice report but I would have left out the part about keeping a illegal fish. Yeah it sucks to release a fish that you know is dead or going to die but thats the rules. Would like to hook up and fish next time you are down but I wouldn't suggest keeping a illegal fish around me, dead or not.


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## Dixie719 (May 12, 2003)

I hooked I nice 5# Schoolie Stiper (FAT Too!)about two weeks ago at The Wall and man did he swallow that hook good. I was able to get it out ok I thought, but he ended up on the worse end. 

You hate to toss a nice fish like that back beacause he ain't gonna make it, but I let him float on down with the outgoing tide. 

Hate it happened, but it happens!


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## AddictiveFishing (Mar 6, 2004)

yeah i know it was wrong but i did it and next time i will let him float away....i felt bad for him i tried my best to get the hook out, but man he really swallowed it.......i will hope to be there again in september but not realy sure though but if i do head down there i will hope to meet up with some of you....tight lines


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## BLUEFISH (Apr 18, 2001)

Addictive.....Relax but guys are right about rules.....put it this way...It's shame that fish had to die but it will make a hellava meal for crabs...


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## Shoebag22 (Jun 17, 2004)

if you gut hook a fish, just cut your line and watch him swim away. i know that it is tempting to want to keep your tackle, but hooks are about .$25 each, so it's just not worth it. The hook with rust or corrode very quickly and the fish will get rid of it quickly.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Shoebag22 said:


> if you gut hook a fish, just cut your line and watch him swim away. i know that it is tempting to want to keep your tackle, but hooks are about .$25 each, so it's just not worth it. The hook with rust or corrode very quickly and the fish will get rid of it quickly.


Wish I could find some .25 cent Owner's  

Yeah even fer the lowly skate....if he swallows one of my circles


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

dead or alive, he still would have landed you a nice $500 fine...at 10inch he didn't have much meat on him anyways. .


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## Ruedy (Oct 10, 2000)

Don't know if it makes a difference (I think it might), but when me and the kid catch and release fish, which is most of the time, we use non-saltwater hooks, thinking they rot out of the released fish more quickly.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

Not a bad idea, Ruedy

But the key is:
switch to circles - *less* gut hooks
always cut the line if/when swallowed. Even skates and rays!


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*undersize fish*

If you guys want to see some real undersize fish kept check out the throw-net gang at Lynhaven. Or better yet check out a commercial netters catch some time. I have heard that for every pound of shrimp that makes it to market there is 500 pounds of small baitfish killed. I saw a netters catch thrown on the dock at Hatteras village once and it was full of undersize spanish. I mean hundreds and hundreds of small everything.I've even seen guys at Lesner keep tradeing up stripers by throwing back dead fish out of their cooler for a fish 1 or 2 inches longer. I don't think keeping one gut-hooked undersized fish is that big of a deal when you see what some of these villans do. If they lock you up for it E-mail me I'll get you out!!


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

*An illegal fish is a illegal fish*

is a illegal fish. You keep a illegal fish and you are breaking the law and I will call you in! You wanna blame it on this or that? Get the #'s in your cell phone and call them in, rec or comm. Thats the only way to address this problem.JMO


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## LouDog (Dec 31, 2002)

When flounder fishing, I always use a kayhle (sp?) hook.......never get a fish gut hooked and they are great when you tag fish as they are easy to remove and release the fish with little damage.


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## Ruedy (Oct 10, 2000)

Hey, Dr. Bubba,

I've been looking for "freshwater" type circle hooks. They're sorta hard ta come by. Do you, or anyone else, out there know where ya can find "freshwater" circles?


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

Cdog said:


> is a illegal fish. You keep a illegal fish and you are breaking the law and I will call you in! You wanna blame it on this or that? Get the #'s in your cell phone and call them in, rec or comm. Thats the only way to address this problem.JMO


what numbers can you call? i often see people on the beach (especially lesner) putting shorts in there cooler...i'll usually tell them there fish looks a little short, and offer a tape measure...i try to keep my nose out of other peoples business for the most part, but it bothers me. theres some people out there that know they're keeping shorts, and you can't say anything to them that'll change there opinion on it. i usually carry my phone with me, or it's in the car...i don't want to stop having anyone from having a good time, but poaching really bothers me. especially with the constant decline of sea life in the bay.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

StillSkatin said:


> what numbers can you call? i often see people on the beach (especially lesner) putting shorts in there cooler...i'll usually tell them there fish looks a little short, and offer a tape measure...i try to keep my nose out of other peoples business for the most part, but it bothers me. theres some people out there that know they're keeping shorts, and you can't say anything to them that'll change there opinion on it. i usually carry my phone with me, or it's in the car...i don't want to stop having anyone from having a good time, but poaching really bothers me. especially with the constant decline of sea life in the bay.


Welcome to the club.If calling or reporting don't cease the poaching,I usually snub them criminials.I don't associate with them,don't talk to them,nor do I offer any help or kindness.These are the same people who leave there crap all over the place,waiting for you and I to pick up.These people are the pigs that will take undersize fish with there $1.99 Blue lite Special Zebco's and feel real good about themselves,and prolly don't even have a fishing lisence.These are the same people who put them shorts in there cooler,and when you catch 1 that is also short,and before you toss the fish back,they ask you,"If they can have it".If you tell them" no",these people get upset,and think you are the 1 that is stupid.These are also the same people who believe a 6 pack and pre-rig double bttm(wire),ensures them they will catch fish,and don't understand that no matter how much weight (or lack of)will only drift and collect grass,or drift into your line....and you are
the one casting artificals,while the guy looks at you as if you were the dummy(dude thinking"I can catch as many as you can,with less work"...not understanding that you are fishing around structure and know that you will get snaged,esp with the current rollling.These are also the same people who see's you catch fish on an artificial,and asks you what you are using to catch fish,but you ignore them,cause,ya know they are keeping shorts...so they tie on a lure that looks like yours,and they can't seem to cast to where you are casting,cause there $1.99 Blue lite Special Zebco is stiff as a brick and they are trying to toss a 3/8 oz lead head......So's who is the fool now?
If ya ever fished with me,I will offer the shirt off my back....but 1 thing that I hate the most are the poachers that think they have the right to keep anything that happens to bite there hook.

If it sounds a lil extreme and un-Christian like...well,I am a God fearing man,and I am pretty sure God don't like poachers....


my .10 cents...keep the change


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

*Nserch4Drum*

you said it brother....the only reason i take my cell with me is to call the water cops  ...of coarse they haven't shown up yet  ...it still makes me feel better.


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

what're the numbers anyways?


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

> I've been looking for "freshwater" type circle hooks. They're sorta hard ta come by. Do you, or anyone else, out there know where ya can find "freshwater" circles?


Ruedy, 
For the small stuff around here, and for pan fish in Hatteras I use the Owner circles from #1 to about 3/0 or 4/0. Look on the package for the "lite mutu". It's the thinest guage circles I can find. Gamakatsu makes em too, but I've been unhappy at times with their circles. Mustad(true circles) makes some smaller sizes, but the guage is still a little thick for me in the small sizes.


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## Shoebag22 (Jun 17, 2004)

the numbers are on the orange license holders that they give you when you purchase a license... you do have a license don't you?!?!


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

StillSkatin said:


> what numbers can you call? i often see people on the beach (especially lesner) putting shorts in there cooler...i'll usually tell them there fish looks a little short, and offer a tape measure...i try to keep my nose out of other peoples business for the most part, but it bothers me. theres some people out there that know they're keeping shorts, and you can't say anything to them that'll change there opinion on it. i usually carry my phone with me, or it's in the car...i don't want to stop having anyone from having a good time, but poaching really bothers me. especially with the constant decline of sea life in the bay.


VMRC 800-541-4646.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Looks like something struck a nerve with NS4D! I don't like those people either. I don't see why VMRC doesn't start a program like the Coast Guard has with the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Air Force has with the Civil Air Patrol. We all know that there aren't enough wardens to see everything, but I think if they offered a program to allow volunteers that were trained and educated by the VMRC to be in the public, some of this poaching would decrease. As far as I'm concerned, I don't ever see an official pull up to a popular fishing spot like Lynnhaven at all and I think that's a problem. More people think they can get away with being outside the law just because the first level of law enforcement, officer presence, isn't there. I know there are at least a couple of retirees and avid fisherman that would love to share their knowledge about fishing and the fishing regs. And I know a lot of them would do it for no compensation other than a title and an ID card that they could carry around in their wallet. Does anyone know if there is a program like this already running? I'm not asking for there to be water nazi's everywhere so that they discourage people to enjoy fishing, but to have generally friendly people out there to divulge the regs.

About those netters that keep everything, do they have a recreational castnet license? I know you can use a castnet with a rec saltwater license to catch baitfish and baitfish only. Other than mullet, menhaden, and minnows, you're supposed to throw back any other bycatch that is listed as a game fish or crabs as listed by the VMRC.


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## shocker (Jul 29, 2004)

The Va Beach Police came by Lynnhaven Inlet the other day and made the people next to me throw a few fish back, but I don't think they got charged... and the girl officer that came by was hot. Very hot.


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## Shoebag22 (Jun 17, 2004)

shocker... great name.

Looks like I'm going to have to start fishing pantless... again.


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

haha yes i do have a license...i never get a cool orange holder though! people keeping shorts bothers me, and as much as i hate crabs...i hate seeing people keeping undersized crabs...as if 5 inches wasn't small enough.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

> About those netters that keep everything, do they have a recreational castnet license? I know you can use a castnet with a rec saltwater license to catch baitfish and baitfish only. Other than mullet, menhaden, and minnows, you're supposed to throw back any other bycatch that is listed as a game fish or crabs as listed by the VMRC.


johnnyleo, there is a rec net licesnce you can get that will allow you to keep gamefish but you still have to abide by the rec. regulations.


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