# CAPE CHARLES



## dcfishman (Dec 20, 2002)

Any of you pro fishermen ever fished the area before the bay bridge tunnel known as cape charles i have allways wanted to go there to just try my luck but never have.Any info on this would be appreciated. Allso can anybody tell me if i would need anything to go on assateage island (passes)this time of year on can i assume that i can just drive there on the beach and be o.k.?? 
thanks Tony Q.


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

the area you are referring to cape charles is up the bay. there are some places,not much, to fish from shore. i fish just before the bridge at capeville.it's the same, you need a boat ,and launching areas are tough to find just before the bridge is kiptopeake park and there is a boat ramp and also a pier. there is good fishing from the pier. i don't know about campgrounds as i stay at afriends house.


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## Larry (Apr 17, 2002)

TONYQ, Check this site about Assateague. You need a permit and a bunch of other thing. pelican man. www.nps.gov/asis/orv. Hope this helps. If this doesn't work, then find Assateague Island (google search) and click on fees/permits and go to the bottom and click on the $70 permit/yr. and read on.


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## Larry (Apr 17, 2002)

TONYQ, Try this, www.nps.gov/asis/orv.htm The other did not have htm on. pelican man


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## dcfishman (Dec 20, 2002)

THANKS TO YOU FOR YOUR HELP, ITS VERY HELPFUL I'M REALLY GOING TO GET INTO THE BEACH THING THIS SUMMER. THANX AGAIN TONY Q.


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## boats (Feb 21, 2003)

Tony, Sorry I am late in posting a reply.

The Southern end of Virgina's Eastern Shore has some of the best surf fishing you can find. But it's not very easy to get to. All the Islands south of Chincotuege are owned by the Nature Conservency and no roads or cars allowed. In the old days we used to rent a oyster barge and tow it over with a jeep but that's no longer allowed.

Now I fish out of Oyster Virginia Ramp and south to Smith Island. Not that the North end of the shore is not good it's just better to stick to one area.

Nature conservency does allow surf fishing to the high tide line but no overnight stays. It's not a good place to spend the night anyway. The best breaks and Sloughs are near the inlets anyway so are boat accessable. The inlets vary in ease of access. Best known and accessable is Sand Shoal inlet out of Oyster Virginia which is marked with Bouys and allows access to the south end of Cobbs island and the north end of Wreck island.

You want a boat at least 17 to be safe and if it's much bigger than 20 feet it's too difficult to anchor in the shallow water.

The unmarked inlets are the best because of less fishing preasure and much more complex structure. The charts don't show any detail on these inlets. 

Ship Shoal, New Inlet, Little Inlet are the best but don't try to get there on your own. Best way first time is with a guide. Jack Brady at Oyster is one of the best. Charlie Stant is guiding some out of Townsend I think.

Best season for Drum is the month of May. Best tide is going in before low spotting the bars at dead low and fishing the rising tide. Get out on high and in the daylight.

If you look at the Virginia Marine Resorces commision web-site and fishing reports under Cape Charles they list the Drum catch for serveral years back. Watch May particularly. Nature Conservency has a web-site too but not much detail on fishing. And Florida Sportsman magazine has a web-connection to terra server, you can look at the area from a satalite. Last GIMCO Maps and Charts sells a Eastern Shore Fishing map that's pretty good. But I use my own chart with notes pencled in on C&GS 563

That's more than you wanted to know I bet.

Boats


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## bob (Jan 26, 2001)

Tony
Come to the the Saulsbury fishing show Feb 28 thru March 2 at the Saulsbury civic center. The show is run be the Assateague surf fishing club and they will help you with any questions. The Rangers from the Island will be there also.You can get a permit from them for the year. Cost is 100 dollars per year. If you go there to fish be sure you have everything on the list with you.They do check and will give you a ticket.
Watch out on holiday weekends.They allow only so many people there at one time.
Spring and fall there is some great fishing.
If you get to the show stop by the Hatteras Jack boothe.I'll be there helping Ryan all weekend.
bob


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

tony , also check out the dms booth.[de.mobile surf-fishermen] i am the co-chair and will be there the whole weekend. bob & larry. tony asked about cape charles. it's a little different than assateague. the ans. from va. beach is a good one. but, i do have a question for him. if you trailer from va beach why not launch at kiptopeake? it's only a short run from there to smith. when we fish cobb or wreck we put in at oyster.


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

bob&larry. i'm sorry. i forgot that he also asked about assateague. the salisbury show is a good place for him. this friend of mine will be there and he has a house at capeville. it's at the bay bridge. his son has a house at oyster. hank jones [a longcaster] lives in cape charles.


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## bob (Jan 26, 2001)

Hey Bill
Try to make it to the show.We can tell some fish stories and have lunch or something.
bob


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

hey bob. i will be there at about 1pm to get our booth set up. that's friday. i'll be there all day sat & sun. i will probably be up to needle ryan a few times. i had to be careful in other years as mike would always sell me something.


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## boats (Feb 21, 2003)

Bill R,

You can launch at Kiptopeake. I don't generaly because it's a run down the open bay and not any good fishing spots along the way (unless it's fall and you go into plantation creek for Specks. Although the little bridge from Wise point to Fishermans island is a good spot for either trout or Rockfish.

My boat is only 17' with a tunnel so it's not a good bay boat at all. It will run 30 mph down the inside channel on the seaside so it's actualy faster for me to get to Mockhorn point from Oyster. And the Oyster ramp is free.

If you launch at Oyster you can check out some spots along the way. Up in Magothy bay it's worth looking at the bouys for Cobia and you can drift for Flounder if you have some time to kill either way.

Best bet used to be the private ramp in the cut at Wise point. But access is limited now . There was some talk about the state putting in a real ramp but there was little support for it. I was not to hot on the idea of makeing it any easier I guess.

Boats


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

boats. the reason we usekiptopeake is that the gov't bought the mudhole. oyster is good but if you aren't familiar with cuts back there you can be in deep doo and goo in a heart beat. if you get to salisbury next week stop by the dms booth and say hello. i co-chair it each year so i'll be there the whole weekend.


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## boats (Feb 21, 2003)

Billr.

Thanks but I don't think I will be able to get to Salsbury. In case I do do you have a web-link or some information on when and what ?

The big show around here is CCA next weekend I will be there with the Fly club Sat morning and want to hear some of the speakers.

You have it right on the cuts, They are pretty difficult, but that's the point almost no fishing preasure. You can figure them out but it takes some time. Now that we have GPS it's simple to trade waypoints and find your way in and out. Before you could get lost real easy. And I have hit oyster bars full speed before. It's expensive.

The thing I like about it is it's the most difficult and limited access place nearby. You can fish all day in the prime season and see only a few people. And there is no doubt about the fishing, it's real good.


If you ever want to give it a try let me know. I will surf fish 3-4 times in May. I like surf fishing the first few hours of the rising tide and then light tackle or fly up in the marsh and on the flats as it floods. 

Boats


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## Billr (May 26, 2002)

boats. when you put your boat in at oyster you look accross and on the other side of the road you see a white two story house, it belongs to bob's son. bob knows those cuts and the islands like the back of his hand. those oyster rocks are brutal. bob lives in capeville, going south on 13, just before the tunnel you see sting rays, the pottery you make a left , go just past the cemetery and go right. he lives about 150 yds. in.the islands are another world. talk later.


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