# Fort Monroe Fishing



## cinic78perk

Plan on going fishing over Labor Day weekend. Never been out to Fort Monroe before, but advise on the best place to fish and what kind of fish can we expect to find would be greatly appreciated? Thanks.


----------



## andrews

I usually only fish off the mechanics pier, but you can catch just about everything you can think off for a small pier. I've caught blues, flounder, sea bass, skates, lizard fish, puffers, striper, rays, croakers, spot, kingfish, and stargazers, plus more I just can't think of. This time of the year you'll catch all of that except the striper. If you plan on just throwing out a bottom rig use bloodworms or crab, and do not cast directly off the end, there is a big pipe line that runs parallel to the pier and is very easy to hit. If you like to jig, you can drop your jig right off the end of the pier, real up the tension lift up 2-3 feet, let it drop back down, wait 3 or 4 minutes do it again, almost guaranteed to catch a flounder. Or you could jig parallel to the rocks and catch redfish if you're lucky, and flounder. There tend to be a lot of bluefish out there so either be prepared to loose a lot of jigs or bring some smaller jig heads. Carolina rigs with cut mullet also produce fairly well, though generally you'll catch skates and rays. The regulars are generally very nice, 2 or 3 of the guys that fish out of there weekly also tag fish, so if you catch a tagged fish (not uncommon) or anything you plan on releasing talk to one of those guys and they'll tag it. If you need any more help shoot me a pm.


----------



## rongcon1

Andrew,

I'll be at Mill Creek, behind Fort Moroe (is is right?). I assume the same species can be caught? How come striper is not around? I'm sure there are plenty of bait swimming around. What month is for striper there?


----------



## andrews

Yeah, same area, though I'm not sure how well the fishing is back there, never been myself but I've seen a ton of people out there. Replied to your pm too.


----------



## KEVIN

There were stripers there between mid May and mid July...They will be back later this year.


----------



## mytmouse

If you hit the pier...the wooden one, not the floating one. Hit the right corner, you will run into croakers, mullet, and some spot. The corner gets thick, but the regs are usually pretty cool as long as you don't cast all over their lines  

I have also seen some drum caught off the right side casting parallel to the rocks.

If you go on the other side of the fort there is a floating pier, I like to fish from shore. I usually hit a lot of spot there. I hope this helps some, I think I'll be out there on Labor Day...I can only imagine the crowd. LOL

MYT


----------



## KEVIN

Also you can fish off of the sea wall on the back side of the fort


----------



## andrews

The left corner is also good for croaker, spot, and mullet also, just more weeds from my experience. I'm going up this Wednesday to hopefully beat the crowd. It's going to be packedd next weekend.


----------



## mytmouse

Oh and don't cast straight out using anything on the bottom...you will get caught on rocks! LOL


----------



## cinic78perk

Thanks for all the info. See ya out there this weekend. Good fishing.


----------



## bromo65

Went to Fort Monroe this morning. Caught the incoming tide and it was rippin', the wind was extremely strong also. Only managed 4 pan sized croaker, 3 spot and a host of oyster toads. Not bad and not good either. All in all it was a good morning.


----------



## andrews

Wasn't able to get out today, wind was too bad. Tomorrow I might head out there, but it all depends. Going to head out before sunrise Saturday and Sunday and beat the crowd. Thanks for the report Bromo.


----------



## KEVIN

I was out there this morning as well and just got some small spot and a couple of croakers.


----------



## cinic78perk

what pier are you guys fishing off of?


----------



## andrews

I personally think the mechanics pier is your best bet. Lost a keeper (if not, damn close) flounder and saw several spot and some big croaker brought up yesterday.


----------



## mytmouse

Andrews what pier is the mechanics pier? Is that the floating one?

MYT


----------



## andrews

mytmouse said:


> Andrews what pier is the mechanics pier? Is that the floating one?
> 
> MYT


Stick to the right road when you first enter, its past the marina and before the active duty pier. It's the one that's shaped like a T.


----------



## mytmouse

Oh ok, thats where I normally go. Just never heard it referred to as the mechanics pier.

MYT


----------



## andrews

I've never heard of it being called the floating pier haha.


----------



## mytmouse

I wasn't referring to the "mechanics pier" as the floating pier. There is actually a floating pier on the other side of the fort facing mill creek, much calmer water and you can get into some nice spot over there on incoming tide. 

Let me see if this link works.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=fort+monroe+hampton,+va&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=55.849851,114.169922&ie=UTF8&ll=37.00505,-76.309991&spn=0.021385,0.038418&t=h&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=fort+monroe+hampton,+va&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=55.849851,114.169922&ie=UTF8&ll=37.00505,-76.309991&spn=0.021385,0.038418&t=h" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

You see the "mechanics pier" at the bottom off Fenwick Rd? Well at the top of the map you will see a small little pier(a floating pier,LOL) off Stillwell Rd. There isn't much room from the little pier, but you can cast off the shore and do pretty well! Your going to have to scroll in to see the street names...

MYT


----------



## andrews

Ah, okay. I've heard of people talk about the sea wall that you could fish off of, just never been over there. How productive is for fish other then spot?


----------



## Out Sick

rongcon1 said:


> Andrew,
> 
> I'll be at Mill Creek, behind Fort Moroe (is is right?). I assume the same species can be caught? How come striper is not around? I'm sure there are plenty of bait swimming around. What month is for striper there?


There may be some small resident striper hanging around there. Oct 5th the season comes in, as the water temp drops they'll be coming home and all over the place. If they have lights and you can fish there at night that'll be your best bet. They'll be here from Oct on to the Spring run out of the bay. But there are plenty of smaller resident stripers that live in our waters till there big enough for the swim up north for the summer months. 

Ben


----------



## KEVIN

Thew good thing about the Fort is that you can hit all the spots in one day...I start with the engineers pier, then the wall, and lastly the floating pier...The wall and the float are 24 hours while the engineers pier is dawn to dusk.


----------



## mytmouse

I have only hit the floating pier twice...during high tide spots were hittin as soon as my bait hit the water! Low tide...it was sloooowwww. But it gives you another option if the mechanics pier is slow or full! I plan to hit both Monday!

MYT


----------

