# N00b here, itching to catch something, ANYTHING!



## Basedguacmix (Dec 1, 2020)

I am located in virginia beach, I only have a 10’ penn wrath with matching 1800 spinner and a seperate walmart 12’ rod I can swap the reel too. I have only caught one fish in the bay, I don't know what it was, I'm thinking it was a mullet or whiting?(small gold fish that bit shrimp), and I want to try my hand in the winter. Ive read rockfish/striper can be caught this time of year but I dont know were or what tackle and bait to use. But hell I will fish for anything. Any recomendations?


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

With that set up you’re ready for blue cats. They have been biting already at the piers in Newport News.


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## Harrymanz (May 28, 2018)

Winter fishing is tough unless you have a boat and lots of warm clothes


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## Rougesun (Oct 26, 2020)

For stripers, the inside of the Lesner Bridge on an outgoing tide can land you some monsters. Same with the outside on an incoming. (Haven’t fished there since they built the new bridge, so not really sure now.) When fishing the outside, you can cast into the channel with some finger mullet on a fishfinder rig. Just use a heavy pyramid sinker to hold bottom, like 8oz if your rod can handle it.
Use a heavy, round headed jig (like 2oz) with a large paddle-tail plastic when fishing the inside. This setup can also work on the outside. Throw your jig in the channel and let it bounce until you get close to the bridge. Than crank like hell so the pilings don’t cut you off. Fishing the inside can be hectic for a newbie, especially at night when it’s crowded. Just be warned.
You can catch rockfish at Chic’s Beach, too. Less crowded but less active.
Honestly, there are plenty of spots for striper catching in Hampton Roads, anywhere from say the Jame River Bridge to Sandbridge. However, IHMO the best spot for a big one is the the inside of the Lesner at night on an outgoing with a heavy jig and a paddle tail. Stop by Oceans East or Princess Anne and talk to the guys who work there for lure and rig advice. Good luck.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

If fishing with bait for Striper remember the hook needs to be a circle hook that will rust away as per the new state regulations. Lure fishing is still the same and I'll second on going to Oceans East on Northampton Blvd. to ask for advise.

The new bridge structure at the Lynnhaven inlet allows the current to flow through the bridge a lot faster than it used to when all of the small piles were there to support the old bridge, I've been fishing there since the late 60's and have really noticed the difference.

The city armored the dune on the west/Crab Creek side of the inlet on the inside of the bridge with some large "rip rap" AKA boulders that run right to the water's edge so it's hard to walk that beach to fish. This is due to the water flow caused by the new bridge structure which is making the beach disappear on both sides.

The fishing is still okay there but like most places "not like it used to be" especially for Striper.


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## Rougesun (Oct 26, 2020)

Wow. That’s bad news, Jay B. Can you still fish on the old Duck-Inn side? Last time I was there you could park in the parking lot used for the high-rise apartments they built for elderly folk.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

There is now another building closer to the inlet from the 62+ Apartments called Point Chesapeake or something. For "only" $800K+ you can own one and use what's left of the Duck Inn gazebo to fish off of because it is surrounded by water at almost every tide due of the loss of beach/sand. With the addition of that building(s) there's hardly any parking spots on that side.

I can remember renting Jon boats with motors from the Duck Inn right off the beach back in the early 70's and running out to the first and second islands to fish. The Duck Inn back then wasn't much more than a coffee shop with breakfast, lunch, bait and tackle.


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Ocean View is infamous for all the crabs caught in and around some of those high dollar hotels!


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