# Little island pier



## Sbachman (Aug 23, 2010)

Anyone catching anything??


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

I remember several years ago fishing that pier around this time and catching croaker on squid. Not sure what is happening now but I'd give it a shot. Remember that the pier might be closed now for yearly maintenance. Call before you go.


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## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

I think it's closed for maintenance until the 15th.


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## Sbachman (Aug 23, 2010)

Alright thanks


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## gunboy111 (Jan 22, 2011)

i was there tuesday and there was nothing but skates. howers are 8 am to 8 pm everyday.


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## Out Sick (May 27, 2006)

Fishman said:


> I remember several years ago fishing that pier around this time and catching croaker on squid. Not sure what is happening now but I'd give it a shot. Remember that the pier might be closed now for yearly maintenance. Call before you go.


Not to HI-jack the thread but I was at Burnt Mills today and saw a blue ranger with Fishman written in the back window in big white letters. Was that you?


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

I pulled up late to the pier yesterday and it was dead.. not a soul fishing. From the pier info board I can tell alot of skates being caught; but not a soul braved the wind yesterday.

Thinking about heading out there today with my youngest to do some father & daughter fishing..... we'll see!


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

won't be long before things are rocking


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

You catching from the pier or the shore (saw before edit)... Was going to come back last night when I saw the pier dead and fish from the shore; but homebrew convinced me to stay home  

Just got my shore rod ready last night too.. so not a complete waste I guess.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

Both, but don't be intimidated by the wind. You can still fish a hard wind, just got to cast a little differently(something I'm still working on improving).


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

If the wind is not blowing hard into your face you are not Drum fishing. You are just fishing. The best bites are allways in a good wind.Being able to cast with a tail wind is one thing. Being able to bomb into a 20mph wind is another. It is just a reality of Drum fishing and catching them on a regular basis. Some of the best bites I have ever seen at cape Point I was thinking between bites, "What am I doing out here in waist deep water with waves coming over the top of my waders"? That is untill you feel that line tighten up and the drag start singing.


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

Went out to the pier today and despite some severe equipment issues just caught a few skates, alot of sea-weeds, and a surfer. Surfer went into my line and was able to get out. Wasn't that upset since I get hooked/tied up twice a year myself when I am in the wrong and drift close. Didn't see anyone else catch anything other than skates and some baby crabs. 

Will be hitting it up much more often; but as the season changes will be bringing both surf board and rods


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## demonfish (Mar 31, 2002)

a few of us out there today, windy and cloudy water, low 60's, no fish


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Out Sick said:


> Not to HI-jack the thread but I was at Burnt Mills today and saw a blue ranger with Fishman written in the back window in big white letters. Was that you?


Sorry my friend that was not me.


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

Afternoon again Pier and Surf! Reaching out to the experts of the Little Island Pier. Soooooo with the state and cities trying to convince us to catch and keep skates and certain rays I am curious on the "rules" on keeping them. By rules I mean both written and the piers "un-written" rules. For all the skates were catching is there a size limit on what can be kept? Also for optimal freshness of the skate wings its recommended to clean and fillet as soon as you get them calmed/remove tail.... 

So the real question I guess is: Keep skate or not to keep them? Okay by the State? And is it ok'ed by the "pier rats" that are always at little island? 

Thanks guy & gals!


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## andrews (Jul 20, 2009)

Why would what the others on the pier have to say about it have anything to do with if you keep skates or not? And I recommend keeping them, I do quite often, I think they're excellent.


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

Andrews while I agree that what others think of what is kept or not is not important or not. I still hold the question to see if its common. In my years surfing at Little Island and the occasional fishing when waves were that bad I have never seen anyone keep skate besides for bait. 

But I was also hoping maybe a few people such as yourself will also say they keep skates. So my question for you then is how big do you keep? Whats a good size and whats the legal size (from what I am reading on this good ol internet is there is no size limit... but who believes the internet)? 

Anyway I shall now go enjoy a home brewed hefe and sit back and catch up on the news to see how the world is going crazy......might need more than one hefe tonight


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## andrews (Jul 20, 2009)

There's no size limit for them. For clear nose skates, I don't care about the size, however for larger rays like big cownose, I tend to stay away from any 30+ lbs. The reason why is they tend to build up a lot of silver skin on the underside of the wing, which basically is like throwing out half of your overall yield because it's inedible.


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

Well at LIP tonight.. no skates for me  But plenty of croaker to be had. We'll post again on here if I hit LIP to keep this thread open for LIP fish reports. Tonight's catch: Croaker, crabs, and a pufferfish...


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## WaveRiderVa (Apr 22, 2011)

LIP report for 5/1/11. Caught two skates (yes) and a few worthless minnow sized croaker. Didn't have time to use as bait due to a time table by the wife (let me spend two days fishing.. can't complain to much). No one else out there besides one lone soul and he only caught two-four croaker himself before we rolled. He was fishing with worms (guessing bloodworms.. but could be earthworms) while we fished with a combination of bloodworm fake bites on the kids rods (no hits), squid, shrimp, and a combo shrimp/squid wrap. Shrimp was destroyed; but caught nothing but one of the skates from it. Other skate caught off straight squid. I was able to clean each skate within 6 minutes after removing from hook. Got four nice filets in a two containers.. one with lemon juice and one with vinegar. Trying to see which works best.....

Final taste of fish will determine if we attempt to keep again...  Proabably be back later this week; but we'll see. Kept the LIP report updated though!


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## Petersen (Apr 22, 2011)

Took the ride out to sandbridge today to pick up my yearly pass and fished from 230-730. Caught about a dozed small roundhead on fishbites, 1 tiny spot, 1 puffer fish. Nothing but 3 skates on the heaver. A bunch of birds showed up around 530-600 with tons of blues underneath. We caught em good for a hour, caught 20 or so in the 12-15 range throwin green gotcha's. I hooked a 25lb ray in the wing with a gotcha, suprised i got my rig back on 12lb. Had the 6500 drag singing. Got him up on the deck and he was missing his stinger. Not a bad first day out . Cant wait till next month when it really picks up


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## Sbachman (Aug 23, 2010)

went fishing at LI down by the pilers on the beach and didnt catch any had 1 run that was it.


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