CBBT & HRBT Fri/Sat 22-23 Aug

[tufnik]

CBBT 8-22-14, Fri

I was on the water 0800 hrs, and later met Chex and his sidekick, Mojo, on the water. I was jigging for flounder, but mainly soaked frozen sand fleas because I was really looking for sheepies, triggers or drums.

I got none of my main targets. Chex caught some stuff, including a keeper flounder. Mojo caught a good ride with a nice breeze. I later met JohnE, and the last I saw him he caught a spade.

My catch:
Too many croakers
5 toads
3 black sea bass
1 short flounder
1 keeper weakfish (13")


HRBT 8-23-14 Sat

I went to CBBT again, but the surf was too rough. Wind was up too, so I went to HRBT.

I launched on the Ft Monroe side, but I fished across the channel around the pilings at Ft Wool too. Quite a number of boats at Ft Wool side, but they rode off after about an hour or so because I don’t think they really caught anything.

It was after 2 pm. I was on the water over 7 hours, and it was time to quit. I was tired, without fish, and really ready to go. I was 200 ft from the launch point, and I decided to jig a bucktail one last time. BAM, I catch a keeper flounder. With renewed hope, I fished a while longer. Don’t you just hate that? You’re ready to leave, and you end up staying another hour. (Just because you caught fish….lol….)

Total:
4 croakers
4 toads
1 pigfish
2 short flounder
1 keeper flounder (16”)

[chex]

Hey tufnik! Nice seeing you on the water again. I gotta say you have quite the stamina! After a day at CBBT I'm beat... You just keep on goin'!

I was on the water at 6am. I also caught way too many croaker on everything I had: peelers, fleas, green crabs, gulp. I finally decided to super-size my bait and put on a 8" (I think) z-man jerk shad and within a few casts, dragging it slowly on the bottom, I had my flounder (someone's eating it as we speak). A few casts later I hooked something BIG. I thought it was a ray until I felt some head shakes, but unfortunately, that's when the fish unhooked itself. "Maybe a black drum", I thought to myself, envisioning Shady's recent catch. All day I tried and tried, but nothing much more. I went all the way to 1st island (thank you Evolve torqueedo!) but found nothing there but a couple small bluefish on a redfish magic. Around 2pm, I went back to shore to let mojo stretch his legs, and decided that was it for us. We packed up and headed home.

That keeper flounder is my first substantial catch at the CBBT in the 4 outings I've made there. Happy about that. It's a tough place to fish.


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[Shady]

Thanks for the report Tufnik, I bet that pigfish would be a good bait for live lining.

Too bad about losing the BIG one Chex, may have been a big ugly, sounds familiar...

[JohnE]

I actually went out there on Saturday morning. Made it to the first boat channel and tried fishing for a little bit, but it was useless. Got a couple seabass nibbles when I was trying for spades and that was it. Some of the waves out there must have been a good 3.5', maybe even a few random ones bigger than that...pretty sketchy.

I should have joined you at hrbt. I tried lynnhaven and got skunked. Went to Rudee this morning, but the wind was ridiculous...must have been pushing me close to 4 or 5mph on the way back in without even paddling.

You get that flounder over the tubes at hrbt? I have a tough time finding many keepers on the monroe side. You are brave crossing that large boat channel to wool. That is one thing I have never tried yet, maybe when I get a hobie.

[tufnik]

Chex,
- That 16" keeper flounder sure has a big mouth to attack that 8" shad. I know a fellow who caught a flounder (I think 19") on a 10" hogy. I may try that next time.
- I lost a couple big pulls like that.....they spit out the hook. I learned my lesson. The next time, you gotta set the hook hard......don't let the big one pull, mouth the lure, and then spit the hook out. That's what I did on the black drum I caught last week. It was a big pull....I didn't hesitate...I set the hook hard.

Ryan,
Didn't think about live-lining the pig. How about live-lining small croaker or sea bass?

JohnE,
- It took me over half an hour to get to Ft Wool. You got to watch for the big boats (huge container ships)... when all clear....move out quickly. There's also the semi-huge and faster boats you need to watch. With all the swells, they may not see you.
- I haven't really been all that successful over the tubes; mostly weeds and snags. Best bet are the pilings.
- Wool can be productive, but the current and chops on the west side can be rippin'.
- I tried soaking sand fleas at Wool pilings, and got only toads.

[Shady]

I've heard of people using small croaker for bait in VA since there is no minimum size, but be careful for the sea bass...

[JohnE]

Croaker is a great fish for livelining, but you can't use seabass. 12.5" min in VA.

[AbuMasgouf]

Nice report everyone. Seems like all the reports down there have been tough over the weekend.

John, I'm surprised that you got skunked at Lynnhaven. Lots of good Reds reports from last weekend. Looks like the incoming cold front shut them down

Don’t you just hate that? You’re ready to leave, and you end up staying another hour. (Just because you caught fish….lol….)

Soo true! LOL

[JohnE]

Lynnhaven can be tough sometimes. Lots of water to cover and no telling where the reds might be hanging out. Wind was not helpful either. I tried several of my usual spots and a couple new ones without so much as a nibble. I was really excited to try out my new picasso v rigs and trolled them around a lot also. I did have a hammer shad destroyed on one of the v rigs out at cbbt, but no fish caught off them so far.

I think I saw Pinch out there. I am sure he was slaying them up if anybody was.

[chimo]

Glad you guys caught a few. The wind was miserable Sunday at CHSP as well.

[AbuMasgouf]

I've heard of people using small croaker for bait in VA since there is no minimum size, but be careful for the sea bass...

First time I ever went salt fishing on a boat (2 years ago) that's all we used (and they worked). We were in Gloucester, VA.

[Pinch]

Lynnhaven can be tough sometimes. Lots of water to cover and no telling where the reds might be hanging out. Wind was not helpful either. I tried several of my usual spots and a couple new ones without so much as a nibble. I was really excited to try out my new picasso v rigs and trolled them around a lot also. I did have a hammer shad destroyed on one of the v rigs out at cbbt, but no fish caught off them so far.

I think I saw Pinch out there. I am sure he was slaying them up if anybody was.

Flounder to 22", reds to 26" and sheepshead to 17"

[tufnik]

Flounder to 22", reds to 26" and sheepshead to 17"

At Lynnhaven or CBBT?

John,
What's a picasso v rig?

[JohnE]

Sort of like an alabama but it allows you to troll a little easier in the shallow areas I often like to frequent. Got them from powerteam lures. Great local VA company...received my order next day and they even threw in an extra bag of hammer shads in some different colors to try out.

[Pinch]

At Lynnhaven or CBBT?

John,
What's a picasso v rig?

Lynnhaven, CBBT was to blown out.