Virginia Saltwater Fishing News
The Virginia Recreational Fishing Advisory Board (RFAB) will meet to review the projects, listed below, which are currently under consideration for funding from the Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund (saltwater recreational fishing license funds). The meetings, on these proposals, will be held on Monday, September 8, 2008, 7:00 p.m., at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, Fourth Floor, Newport News.  Written comments, on the proposals, should be mailed to: Sonya Davis, VMRC Fisheries Management Division, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607 or E-mailed to: sonya.davis@mrc.virginia.gov .  Complete project proposals and additional information are available on the Internet at http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/vsrfdf/index.shtm .

Tentative Agenda

I.    Introduction, Announcements, Comments.

II.    Status of Fund.

III.    Review of Minutes from the July 2008 RFAB Meeting.

IV.    Multi-Year Projects for Renewal.

A)    2009 Children’s Fishing Clinic (Year 12). Rob Cowling, Newport News Rotary Club and Coastal Conservation Association-Peninsula. $6,000.

B)    2009 Kiwanis Club Children’s Fishing Clinic (Year 8).  Wesley Brown, Capital District Kiwanis Club.  $6,000.

C)    Federal Assistance (Wallop-Breaux) Matching Funds FY 2009.  Jack Travelstead, VMRC.  $321,820.

D)    Improving Stock Assessment of Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) – Year 2.  Y. Jiao, D. Orth, VPI & SU, and R. O’Reilly, VMRC.  $130,876.

E)    2009 Virginia Game Fish Tagging (Year 15).  J. Lucy, VIMS and L. Gillingham, VMRC.  $86,698.

V.        New Projects.

F)    Migrations of Adult Summer Flounder from Chesapeake Bay:  Implications for Stock Structure.  M. Fabrizio, M. Henderson, VIMS.  $83,605.

G)    Use of Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) to Determine the Fate, Movements, and Habitat Utilization of Red Drum Released from Virginia’s Recreational Fishery.  J. Graves, A. Horodysky, J. Lucy, VIMS.  $93,569.

H)    Seasonal Caloric Needs and Energy Intake of Chesapeake Bay’s Predatory Fishes:  Which Prey Fuel Growth and Reproduction?  A. Horodysky, R. Latour, VIMS.  $40,060.

VI.      Dates for Future Second Cycle 2008 RFAB Meetings.

Work Session (5:30 p.m.) & Final Recommendations (7 p.m.)    November 10

New All Tackle World Record Snowy Grouper
I met a very excited angler, Jere Humphries of Norfolk, VA to assist with the processing of a new pending IGFA All Tackle World Record Snowy Grouper.

The fish weighed in at 68 pounds, two pounds larger than the existing record. The fish was caught on August 17th, 2008 using a Boston Mackerel at the Norfolk Canyon off Virginia Beach. The boat was a privately owned vessel named “Bone Daddy,” The owner and Captain is James Collier.

This is an amazing record!

Congrats to the angler and crew!

The fish is also under consideration as the new Virginia State record Snowy Grouper.
Dr. Julie Ball

Virginia Fishing Report: Covering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Inshore and Virginia Offshore Fishing by Tidal Fish Correspondent Julie Ball
With water temperatures close to eighty, the flounder action is hit-and-miss, depending on which person you ask. Larger fish are responding for live baiters along the entire span of the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Although the 3rd and 4th islands are usually the hot spots, more and larger fish are now showing around the 1st island of the CBBT. Drifters are finding keepers in the lower bay inlets, the small boat channel at the CBBT, the Baltimore Channel passing near Cape Henry, buoy 42, and Back River Reef.

Cobia are continuing their late summer trend of favoring buoys and bridge pilings. A smattering of fish cruising along the surface on the ocean front is also contributing to the latest catches. This pattern should only improve over the next several weeks. Cobia chummers are also scoring with some decent fish within bay waters. (Picture above is from post by TidalFIsh member Healthy Grin, check out their awesme day offshore report here .) Spadefish are swarming around pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, with sheepshead lurking underneath. Most spades are on the smaller side lately. The sheepshead have responded a little better this week, but nothing to indicate a turn around. The trigger fish action is still a go with a few bigger fish starting to show. With no limits on these fish, anglers are loading up on lower bay and coastal wrecks, as well as the CBBT structure.

Spanish mackerel action is still off the charts, with several citations up to 5-pounds registered recently. These fish will chase small Clark and Drone spoons trolled at a quick clip along the ocean front and the Cape Henry tide rips. The good run of king mackerel off Virginia Beach is still going on. The easterly wind direction this week should push in clearer water, and kick the king action up a notch. Fish are falling mostly trolled live bait, with menhaden the top performer lately. Several smokers over to 30-pounds were boated from Sandbridge to False Cape this week. Robert Warren of Portsmouth scored with three nice kings up to 37-pounds he hooked while slow trolling bunker in about 20 feet of water. Trollers are also reporting catches of small mahi in these same areas.

Tarpon are elusive relatives of the bone fish and the lady fish. These air-gulping wonders will roll and frolic all around your bait, as you roast in the heat without a hit. These fish are still active in the back waters of the Eastern Shore, with Oyster a favorite location.

Red drum are on a late-season roll, with good action through the full moon cycle last-week on the Nine Foot Shoal. Black drum are still schooled at the 3rd and 4th islands, with several releases reported.
Count on the big croaker numbers to climb as Fall approaches, with some anglers already complaining they are a nuisance. The back waters of Oyster are still providing good hardhead action on squid and shrimp. Spot are also active at the first island, and the Concrete ships with plenty of keepers available.

Jack Crevelle are lurking around the CLT, and big amberjack will take any offering at the South A tower. Be prepared, anglers are sorting through dozens of fish before earning a Virginia state citation, which is common for this time of year.

Offshore, billfish is spread out, but the action should improve through the month. Blue marlin, white marlin, and a smattering of sails are possibilities. Christopher Pratscher of Virginia Beach released a big blue marlin while fishing aboard the Backlash out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center this week. Tuna action can improve, with reports of scattered yellowfin to 60 pounds and a few bigeye tuna around. Plenty of dolphin with some big gaffers mixed in, are hanging on pots and weed lines. Wahoo are available in about 30 fathoms of water.
Until next week, good luck fishing!

Julie
Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative,

Virginia’s Middle Bay Fishing Report
by Jerry Thrash From Patriot Charters and Queens Creek Outfitters
Jerry writes: “We saw our first cobias of the season on Friday.  The two anglers fished the York Spit area and registered two release citations, kept two fish and released their fifth and sixth fish.  All were caught on unspecified live bait.  More than one fish “tail danced” on being hooked. The first pan sized keeper Gray Trout have made a showing in the Piankitank, biting on bloodworms. Spanish in good numbers are still available  in lower Fleets Bay, along the drop off at Windmill Bar.  Spanish bite best at 6-8 knots as shown on the GPS.  Slower speeds produce bluefish.   A charter aboard LESS STRESS had 29 keeper Spanish and over 40 keeper Bluefish Sunday. Good size Spot continue to be caught at Cherry Point, off Gwynn Island in 25-30 feet of water and at  the Spike (#3 Rappahannock marker) and at Butlers Hole.  White perch and croaker are mixed in.  Flounder fishing improved this week with 4 citation fish.  Jigging cut bait and Gulp Jerk Shad has been effective as has been jigging live spot.  The huge 11 lbs, 9 oz specimen we registered on Thursday was one of 6 keepers caught jigging  strips of squid.

Citations:
Flounder:
31″,11 lbs, 9 oz  caught 8/14 at Buoy 42 on a jigged squid strip by David Hamnett of Richmond.
26.5″,8 lbs, 3 oz  caught 8/14 at Buoy 42 on a jigged live spot by Bill Sherman of King George.
26.5″,7 lbs, 12 oz  caught 8/16 at Buoy 42  on cut bait by William C. Jarrell of Gloucester.
27″,7 lbs, 0 oz  caught 8/13 at the Cell  on cut bait by Rommie L. Head, Jr. of Hampton.
Cobia:
Patrick Winter of Gloucester earned a citation for releasing a 52″ cobia caught 8/15 at York Spit on live bait”

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