OK all you great and powerful fisherman... i am new to the board and i am seeking your advise on where one might catch a few stripers this time of year with a SMALL 16ft boat?? thanks in advance for all of the great info.

First off welcome to the board. Where to go is where you feel comfortable going and when. HRBT and the MM should be good for your size boat. On a flat calm day one of the islands along the CBBT but you have to watch the weatehr and the wind becasue it will change in an instant.

Good luck
Mark

You can have fun fishing at night on the outgoing under the Lesner Bridge if you have running lights. Stay out of the way of the pilot boats. Its fun on light tacle!

I have a 17 whaler. But always check the weather 1st. Where are you? What is the closest place for you to let out. Yea lesner bridge is always is a good place to fish.

Where do you put in or keep the boat? That has the most to do with it.

I agree with all, have fun be safe welcome to the board
Bob

Sorry should have said that i live In Richmond but traveling to either MM or HRBT is all right

I also live in Richmond. we let out of norview marina, it is in deltaville. va. It puts you at the mouth of the Rapp. River. Basically in the bay. Many great spots to fish out there u will usually see a lot of boats stacked up. A good spot near there is windmill bar. I have caught many big stripers there with my 17 ft. boat. Great place to fish. There is also awsome bottom fishing there during the summer. Good Luck

Do you know where Bluewater is? The have a FREE ramp on Sunset Creek. Very short ride to the HRBT or MMBT.

Bluewater creek???, Where is its location??

[quote=JDOGHUNTS,Dec 12 2007, 11:57 AM][quote=fordbjr,Dec 12 2007, 10:43 AM]Do you know where Bluewater is? The have a FREE ramp on Sunset Creek. Very short ride to the HRBT or MMBT.

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Bluewater creek???, Where is its location??

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Bluewater the boat yard. It's on Sunset Creek down from the Sunset marina.

put out at kiptopeke and youll be on the big ones w/a small boat

I'm planning on heading out early Friday morning for my 1st trip ever down there.. I figured if there's fish at bridge there has to be fish off kiptopeke too.. I have a 17ft cc Sea pro and have handled 3 to 4 fter's in the uppper chesapeake, but I'm sure it's much different down there.. Should I work the channels with eels and drift or just jig... I'll probably be by myself since my fishing partner bail on me already...

the kiptopeke boat ramp is right behind the concrete ships, once on the other side youll find the channel 25 to 70ft. troll the channel or just drift eels.this has been the most productive area for lunkers.

Huntington Park boat ramp near the James River Bridge would be easy for you to get to. Take 64 to Mercury and you will find it right before the bridge. It is a good place to put in and you can fish the JRB or the M&M. GIL

yeah i have gone on like a 16 foot and gone to fish at night by the james river bridge casting storms and things of that nature i even went this summer back in late july for some croakers and some trout(just a little relaxing fun) and then got bored and started throwing storms into the lights (now remember this is july)and caught about 5 and the biggest one was 24 inches and that was wierd but def fun. and no worries because we threw all of them back

4 X 4, if you want schoolie rocks, the hrbt is easy money. Short trip from the Willoughby ramp and the catching isn't exactly brain surgery. My tub's a 16 ft Whaler and can handle some water better than similar size boats but.... at the cbbt or other open water, particularly where bay and ocean meet, even on 1 - 2 ft days it can be sloppy and suck if the tide is pushing against the wind or there's a lot of boats out. You have to have your eyes on the sea and head in the game at all times. There's a lot of Navy and container boat wakes you have to deal with as well. You can spend as much time savely maintaining your heading as you do fishing. The currents there will push a small boat pretty quick so if you're wanting to drift, a drift sock is a big help. If you want to anchor up by the pilings, make sure you have plenty of scope and your anchor holds before you shut down. Most of the big fish I've heard caught have been from around the third island. As far as I'm concerned, that's big boy territory. I don't do that run in my tub. If you're coming from out of town and want quick pullage I'd do the hrbt. I fish there all the time. Give a heads up when you're coming and if you need a boat to follow, I can help.

thanks for all the info. I have been getting my waterlegs at HRBT. I am in the process of redoing and getting used to a 24 ft larson cuddy.

be sure to bring some manhaden just in case the casting game is not working, we casted all morning along the hampton roads and M&M and nothing..but then chunked some manhaden along the bottom under the bridge and gota few fish in the cooler with in twenty minutes