Hello I was wondering if anyone has an idea if it would be better to fish the bay bridge island 4 and 3 or putting out of oyster... i know there are not many reports out of oyster but i would think there have to be stripers over there as well, hopefullly trout too in the shalllows... any ideas would be very helpful... i have not towed the boat down there since late summer ( 5 hours from PA) but loved it down there...

the boat is a 16-17ft with 90hp evin. and holds 25 gall. of fuel

Hey man, here is my idea if you want to follow through with it. There are lots of big fish still in the bay by the 3rd and 4th island. Lots of birds have been working close to the bridge and have been holding alot of fish under them. Also, lots of fish are holding on the pilings. I talked to one of my good friends who is also a well known Captain, (Rick Caton who runs the Free Agent out of Rudee Inlet, VA) who has been slaying them jigging out by the 3rd and 4th island. He has been finding working birds and lots of bait with the fish holding there. If I were you, I would pick your days and try for the CBBT. Hope this has been a little help for you. Best of luck to you. Let us know how you do, dont forget the bay season is out its catch and release only now. March 1st, Rick Caton released several 40lbers and two 50lbers. All caught jigging by the 3rd and 4th. He has been fishing there the past few days and has been doing really well. Good luck,

-Chris

Now where else can you get a custom fishing report like that for free? Good job Chris! One thing you might want to consider is putting in at Kiptopeake State Park over on the Eastern Shore. It's only a 3 or 4 mile run to the High Rise from there and it's sheltered on a northeast wind. If the wind's from the northwest, Oyster would be a better idea. Don't get me wrong, Virginia Beach loves your money, but we'd rather see you catch fish and have fun. With your smaller rig, the short run may be the ticket. Good luck!

Thanks George! Good to see your posts every once in a while bud, hope all is well. I do agree with George, putting in at Kiptopeake would be a whole lot easier and you will be at the CBBT in no time,


-Chris

thank you for your insight 1stmate and marlin man. , i guess a good plan would be to split the day between the bay islands 4 and 3 (3 being a 20-30- min drive on water depending on the weather, out of kipto.) and maybe try oyster as well i think the regulations allow you to keep a striper on the ocean side...

4VAC20-252-110. Coastal striped bass recreational fishery.

A. The open seasons for the coastal striped bass recreational fishery shall be January 1 through March 31 and May 16 through December 31, inclusive.

B. The area open for this fishery shall be the coastal area as defined in this chapter.

C. The minimum size limit for this fishery shall be 28 inches total length.

D. The possession limit for this fishery shall be two fish per person.

i really miss fishing saltwater. i lived in noth palm florida with a canal in the backyard til 2005 and right before we got hit with hurricane francis and jeanne in Sept 2004... Not sure if the storms caused the fishing bite but within the prior two weeks before they hit palm beach county I caught 3 30+ trophy snook on large stepped on mullet heads ( old timers trick)..

the stripers seems to be the closest thing to the snook i can go after and would love to have some fresh fish in the freezer...

Just make sure you don't bring ocean fish back into the bay. You can run with them, just don't stop and fish.

yes a very good point.. and would be a costly one.. What are the odds gas prices will go down this summer???

slim and none...

I'd have to agree.........up and down a little, but not back to the levels we were a few years ago.....a lot will have to change for those prices to ever see the light of day again..........

I've read that by Memorial Day they may be as high as $3.50 - $4.00. That may be BS but you can be sure of one thing, they will be higher around that time just because of all of the travel and they want to maximize profits..... not price gouge! They may drop back to $3.25 for the summer.....

signed..... the cynical one