Last month I posted a poll on your dream fishing trip. This month I'm wondering about your favorite local trip. I have been blessed many times over the past three decades. I've fished many places from above the Arctic Circle to below the equator. But my absolute favorite fishing is right here in the Old Dominion. Drifting the channels and inlets of Virginia's Eastern Shore for flounder with my older brother is as good as it gets for me. Don't need a 58' Buddy Davis, a beat up 16' Carolina Skiff works just fine. Won't cost me $5,000 like some trips have, a couple hundred gets the job done (including dinner at the Island House Restaurant and drinks with bar tenders Carol and Deloris). What's your favorite local prey? Don't be afraid to post it if it's not included. Looking forward to seeing the responses to this one.

Although I haven't been to the OBX for offshore, that does seem nice and fun. I also like catching ANYTHING on lite tackle, especially the bigger fish.

I'm three years into VA fishing and I have sooooo much fishing ahead of me.
Although I love my offshore fishing I was fortunate enough to be getting paid for it most of the time.
So far here I have been having a blast fishing my 16' Skiff (not beat up.....yet) for Striper around the bridges and tunnels.
Looking forward to learning the Eastern Shore Flounder/Drum/Trout ways through trial and error and a little help from friends.
What an assest VBSF has been so far.
Great post and poll, thanks for putting it up.

Alex

goerge you forgot the all of the above selection

My favorite trip is overnighting offshore. We get 24 hours of straight fishing were we can troll for pelagics, drift for swords, chunk for tuna/sharks, and deep drop all on the same trip. Plus you get to see things at night you can't see anywhere, the milky-way and all kinds of creatures swimming around your boat light at night.

I have to agree with you here. You never know what you're going to see at night offshore. I hope I get a chance to do an overnighter on a private vessel this year. I've done a couple on a head boat, but being in a smaller boat would have lots of advantages to it. The biggest advantages being the ability to move around when you feel like, having less people on board, and not having to deal with the high rail.

I hear ya Jimmy, but an "all of the above" choice would defeat the purpose of the poll - everyone would chose it! Mike and Ryan, I've added the 24 hour trip, not sure how I forgot that one. Alex, welcome to the finest state in the Union! OK, I'm a little biased toward Virginia, but there is a lot of great fishing to be had here! Let us know how we can help. When you're ready to try the flounder hotspots on the Eastern Shore let me know. I put a chart together of some of my favorite flounder holes out of Wachapreague. I'll email it to ya. Tight lines and good luck!

Dang, I already voted or I would vote for the 24 hour trip.

AJ's at the towers out of OI is high on my list with mack's and other toothy fish mixed in that share the same waters. Havn't ventured out to the ches. lite.

I know I had to go for the tower while it can be a pita it always challenging it is always fun

George you forgot this one too.

Casting and catching busting Tuna with surface plugs on spinning rods. It doesnt happen
often but when it does it cant be beat. It adds to the excitement when your standing on the
bow of a big carolina built boat with no rails and hoping this doesnt happen.

Nothing like seeing a big Tuna sky out of the water attacking a surface plug your working.

Ray

Got ya covered Mega. Wreck Donkey Rasslin' is now on the list! Ray, I've never casted surface plugs to tuna and that has to be awesome! I have caught them "on the iron" though, casting spoons and jigs. Casting for tuna is now on the list!

Kite fishing a Flying fish for Yellowfin and watching them get 6 feet of air after a skipping bait.

I guess there is no more 10 choice limit - COOL! I have to agree with the commando - I love to drift for flounder. It demands constant attention and a very good feel for the bottom. You never know when that tap will turn into a 10 pounder. There is a lot of skill involved in not getting snagged, adjusting for drop-offs, etc., but you can still lose a bunch of rigs nonetheless.

1st choice is flounder, i've been doing it for over 45yrs. if not flounder i'm up for anything that will bite my hook.

Live baiting tuna is probably my favorite exciting fishing memories. Watching those tuna sky rocket near the boat chasing the baits and getting slammed up close and personal with rod in hand for the full effect of their power, I still find incredible every time. I really love most all types of fishing and still get excited every time the season changes to start fishing for the next type.

Its All Good,
Catch Ya Later,

?

I checked them all!

It surprises me that flounder is taking this poll! Never "actively" fished for them here.

Jr, this poll kind of confirms an article I read in Saltwater Sportsman a while back. That article stated that more East Coast fishermen take trips to specifically target a flounder species than any other fish. The flounders range from Maine (Winter Flounder) to Florida (Southern Flounder) with the largest populations (Summer Flounder) in the Mid Atlantic region, which closely approximates the human population patterns. They spend a large part of their life cycle in shallow water, are relatively easy to catch and are mild flavored with few bones. That adds up to a winner. I would imagine that stripers are second. Looking back at the responses, I wish I had set this up differently. I may add a poll later for your favorite targeted species, regardless of method. That should be interesting.

I realy think that overnighter sounds bad... who do i contact about one of those trips. we do oregon inlet 2 times a year but the drive stinks. but i did catch my first blue marlin this year yahoo

The headboats out of the fishing center usualy run a few trips a year and I`m sure kieth (megabite) will put one togeather for ya

I voted for "Drifting for Flounder" but would have selected "Anything that gets me on my boat".

Went with spadefishing. Even though I really want to get after some Tuna, spades are just alot of fun.

Every spring, out of Cape May the first fish I could get to on my 28ft Luhrs, (windsong) were Atlantic Mackrel, usually around the 5th of April or so.

All winter long, cleaning and repairing tackle or reading fishing mags sort of builds up a fishing lust that just has to be satisfied..

Fishing rigged with 5 red worms and a diamond jig, when you got over a school it would just become mahem on the boat with fish flying every where. 5 or 6 at a time if you worked it right.....

Filling a fish box if your worked hard at it was not out of the question. The filets I didn't freeze were packed in salt for bait later on.

Great tasting, broiled with garlic butter

Since the Windsong has been up on blocks in the back yard for some time, have tried several head boats out of Lynnhaven and Rudee with little luck. Guess the factory ships have gotten the Mackrel.

Anyway this is how I would begin another great fishing season. (Some were greater than others)

Dave