I am new to fishing the VA Beach area and will be fishing from a 19' Bayliner next week June 1- 2. Can anyone recommend a good area to launch from that is safe fishing for a boat my size. I will be coming down from Charlottesville, VA

Also, does anyone know what is bitting down there right now and what technique should be used to catch them. Taking my dad on the water for the first time and want to show him a good time.

Thanks!

Try the launch at Lynnhaven Inlet and and fish the 2nd island. Take a wreck anchor in case you want to anchor in the rocks. Give the point over the tube a wide berth.Bring heavy and light tackle. For artificial bring assorted ledheads with twister tails and floater/ shallow diver broken backs. For live or cut ,use store bought bottom rigs or make your own using 50lb line and 3 way swivels. for live bait crabs, croakers or any fish 1lb or less. Fish over the tube or around the island. The closer your bait is to the rocks the better. If you happen to hook an 80lb black drum you'll think that it's a snag and the fish won't know it's hooked for 10 minutes. Give it 3 hard hook sets and wait for the fight!

Thanks for the info, seems like you know the area well.

Excuse my ignorance, but I am not sure I know which island you are referring to. I was looking at my GPS and there seem to be many. Also, what is the tube you are referring to.

Thanks again for all you help

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) connects Virginia Beach to Cape Charles, 17 miles of structure. There's two channels, Norfolk Channel and the Baltimore Channel where the tunnels are, with man made rock islands on both ends of both tunnels. That would be 4 islands in all. The 1st island is closest to Virginia Beach, followed by tube which is covered by big ass rocks and then you have the 2nd island which is made of more big ass rocks. If a fish ever needs more structure its life, then the CBBT is where it needs to be. I forgot to mention to bring sea clams and fish finder rigs. Use the clams whole on a #9 J hook for the big black drum. Use smaller hooks, #3 or #4 for sheepheads and taugs. If you catch any blues, cut them up into stakes and put'em on a # 9 J hook. You can also cast led heads with a 6" white twister tails to the rocks and do a slow retrive. Good luck!

Thank you for being so informative, it really helps some of us less experienced trying to get out there and do it up like so many on this board. I am curious about the fishfinder rigs you mentioned. I have bought store bought "fishfinder" rigs which have a egg sinker beads and a spinner on them, are these the same? I have read about people making them on this board as well with what i believe is a sinker slide. Can anyone shed some light on this rig for me?

Also, was hoping someone could assist with rigging for dropping over the tubes. Fished yesterday over the tube at the CBBT 1st island and drifted 3 lines all with live croaker. One was with no weight, one had 3 oz on a sinker slide with 5' leader and one had 14 oz weight with 5' leader. The one with no weight was bit through with what looked to be one bit, the one with the 14 oz was bit by what looked to be blues (small defined u shaped bites), but the one with 3 oz was not touched. should i be using no weights with the live croaker. If i do use weight what size do you recommend? I am heading out again tonight about 7 for the evening and would love to get into something between the 1st and 2nd at the CBBT, have had absolutely NO luck ( or skill, yet to be determined by any responses) over the past few weeks. Plan on taking live croaker and spot, clams, squid, minnows, and maybe crab (blue or peeler) if recommended?

Any help anyone can offer is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks, Colin

I've slow trolled live croaker over the tube on a 3 way with 2 feet of line going to a 20 oz sinker and 5 to 10 feet of leader. Sinker weight varies depending on how fast the current is moving. The faster the current is moving the better. Turn your boat into the current over the tube and try to counter-act the current with the throttle. Feel the rocks with your lead and crank up 2 or 3 cranks. Using the throttle and steering, slowly move your bait over the tube. Look at your depth finder to see if you're going deeper or shallower and try to keep your lead just above the rocks. Picture a under water levy of rocks and slowly move the boat foward and aft by zig- zaging and throttling up and down. bounce your lead up one side of the tube and down the other. Work it till you find the fish. If you get hung up, keep your nose in the current and back off the throttle or put in neutral to drift back and pull it out. Work it until you find a fish.

The fish finder rigs that I was referring to are put on your line before your snap swivel and you can attach any size weight that you want and put a hook on a leader on the snap swivel.

Thanks a ton! I'll post my results upon return, of course if I start to catch something I'm never going to want to leave, already working the better half for an all nighter so i better produce something! She sees everyone cleaning fish back at the dock and just gives me the look, you guys know the one.

Thanks again!

Thanks again...This makes much more since now. I guess my last questions would be do you think a boat my size would be ok going out as far as the tunnels, (19' Bayliner) and can you buy live crabs sea clams down there anywhere?


Thanks again for all the info!!

[quote=rogerjohnson,May 28 2007, 01:03 PM][quote=Greg Page,May 27 2007, 03:09 AM]The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) connects Virginia Beach to Cape Charles, 17 miles of structure. There's two channels, Norfolk Channel and the Baltimore Channel where the tunnels are, with man made rock islands on both ends of both tunnels. That would be 4 islands in all. The 1st island is closest to Virginia Beach, followed by tube which is covered by big ass rocks and then you have the 2nd island which is made of more big ass rocks. If a fish ever needs more structure its life, then the CBBT is where it needs to be. I forgot to mention to bring sea clams and fish finder rigs. Use the clams whole on a #9 J hook for the big black drum. Use smaller hooks, #3 or #4 for sheepheads and taugs. If you catch any blues, cut them up into stakes and put'em on a # 9 J hook. You can also cast led heads with a 6" white twister tails to the rocks and do a slow retrive. Good luck!
[/quote]

Thanks again...This makes much more since now. I guess my last questions would be do you think a boat my size would be ok going out as far as the tunnels, (19' Bayliner) and can you buy live crabs sea clams down there anywhere?


Thanks again for all the info!!

[/quote]
19' is good for the bay, just check the marine forcast befor you launch. Long Bay Point Marina will have all the bait you need. Catch 'em up!

[quote=Greg Page,May 28 2007, 11:22 PM][quote=rogerjohnson,May 28 2007, 01:03 PM][quote=Greg Page,May 27 2007, 03:09 AM]The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) connects Virginia Beach to Cape Charles, 17 miles of structure. There's two channels, Norfolk Channel and the Baltimore Channel where the tunnels are, with man made rock islands on both ends of both tunnels. That would be 4 islands in all. The 1st island is closest to Virginia Beach, followed by tube which is covered by big ass rocks and then you have the 2nd island which is made of more big ass rocks. If a fish ever needs more structure its life, then the CBBT is where it needs to be. I forgot to mention to bring sea clams and fish finder rigs. Use the clams whole on a #9 J hook for the big black drum. Use smaller hooks, #3 or #4 for sheepheads and taugs. If you catch any blues, cut them up into stakes and put'em on a # 9 J hook. You can also cast led heads with a 6" white twister tails to the rocks and do a slow retrive. Good luck!
[/quote]

Thanks again...This makes much more since now. I guess my last questions would be do you think a boat my size would be ok going out as far as the tunnels, (19' Bayliner) and can you buy live crabs sea clams down there anywhere?


Thanks again for all the info!!

[/quote]
19' is good for the bay, just check the marine forcast befor you launch. Long Bay Point Marina will have all the bait you need. Catch 'em up!

[/quote]

Will do, Thanks again!!

[quote=rogerjohnson,May 31 2007, 12:06 AM][quote=Greg Page,May 28 2007, 11:22 PM][quote=rogerjohnson,May 28 2007, 01:03 PM][quote=Greg Page,May 27 2007, 03:09 AM]The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) connects Virginia Beach to Cape Charles, 17 miles of structure. There's two channels, Norfolk Channel and the Baltimore Channel where the tunnels are, with man made rock islands on both ends of both tunnels. That would be 4 islands in all. The 1st island is closest to Virginia Beach, followed by tube which is covered by big ass rocks and then you have the 2nd island which is made of more big ass rocks. If a fish ever needs more structure its life, then the CBBT is where it needs to be. I forgot to mention to bring sea clams and fish finder rigs. Use the clams whole on a #9 J hook for the big black drum. Use smaller hooks, #3 or #4 for sheepheads and taugs. If you catch any blues, cut them up into stakes and put'em on a # 9 J hook. You can also cast led heads with a 6" white twister tails to the rocks and do a slow retrive. Good luck!
[/quote]

Thanks again...This makes much more since now. I guess my last questions would be do you think a boat my size would be ok going out as far as the tunnels, (19' Bayliner) and can you buy live crabs sea clams down there anywhere?


Thanks again for all the info!!

[/quote]
19' is good for the bay, just check the marine forcast befor you launch. Long Bay Point Marina will have all the bait you need. Catch 'em up!

[/quote]

Will do, Thanks again!!

[/quote]