Visited the Hot Ditch Thursday with my nephew. Wind chill REAL LOW,plus rain. Fished all day without a fish. If you are planning to fish HD, be aware of the following info: 1) The boom in the HD itself is back in place just inside the ditch. Parked right by it, never got a nibble. Marked fish,so tried cast net several times, without any success. 2) Net boat had several hundred yards of net surrounding the HD area all day. 3) The Pit was fishless,marking none at all.
Hope you have better trip, but this is the first time I could not even catch a short striper!

Are you telling me that commercial fishermen are setting nets in the Hot Ditch?

I got hold of one spec by casting over that boom you are talking about but couldn't land him because I couldn't put him over the boom. he was about 18". That was all for three guys that day.

A 34" 11 1/2lb spec was caght in the cove by a shore fisherman on superbowl sunday.

Keep trying

Yeah, Dr W checked with the chaps that run a little net down there for mullet and they said the operation running the BIG net is commercials running shad and menhaden south to Morehead City for tuna bait. Anyway, I am fresh fishing till I hear a better report.

http://tinypic.com/1o28zm

PIC OF THE BIG SPEC

Nice fish. I have never seen a spec that big.

yeah i would of have too

Is there any fishing done in the river south of the Hot Ditch, on the way towards NC?

i have read reports where they caught and tagged fish,DRUM,TROUT,CROAKER,SPOT AND EVERY FISH THEY TAGGED AT THE HOT DITCH WAS RECAUGHT AT THE CBBT OR HRBT !! SO IT DONT MATTER WHERE OR WHAT FISH YOU CATCH IN HAMPTON ROADS IT HAS BEEN IN THE HOT DIRCH AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER,SO YA MAY AS WELL SAY "DONT EAT ANY FISH" .

The toxins are purged out of the fish somewhat once they get out in the ocean for a week or so.I wouldnt eat hot ditch fish ever if they came right out of there.

Hint:Dr Wright gives ALL his Hot Ditch fish away or releases them alive.

As much as I love to both catch and to eat speckled trout, I don't ever want to place myself in the position of having to release one. That's why I don't fish the Hot Ditch. That plus the fact that the few times I did fish there, I caught absolutely nothing, never even had a hit.

I have to say, after fishing the Hot ditch last year, what a nasty stretch of water! IMHO I'd rather wait for warmer weather or drive south to chase the rockfish. I think fishing is more than just attmepting to catch fish. Fishing the hot ditch is like ... dang I don't know! it s just not right. My advice... try it once, heck maybe even twice, but if it still smells bad (and it does) go find something else to do.

Heck. I remember one morning fishing the Hot Ditch the water and the air smelled so toxic I pulled the boat out and went to Lynnhaven just to purge myself. LOL

Might go to HD tomorrow.I will be "The lad who bore,through snow and ice,the banner with the strange device,Excelsior!" Anyway,Dr W says a pal of his got 24 specks last week, and got stripped by what might have been a Jack Crevalle. As long as the ramp and street aren't TOO messy, I might as well try.
On another subject,got my 2004 Spot citation in the mail yesterday. What a big improvement in quality over the old citations! Kudos to Claude!