It’s time for a little fishing talk, because things really are starting to ebb and flow.
No, we’re talking about the tide.
It’s the way things change in regional waters – new species moving in, others sticking around, some even leaving.
And the rules, oh my gosh, the rules. Opening seasons for some fish, closing for others, bag and size limits galore. Do yourself a favor and have a lawyer on board for some species.
All these things play an important role in your plan of attack. What fish to target, what lures and baits to have at the ready, and which tackle to use – all being simple things that can make fishing a great experience but make catching a bad one.
One species that lately has gotten plenty of deserving attention is seeing its annual thrill ride gaining seasonal momentum.
Sheepshead.
This round-ish, thick, vertically-striped, tug-of-war battler is a huge favorite among anglers working the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It can be caught from plenty of other locations, but the barnacle-covered pilings of the CBBT are favorites.
One reason is the fight, the other is the taste. Sheepies are fantastic on the grill.
Live fiddler crab works best, although other crabs will get them.
More tropical by nature, sheepshead have shown themselves in our waters more and more. And the fish caught from mid-Atlantic waters tend to be larger than their southern brothers and sisters.
We’ll tackle a few more species in the coming weeks, as we try to get you hooked on the sport of fishing.
As for changes: the black seabass season is open again, at least it is until July 15. These extremely tasty wreck fish have been plentiful and large so far. Also open now are blue line tilefish until Nov. 15. Virginia’s Coastal Striped bass season is open through the end of the year, while the Chesapeake Bay fishery is open through July 15.
And in a bold, but very controversial decision, North Carolina fisheries have decided to close the speckled trout fishery until the end of June because of last January’s cold stun.
In other news, a 24-pound hog of a tautog was reportedly caught at a Virginia coastal wreck and is the pending state champion. If it is certified, the fish – caught by Sam Cook on his first drop to the bottom, would displace the current record of 24-3 caught in 2012 by Dr. Ken Neill. A Facebook post said Cook used crab to catch his monster while fishing with Wreck Dawg Sport Fishing.
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