New Boat Owner - Would appreciate any fishing tips for my ar

[Scottp3]

Hi guys! Posted this same "help me" on Tidal Fish...75 people have read it and not one has responded.

I bet I can beat that on this board, ya'll have been great!

I bought a 2006 1801 for the family. Been pulling kids on tubes for a month now...but ready to fish! I am located in Horn Harbor in the lower Chesapeake Bay near New Point Comfort Lighthouse. So, I can fish channels, shallow water over grass, guts, shallow mud bottom and the bay in general.

Interested in knowing what to catch and when! The fish in my immediate area seem to be rocks, specs and reds. I've caught all three off the pier...but only 4 rocks, 3 specks and 1 red (over a 2 year period!).

Can anyone provide any tips on rigs, bait and setups...and what time of day and what tide to fish for best results? I really want to get my young son and daughter into fishing from the boat as they love catching spot and croaker off the pier - but I find they get pretty bored after an hour of no action.

Would love to catch some reds and specks mostly, as the habitat around my home base would seem to be suitable for them.

Also, has anyone ever fished with Chris Newsome?

Appreciate any help!

Thanks

Scott

 

[rangerdog]

Hi Scott,

First of all welcome to Classic Parker. Next go to the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman's Association website HTTP://www.pswsfa.com there is tons of easy reading tips, tactics, places, tides, how tos, etc. for your area. I grew up in Hampton Roads and there is so many species available it will make your head spin.

Start with a bottom rig with squid strips on 2/0 wide gap hooks and a 1oz weight, get in 10 to 20 feet of water, and just like pier fishing you will catch croakers, and spot. Change to peeler crab and you will catch trout and maybe sheepshead, bloodworms will get spot, croker, and blues. Put on a flounder rig with a Hampton "sandwich" a minnow between two strips of squid and drift over the HRBT for flounder or find a flounder spot mear Matthews.

Find birds feeding on baitfish in the open water motor near them and cast "any shiny metal lure" like a stingsilver to catch blues, smaller spoons 1/0 for spanish, and shad baits for rockfish.

Search Classic Parker for a thread on LTJ or light tackle jigging.

Trolling is your other option, but I don't type fast enough to answer that here.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

John

 

[jonas grumby]

Try 1-2 oz. bucktails with a piece of squid or shrimp for bottom fishing, especially w/ kids. It is a lot easier than bottom rigs and a lot more fun. This technique will catch a variety of species. Casting 1/4 oz. jig heads near shorelines (grass and rocks) with Berkley Gulps shrimp (new penny) or swimming mullet (white or chartruese) works really well for puppy drums (reds). My daughter earned her Virginia Junior Angler Certificate when she was 5 years old by casting jigs! Speckled trout like a mummichog, bull gudgeon or mud minnow (all the same thing I just don't know what they call them in your area) suspended under a bobber. Visit local small tackle shops, these guys usually share info especially if you are a paying customer. Try "Kayak Kevin's" website as well as "Chumlord", these guys are a wealth of knowledge. Good luck!