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Summer 2008
September 14, 2008
- I just added pictures of the new boat. Check it
out! The
Permit by Andros
September 5, 2008
- With the rising cost of new boats and just about
everything else, I've had to change my rates. Fishing
rates are now based on the number of people on the charter.
With this new rate schedule, the cost for a single angler
charter is actually less than before! You can find the new
rates listed on the Rates & Booking section of the website.
Thanks for your continued support!
September 4, 2008
- I'm leaving on Sunday for Sarasota, FL where I will pick
up my new boat from Andros
Boatworks. They are a custom boat
manufacture who specializes in panga hybrid boats.
The 2009 model 22'6"
Permit powered by a Suzuki 140hp 4-stroke engine is the perfect
all around Chesapeake Bay light tackle boat. From the
shallows of the Middle Peninsula to the chop of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge Tunnel, this fishing machine can handle it all.
The sharp bow entry, high gunnels and clean layout are great
when fishing open water. For shallow water fishing, the
boat boasts a draft of only 8". It is rigged with a 101#
thrust MinnKota bow mount trolling motor, TH Atlas jack plate,
and stern casting deck. I had Andros design a custom
bow casting deck that can be used in calm water and removed for
days when the conditions are rough. Other features include
pull up cleats, shark eye bow lights, Garmin GPS/depthfinder,
I-com VHF radio, Lenco trim tabs, custom grab rail, leaning
post, two livewells and 95qt Ultra Cool box for storage.
You'll love fishing from this new ride!
August 25, 2008
- I had a 10 year old angler this morning who qualified
for the VA Junior Angler Award by catching a
seven species slam! Puppy drum are out in force. Our
best day produced nearly 50 of these juvenile red drum.
The biggest speckled trout award goes to my dad with a 28" gator
- he's had the hot hand of late. I've got a new boat on
order... stay tuned for more!
      
August 15,
2008
- We're still finding a few pretty specks. The two
largest over the last couple days have measured 24 inches.
Most days we are getting a shallow water slam of stripers,
specks, puppy drum and flounder.
      
August 10,
2008
- Speckled trout fishing has slowed in the heat, but there
are a few large specimens to be had. Today, my father
landed a 24.5" release citation speck. Undersized puppy
drum are abundant, but larger reds are few and far between.
The average size of the pups should increase as we head into
late summer and early fall. There are many healthy
stripers around shallow structure. Hitting the water at
first light has been the key to success. With some cooler
nights in the forecast, the fish should be aggressive due to the
drop in water temperature.
      
August 3,
2008
- I'd like to spend some time discussing shallow water
fishing ethics. I understand that some people may not have
an appreciation for this type of fishing which is why I have
decided to write the following information. Unlike fishing
for schooled fish in the open bay or huge structures like the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the shallow water fishery on the
Middle Peninsula is very fragile. This is due to the small
size of fish holding areas and skittish nature of fish in
shallow water. One boat fishing a particular location can
ruin the fishing there for an entire day. I have spent a
lifetime discovering the most productive areas for my clients to
fish. Some of these spots, such as iron ore or rock rubble
piles, compose only 1/100,000th of the bottom. To find
them takes countless hours on the water. Even more obvious
locations like piers have their quirks. Learning the most
productive structure and then narrowing that down to even
smaller 10' locations where the fish are most likely to hold is
knowledge that I must use to provide the best fishing experience
for my clients. The problem arises when people I
trustingly take under my wing and show these spots to, later go
out on their own and fish these exact locations. To any
diehard shallow water fisherman, this is nothing short of
stealing. It is especially difficult for me because my
livelihood depends on putting clients on productive fishing
trips on a daily basis. Former clients often have the
mindset that, "Well, I only fish Capt. Chris's spots 2-3 times a
year, so it won't hurt." What they forget is that when I
take out dozens of people with the same mindset, eventually,
there are boats on the water everyday at locations that were
once only known to me. It is better for the longevity of
my livelihood to never take out clients that intend to return to
locations that I have taken them. Clients must be open
with their guide as to their intentions. If you want to
learn where to fish, make that readily clear prior to the trip.
I am still glad to take you out on the water, show you well
known spots, teach you how to read the water, techniques and
rigging. If you are open and ask questions, the
information you gain will easily offset the cost of the trip.
You can then apply this knowledge to help catch more fish when
you are out on your own. I hope no one is offended by what I
have written, because I did not write this information to attack
any particular person. I wrote this information to educate
people that their actions can threaten my livelihood.
     
July 24,
2008
- My angler from yesterday started the trip off with his
first ever speckled trout which happened to be a 28" release
citation! Many speck fishermen go a lifetime without
catching one that long. There is an abundance of baitfish
this year which is very encouraging for our fishery. Small
menhaden, aka bunker, are the favored prey of all our gamefish.
The rivers and creeks are chock full of the juvenile bunker.
With this much bait around, fall fishing should be outrageous!
October through mid-November is my busiest time of year, so book
early to reserve a day.
      
July 21,
2008
- SPECKtacular!!! That's sums up the fishing of
late. This morning produced 30 specks, several of which
were caught on topwater. The highlight of the trip came
when we had a 16" speck at boatside and 40" rockfish charged
from beneath trying to eat the trout! For this time of
year, I have never seen the speckled trout fishing so good.
With the Chesapeake Bay being the northern end of their range,
specks are the most elusive and prized of VA's shallow water
species due to their relative low numbers and skittish nature.
If you want to tangle with Virginia speckled trout, this is the
year!
      
July 18,
2008
- With no charter this morning, I had to get out on the
water for myself to take advantage of the great fishing that's
going on. My father and I landed 24 beautiful speckled
trout and 10 quality striped bass in about three hours of
fishing. I can't get over the large size of the trout for
this time of year. The majority of our specks today were
over 20". There are some 18-22" bluefish ravaging the
shallows, too. I'm not sure how much longer the fishing
will remain this good, so let's get out there ASAP!
      
July 15,
2008
- A weather front pushed through yesterday which slowed
the bite. Prior to the front, we had excellent speck
fishing. A few nice redfish, aka puppy drum, are starting
to show. The reds should become more abundant as we head
into late summer and early fall.
      
July 12,
2008
- I've had some great young fishermen with me over the
last few days. I always enjoy seeing their enthusiasm and
excitement! Luckily for me the fish were more than willing
to cooperate. The fishing has been world class with
countless quality striped bass to 30" and trophy speckled trout
to 26". I can't wait to get back on the water!!!
      
July 7,
2008
- We're still tangling with some scattered speckled trout
in the shallows. A couple days have produced good topwater
results for striped bass and even a few specks. A popper
getting blasted from beneath by a nice fish is a sure fire way
to get your adrenalin fix! We've landed stripers to about
28" on fly and there are a few larger fish roaming the area that
have eluded us. I expect more of the same action for the
remainder of July, so don't miss out!
      
June
27,
2008
- Yesterday I guided Douglas Dear, the owner of Rose River
Farm in Madison, VA. Douglas's property is one of the
premier private trout stream waters in the state.
Check out his website,
www.roseriverfarm.com, to find
out more about the rainbow and wild brook trout fishing on the
Rose. Lots of fun fishing going on here in the salt with
explosive shallow water action for stripers and a few nice specks
mixed in to keep things interesting.
     
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