Virginia Saltwater Fishing

In Virginia, anglers have several choices of bait, tackle and equipment for catching flounder.

Flounder Baits

Mummichogs, known locally as “bull minnows” are by far the most popular bait for catching flounder in Virginia. These hardy baits are inexpensive, readily available and catch fish in a wide range of environments.

Silversides are another popular bait. Like bull minnows, these fish are found in Virginia in great numbers and are a mainstay of flounder diets. Silversides are available frozen from local tackle shops. Silversides are usually hooked thru the eyes with a kahle hook. Anglers sometimes add 2-3 fish per hook in hopes of attracting a greedy fish.

Flounder frequently bite off the back half of silversides, which frustrates many novice anglers. This problem can be lessened by keeping a loose drag and paying out line when a bite is detected.

Spearing have gained popularity in recent years as flounder bait. These fish are not found locally, but catch fish when fished correctly. Spearing are long and slender, resembling a small eel.

Spot are highly prized for catching trophy flounder, especially in the late summer and fall. In many areas, small spot can be caught in advance using a variety of methods, or purchased from local suppliers. Live spot are often fished around structure such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel or other areas of wreck, reef or rubble.

Croaker can be an excellent flounder bait. In the Chesapeake, large bait strips are made from croaker fillets and fished on a long, single hook leader. Like spot, croaker can be fished live, although it is usually harder to find small individuals.

Finger mullet are popular among surf anglers. These cigar shaped baitfish can be purchased or caught fresh with a cast net. Small mullet can be fished whole or cut into strip baits.

Squid is the most widely available bait for flounder. Options range from frozen grocery store variety calamari to pre-cleaned jumbo squid mantles. Regardless of the origin, squid should be white, fresh smelling and firm. Squid works best when cut into long strips that resemble a baitfish when passed thru the water.

Soft crabs are a top flounder bait in certain areas. In much of the Chesapeake Bay, flounder lie in ambush along channel edges, gorging on soft crabs that are swept into deeper water. During peak periods of the crab molting season, fishing a half or whole soft crab can provide anglers with trophy class flounder.

A little known bait for fishing ocean structure is strips made from dolphin fish belly. These colorful fish have a section of brilliant yellow skin along their underside that normally gets discarded during the cleaning process. Experienced anglers often save these for use as flounder baits. Dolphin bellies should be cut into strips and coated liberally with kosher salt before freezing. If properly brined and frozen, these baits retain their color and tough texture for months.

Flounder Rigs

The most popular leader for catching flounder is a basic 2 hook flounder rig. There are many variations of this rig, but most feature some combination of plain hooks, teasers, beads and spinner blades.

The single hook flounder rig is also popular and has several important applications. This rig typically includes a single long (36-42″) leader which is attached to a 3 way swivel. The 3-way swivel allows for the sinker connection as well as the running line. These rigs usually include a series of beads, a rotating blade and bucktail hair teaser.

In rare cases, a carolina rig is useful for catching flounder. These rigs employ a long leader, with an inline egg or torpedo sinker set from 18-36″ above the bait. Similar to the single hook rig, the carolina rig usually employs a teaser and perhaps a spinner blade.

A variety of jigs are useful for catching flounder. These include basic rigs such as a bare jig tipped with a live minnow as well as more intricate setups. Some anglers choose to combine bucktail jigs with live or cut baits while others may use only artificial components.

Each of these leader types offer several variations. Some anglers prefer the bare essentials, while others choose to add attractants, such as bucktail deer hair, mylar or vinyl skirts. Other fish attracting components include colored beads, spinner blades and scented sprays.

Most leader types allow anglers to use any of several hook styles. Ready made 2 hook rigs almost always come equipped with kahle style hooks. These light wire hooks offer several advantages. They usually straighten out and release when snagged, thereby saving the leader. Their design also helps hook the fish, which aids novice anglers with hookup ratios.

A relative newcomer to flounder fishing is the circle hook. Several variations of this design are popular, with anglers split on offset vs. non-offset styles. Circle hooks can be extremely useful for experienced anglers. Although they require a slightly higher skill lever to use, they have a couple very important advantages. First and foremost, circle hooks reduce mortality by hooking most fish in the corner of the mouth. Secondly, they seldom pull out as they almost always embed in a strong part of the jaw.

Although circle hooks are not accepted by everyone, their use has increased dramatically in the last decade. These revolutionary hooks can be a great took to help reduce gut hooking, which reduces flounder stocks and wastes a valuable resource.

Rods and Reels

Depending on the water depth, current and weather conditions, anglers may need a variety of rod and reel combinations. The basic flounder fishing outfit is a spinning rod and reel spooled with 10-15 pound line.

Some anglers prefer using baitcasting outfits, which have several advantages. These reels are particularly useful for feeding line out during the initial bite. Baitcasters are often used when fishing deep water, such as ocean wrecks or deep channel edges of the Chesapeake Bay. Depending on the application, lines may vary from 15-30 pound, either monofilament or braided line

Several trolling rigs are sometimes used to catch Virginia flounder. Heavy trolling gear is necessary in areas such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. These specialized outfits usually employ braided or single strand wire or new generation braided lines. Depending on current flow, weights may vary from 8-32 oz. Trailing as much as 30′ behind is one or 2 jigs or a single strip bait. While ungainly to use, these rigs can be extremely productive in hard running currents.

In other areas, conditions may allow lighter rods, smaller lines and less weight. Anglers sometimes troll very slowly over productive areas when conditions do not produce a suitable drift.

In February, VMRC  voted to implement new flounder regulations for 2011. The minimum size for summer flounder will be 17.5 inches,  with a  4 fish creel limit, and no seasonal closures.

The new regulations decrease the minimum size from the 2010 level which was previously 18.5 inches.

On February 22, 2011, the VMRC Commission will hold a public hearing on the 3 options that establish management measures for the 2011 recreational summer flounder fishery.

The options to be considered are:

A)  18-inch minimum size limit; 4 fish possession limit; and, no closed season

B)  17 1/2-inch minimum size limit; 4 fish possession limit; and, no closed
season

C)  17 1/2-inch minimum size limit; 3 fish possession limit; and, no closed
season

The ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board will meet via a web-based conference call on February 3, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting will be for the Board to consider approval of the 2011 state conservation equivalency proposals for summer flounder, as well as review possible options for recreational black sea bass management.

In December, the Board tasked staff with developing options for regional and state-by-state black sea bass measures. The Board may choose to move forward with including these options in a draft addendum for public comment to be approved on the conference call. The Board decided to meet via conference call in February to allow the necessary administrative time for the states to implement their summer flounder recreational measures before the start of the 2011 fishery.

To join the call, please go to the ASMFC website under meetings for instructions for the web and telephone portions of the call, http://www.asmfc.org/meetings.htm. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Senior FMP Coordinator for Management, at (703) 842-0740 or <tkerns@asmfc.org>.

source: ASFMC

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) met with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board (Board) on December 15 in in Virginia Beach, VA to recommend and adopt recreational management measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

The Council and Board adopted the use of conservation equivalency to achieve the recreational harvest limit for summer flounder in 2011. This harvest limit (11.44 million pounds), approved in August by the Council and Board, represents a 33% increase relative to the limit implemented in 2010.  Conservation equivalency would require states to develop and implement state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons) to achieve the harvest limit for their state.

After considerable discussion of the proposed recreational harvest limit and the status of the scup stock, the Council and Board voted to increase the 2011 Total Allowable Landing Level (TAL) for scup to about 26 million pounds, an increase of 92% relative to the 2010 level. Although the Council and Board had agreed to a lower TAL in August, they agreed the revised TAL  recommendation would more effectively accommodate the region’s vibrant recreational scup fishery while staying within the maximum sustainable yield for this stock.

Based on the associated recreational harvest of 5.74 million pounds, the Council and Board adopted status quo (same as 2010) measures for federal and state waters in 2011 for scup.  These measures in federal waters would include a 10 fish possession limit, a 10.5-inch total length (TL) minimum fish size, and an open season July 6 to September 26.

The Council and Board adopted coastwide management measures for the 2011 recreational black sea bass fishery. These include a 13-inch TL minimum fish size, a 25 fish possession limit, and an open season from July 1 to October 1 and November 1 to December 31. The measures will remain in effect for 2011 until the ASMFC approves an addendum to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Plan that implements regional specifications for black sea bass that would achieve the necessary reduction in fishing mortality for 2011.

Once the addendum is in place, the Council and Board agreed that management measures in Federal waters would revert to the same measures in place for 2010 – a 12.5-inch TL minimum fish size, 25 fish possession limit, and an open season from May 22 to October 11 and November 1 to December 31.

Mid-Atlantic Council Chairman, Rick Robins, noted that “The Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission worked together very effectively to craft measures that would mitigate potentially disruptive impacts within the black sea bass fishery by developing a provisional motion that would enable the Commission to address the geographic variability of the performance in this important recreational fishery.  Additionally, our actions this week set the stage for significant and long awaited increases in recreational opportunities in the summer flounder fishery, following a decade of difficult but successful stock rebuilding.”

source: MAFMC press release

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) has voted to increase the 2011 commercial and recreational harvest levels of both scup (porgy) and summer flounder, welcome news for a beleaguered Atlantic Coast fishing community.

Following input from the Scup Monitoring Committee, the MAFMC, which met jointly today with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) management boards, voted to increase the total allowable catch for scup (porgy) from this year’s 17.09 million pounds of quota to a catch of 24.1 million pounds in 2011. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) had recommended an acceptable biological catch as high as 51.7 million pounds, which would’ve represented a near 200% increase in quota if enacted.

Council members heard various recommendations from the monitoring committee, in addition to public comment from recreational and commercial fishing interests who traveled to Philadelphia to attend today’s meetings, but voted on a more precautionary 41% increase in total allowable catch for next season. For the recreational sector, the total allowable catch of 24.1 million pounds will result in a 4.4-million-pound harvest for the year.

On the summer flounder front, the MAFMC voted to increase the total allowable catch from this season’s 25.48 million pounds to an increased quota of 33.95 million pounds in the year ahead. The new total allowable landings for 2011 represent the highest allowable catch debated by the MAFMC today.

Recreational fishermen are hopeful that this increase in quota means improved summer flounder regulations for 2011, but that still rests in the hands of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) for 2010.

“The recreational fishermen won’t know what this means in terms of regulations until November at the very least,” said Capt. Adam Nowalsky, chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance’s New Jersey Chapter (RFA-NJ). “As anglers have come to recognize year after year, now we have to wait for this season’s landings information to come through from MRFSS to forecast how that compares to the 2011 recreational allowable landings.”

“Some of the reasons for this success should go to the science that was contributed by the grassroots efforts of the local fishing community,” said Ray Bogan, legal counsel for the RFA. “There has been an extraordinary contribution by the anglers, which makes up a significant portion of the scientific effort in the summer flounder assessments,” he said.

Bogan noted that private funding through the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, United Boatmen, and RFA, along with non-federal inshore survey analysis by the North East Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) have helped lead to improved summer flounder assessments, which in turn has led to improved access for anglers.

A letter from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) to the New York council members overnight was distributed amongst MAFMC members, in which the senator urged council members to provide increased access to summer flounder and scup resources for both recreational and commercial fishermen.

“As the Council knows, these species are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring,” Sen. Schumer said in his letter, adding “Fishermen have patiently waited for these stocks to rebuild and were promised relief when they were healthy again. Now is that time.”

“The scup biomass is rebuilt by around 200% and yet it seems that our quota is going to be raised only marginally,” said Capt. Paul Forsberg of the Viking Fleet out of Montauk, NY, who attended today’s meeting. “How high must the biomass go before we can achieve maximum sustainable yield?”

Despite pleas from fishermen to increase the porgy quota by 55% to a total allowable catch of 26-1/2 million pounds, a 9-8 council vote put the porgy limit at a more modest 41% increase.

For details on recent MAFMC actions, visit www.mafmc.org

source: RFA

This is a simple recipe for serving 2 of Virginia’s most famous seafood products; fresh flounder and Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat.

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh flounder fillets (skin on)
1 lb Chesapeake Bay lump backfin crab meat
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup crab seasoning
1 lemon (juice and pulp only)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chopped parsley
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Line a baking dish with olive oil and place fillets in dish, skin side down.
2. Mix egg, melted butter, mayonnaise, crab seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and onion.
3. Blend in crab meat.
4. Spread stuffing over fillets and bake at 400 for 5 minutes, until juices begin to boil.
5. Move to broiler, watch closely, broiling until stuffing begins to brown lightly.

Serving suggestions:

This dish is excellent with sliced garden tomatoes, fresh steamed vegetables or rice and a Virginia Chardonnay.

The 2010 “Flounder Bowl” fishing tournament allows Virginia’s finest flounder anglers to gather together to compete for bragging rights for the year. This year’s tournament is scheduled for June 26, with a captains meeting June 25.

The Flounder Bowl is hosted by the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman’s Association but it is the many businesses who sponsor this event which make it such a great time. These businesses are providing a guaranteed First Prize award of $5,000.

They also make it possible to provide free food, drink and music for participants at both the captains meeting and at the weigh-in. The sponsors provide for team buckets given out at the captains meeting and they are also providing various prizes which will be given away at the weigh-in. Each team will find door-prize tickets in their team buckets which will give them chances to win these prizes.

The Flounder Bowl will be held out of Dare Marina and Yacht Sales (www.daremarina.com). Boats will be allowed to fish from any port but the fish must be brought to Dare Marina for weigh-in.

This is a team tournament with an entry fee of $100 per boat with up to 4 anglers. Additional anglers will cost $25 each. Winners will be determined by the combined weight of the team’s top three fish. Cash prizes will be paid through six places.

To give everyone a chance to win, teams not placing in the top six will be entered in a “Lucky Dog” drawing. The team drawn will win an additional cash prize. There will be a prize for the heaviest flounder caught by a child and a prize for the heaviest flounder caught by a woman in the tournament.

Teams will be given the option of entering a “Big Fish Calcutta” for an additional $100 entry fee. This is a 100% payout to the team, that has entered the Calcutta, which weighs in the single heaviest fish. There is a special Sponsors’ Challenge Division where teams entered by the tournament sponsors will compete with each other for the special Sponsors’ Trophy. The winning sponsor will get to keep this trophy until next year’s tournament.

Currently, the Sponsors’ Trophy is in the possession of Paige II Charters. The 2009 Flounder Bowl had a total cash payout of $10,900 plus donated merchandise prizes. The winnings are expected to be larger this year. This is your chance to fish with and against some of the best flounder anglers in the state. There will be food, drink, music, and multiple chances to win. Come on out and join the fun!

For many anglers, Spring flounder fishing along the Eastern Shore of Virginia is an annual event that marks the beginning of the saltwater fishing year. As waters warm, flounder enter and begin to feed in the inlets, creeks and coastal bays of the region.  A few flounder sometimes arrive in March but the main thrust of fish is usually in April, with the surge of incoming fish continuing into May.

Spring time flounder fishing success in Virginia is dictated factors such as by wind, water temperature and water clarity. A basic rule of thumb is that flounder start biting when water temperatures reach 50 degrees, with the best springtime fishing usually in water between 60 and 70 degrees.

Experienced flounder anglers seek conditions when the tide will be high in the mid morning thru afternoon hours. The theory is that the cold ocean water comes in and flows up onto the flats were the sun can warm it a significant amount in just a few hours. When the tide changes, warmer water flows into the channels, triggering the flounder to feed aggressively. This phenomenon doesn’t always happen but when conditions are right, flounder fishing can be excellent.

Top baits for spring fishing include several of the natural prey species of summer flounder. These include frozen silversides, live minnows, squid strips and fresh cut strips of fish if available. Favorite fish for making cut strip baits include small croakers, perch, bluefish or other suitable fish. Finding these species in the early season is not easy, but some anglers set aside catches of early season fish specifically for use as flounder strip baits.

Related Links

How to Clean and Fillet Flounder

Virginia Fishing Guides

2010 may shape up to be a good year for flounder fishing in Virginia. After a harsh winter, anglers have had several days of mild weather in the early season. Catches of flounder along Virginia’s eastern shore came as early as the second weekend in March. More mild weather is expected to improve catches as the season progresses.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has voted to lower the size limit for flounder this year.  The new regulations set the new size limit at 18.5 inches, down from 19 inches, but reduce the bag limit from five to four flounder per day for the rest of the year.

In Virginia’s Potomac River tributaries the minimum size limit, closed season, and possession limit will be the same as established by PRFC for the mainstem Potomac River.