John Newbold #14 Fishing News Editor

Stripers have made their appearance en masse in the Virginia Beach area, with occasional hook-ups and less-than-occasional landings of large bluefin tuna who ventured to within two miles of the beach to feast on the bunker.  Boats have cleared Rudee Inlet, spotted the birds and dropped parachute and other striper rigs and limited out.  The better catching has been off Fort Story in the main channel from the east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel to two miles off the mainland.  From Fisherman's Island to the north and to The Cavalier Hotel to the south has been the area of fish concentrations.  Once bass are locked, limiting out is a no-brainer. remember to use a net rather than a gaff.  Carolina anglers need to remember that they are in Virginia waters and require a Virginia salt water license.  When many boats are present, the fish tend to disperse.  The key here is to find a few birds diving away from the main fleet and concentrate your fishing efforts there.  Finally, should you hook a tuna, you must have a tuna permit with you to kill the animal.  Fines are stiff if you do not.  And remember this, your fishing with gear designed for stripers.  Should you hook a tuna near shore, it will want to run, and since it can't go deep, it will go east, and in a hurry!  Position the angler in the front of the boat and chase the fish to keep from being spooled, since they can weigh from 180 to 400 pounds or more. Don/t feel badly if you do get spooled or break off, unless you had tuna gear to begin with....then shame on you!!!  A good source of local information on the Virginia striper catch would be to contact Princess Anne Distributing Company or other tackle stores in the area for the latest updates.

As for North Carolina, things here are literally at a standstill! It has been too warm and the bait has stayed to the north, as have the stripers.  Bluefin have moved into our waters, but they are 40 or so miles offshore and not in great quantities.  They have also moved around from day to day, making the job of locating them a challenge.

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Tight lines!