Title: The four C's of
Spring (Croaker, Catfish, Crappie and Cobia)
By Jim Baugh
Reporting from the Flybridge
First off I must tell everyone that I am not particularly fond of this green
stuff that is making its way to my newly varnished Teak Flybridge. The green
stuff is nature's own Pollen, which also turns my Black Suburban into an awful
bright speckled green color. No matter how much I wash the truck or the boat,
the magic green machine finds it's way onto just about everything. With every
squirt of the hose and swoosh of the broom I think of one of the oldest and
accurate true fishing quotes. "When the Dogwoods are blooming, the Crappie
are biting" How true it is! Through in a few Croakers, Cobia, and giant
Catfish and you'll be so busy catching fish you'll have to find someone else
to mulch and plant those spring time Azaleas.
Croaker
Many, many species make their way into the Chesapeake Bay during the spring
months. Fortunately being based in Hampton, we can fish for some of our favorite
springtime species weather it be fresh or salt water. During May and June
large Croaker will make there way over top the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
heading west up the James River. Best bait for large Croaker is Ocean Squid
and also cut bait. The standard double bottom dropper rig is hard to beat.
To first try for the large Croakers , fish in 50 to 60 feet of water over
the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Should the action be slow crank up the reels
and head to the James River Bridge and fish back to the Monitor Merrimac Bridge.
Water depths for finding fish in this area should be 15 to 30 feet. Chances
are you will fill the coolers up quickly.
Catfish
I was working on the boat in Hampton when my cell phone rang and I got my
favorite telephone call. "Hey Jim, we are on the 50 pound plus giant
Blue Catfish up the James, can you come join us?" Nothing will make me
drop a paintbrush faster than those words. For years we have featured giant
Catfish on our program and have always enjoyed catching these brutes. May
is about the best time to catch these monsters that like to hang around the
brackish line of the James River. To locate and fish for Giant Blues, look
for shallow flats that lead out to a deep channel ledge of the river. Try
to position your boat on the channel ledge and spread your baits from the
shallow flat to the middle of the channel. Use a basic fish finder rig with
a two or three ounce egg sinker. The best bait to use is cut Herring, or cut
Eel. Free spool your reels with the bait alarm on. Catfish will often work
a bait for up to 45 minutes before actually taking the bait and running with
it. Be patient and do not set the hook to early. Circle hooks sometimes can
help with the hook up ratio. Should your crew not get any short pulls or runs
within 45 minutes, move to another location. Please release all monster Blue
Catfish back into the James River, they are just too much fun to catch.
Crappie
Grab your ultra light (not the beer), a bucket of lively SMALL minnows, some
Thill bobbers and a pack of bobber stoppers and head up the James River. One
of my favorite locations for Crappie is Herring Creek. Look for fallen structure
off of the banks that will rest in five to eight feet of water. Use a Thill
slip bobber with a bobber stopper and cast around structure. One killer rig
is simply a free line. Let the Minnow swim naturally near the structure and
a Crappie will soon be boated. There is nothing more enjoyable than watching
a bobber quickly submerge by the boat with a two pound Crappie on the end
of the line. Herring Creek on the James is also one of the most beautiful
bodies of water you will ever see. One other great location for Crappie and
springtime Bass is behind Jamestown in the Williamsburg area.
Cobia
May and June is big time Cobia season around the Hampton area. Boats come
from all over the Bay to fish the Buckroe and Grandview Pier area. To this
day the largest fish I have ever seen in the Bay was a huge Cobia chasing
bait in front of Salt Ponds in Hampton Virginia. This Cobia was only about
100 yards from the jetty entrance swimming along the Beach. We were fishing
out of a 23-foot center console and the fish looked bigger than our boat.
Popular baits for Cobia are live Croaker and Eels. Chumming bait and using
Herring fish oil in the water is also a good technique. One good way to fish
more baits is to use a balloon rig. Simply free line a Croaker and attach
a balloon about seven feet up the line. Cast the bait out and let the wind
and tide take the bait far away from the boat. Watching fish chase the bait
with the balloon can be very exciting and a lot of fun. Excellent areas for
springtime Cobia are Bluefish Rock to Factory Point in Hampton VA. No Boat?
No problem! Some of the best Cobia caught are right from the Piers in Hampton
Virginia. Both Buckrow and Grandview piers are lined with Cobia tails hanging
from the pilings. These piers are about the best location in the Chesapeake
Bay for Cobia fishing. For information about these piers, call the Hampton
CVB and ask for a free outdoor guide, tell them Jim sent you. Telephone 1-800-800-2202.
This guide also has all the listing for Charters in the Hampton Area.
Tourney Time
Have you signed up yet? Simply fill out the form in our Sportsman's Magazine
ad for the Get Hooked On Hampton Spring Open. This is going to be a fun Tourney
with good cash prizes and a Suzuki four stroke outboard for the winner of
the largest fish caught. Flounder is the top prize, so get your squid rigs
ready and kick off the season with a weekend in Hampton. There will be a big
Block Party Saturday night celebrating the Tournament and the Blackbeard Festival.
The entire Jim Baugh Outdoors crew will be there, so should you! For more
information call 804-379-6643 or just log on to www.jimbaughoutdoors.com.
NOTE:
While I was writing this section, the delivery for the Suzuki four stoke 4
HP engines came in! They are beautiful and going to make someone mighty happy
at this years Spring Open. Great engine and a great Tourney prize!!
Wishing everyone dry bilges and light SSW winds.
Jim Baugh
Jim Baugh Outdoors TV
Jim Baugh Tournaments LLC
www.jimbaughoutdoors.com
Sponsored by:
Suzuki Marine, Hampton CVB, Sunset Boating Center, the Radisson Hotel Hampton,
Boaters World, the Venture Inn, Virginia Tourism, Marine Fabricators, and
Reel Jacket.
