Nov. 03 Rockfishing

By Jim Baugh

Subject: Nov 03 Column

This month marks our one year anniversary writing for the Sportsman's Magazine. Everyone at Jim Baugh Outdoors would like to thank the publisher Sheri Carneal for producing such a wonderful magazine as the Sportsman's. There is a wide Varity of water sports activities in the greater Hampton Roads area and the Sportsman's has given us a place to talk about it. Our column was appropriately named by Sheri, "Get Hooked On Hampton". We had Sheri and her associate down to Hampton over a year ago and gave them the grand Hampton tour. After some fishing, cooking, and an overall great time, Sheri told me she had the name for our new column. We look forward to having Sheri down again soon with her kids for a spring time Spade fishing trip.

What is going on in November? Kicking off this month is of course the 2003 Get Hooked On Hampton Rockfish Tournament and Oyster Bash Saturday November 8th. This event has over $8000.00 in cash and prizes, a free pre opening tour of the new Bass Pro Shops, a Saturday nigh party including live music, free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, all you can eat Oysters, and a Beer truck to boot. Entry fee is only $135.00 per boat or group. If you have not signed up yet, do it quick. I will be at Sunset Boating Center all day Friday Nov. 7th taking late registration. For more info and to download entry forms just log on to www.jimbaughoutdoors.com or call (804) 379-6643.

The two seasons of the year I enjoy most fishing in the Chesapeake are spring and fall. Spring is when we gear up for the Spadefish. One of the hardest fighting and best tasting fish you will ever find. This year we shot the best Spade fishing show you will ever see with Hampton Public Piers Dock master Reeny Martin. We sent our cameraman Sean Finnegan up our new Marlin tower to get most of the footage. It really was a sight to see. There was so many large Spadefish schooled up by the CLT, it almost looked like we were sitting on land. We really could not see the water. The fish were so large and tightly packed the only thing we could see were fish. Spadefish from the very top of the water down to around 15 feet. I am already looking forward to and planning our Spadefish trips for the spring. If you see us out there, say hello.

The fall season is also a special time for us because of the tremendous Rock fishery we have here in the Chesapeake Bay. This year will probably be the best year ever due to the amount of baitfish in the lower Bay and the cooler water temps.

Growing up in the Chesapeake as a young boy our catches were mostly Bluefish. This was fine with us because we have always loved the way Bluefish fight and I was raised eating Bluefish cakes. The Bluefish Cheek is something that everyone should try once. We would lightly fry them and eat them like Scallops-delicious!! Rockfish were around 30 years ago however they were nowhere in abundance in the Bay like the Bluefish.
Most of my early Rockfishing experience was in freshwater. I probably spent around 10 years just fishing Smith Mountain Lake for Rockfish. The techniques we used varied greatly and often times without great success. Fishing freshwater lakes we have fished using: Bucktails, any soft plastic one could imagine, live bait, electric downriggers, plainer boards, Rapalas, and even a remote boat that could set bait anywhere all by remote control from the "mother ship". The one thing that I noticed about fishing with all these different tools is that they all would work rather well if there was some current. In lakes that can be difficult. At Smith Mountain Lake our best success was setting up on the islands and waiting for the dam to either let out or pump back water. Once either one of these things would happen, the Striper bite would turn on fast.
Fishing lakes I have actually seen 30 pound Rockfish follow my bait up to the boat, look at me as my jaw dropped, swim on top of the water for a few seconds, look back at me, then submerge. That has happened to me at Smith Mountain Lake more than once. Sometimes I wonder what those Rockfish are thinking.

For the past 10 years most of my Rockfishing has been in the Chesapeake Bay. I have fished with more excellent Rockfish captains than I can even count. They all seem to have their own way of doing things, and usually with great success. The one element that seems to hold true about Rockfish is that they do like current. If you are fishing a slack tide, forget it. Plan your trip so that you are running on a slack tide and fishing while the tide is moving.
A Chesapeake Bay Rockfish will hit most anything. I have found that they do like disturbances on the bottom. Fish a Stretch 30 in 18 to 20 feet of water on a ledge using a power braid line. The lure running true will not foul that often, and the Rockfish cannot resist that lure skirting it's way on the bottom. They have to eat it. One other rig that is always a winner is a standard Bay rig with about a 20-ounce ball hitting the bottom and a bucktail floating about three feet above it off of a three way. Fisherman need to realize that Rockfish love to eat crabs. Feeding off the bottom is very natural for a Rockfish and it usually means an easy meal.

Trolling is in my blood and it is one thing that I just love to do. We troll everything for Rockfish from umbrella rigs to bucktails. Last year the hot bait was the Storm Wide Eye. Fished on light tackle simply trolling freely behind the boat is a sure bet to get Rockfish in the boat.
Birds in the Bay during Rockfish season usually mean hungry Rocks feeding just beneath the surface. It also can mean that an out of touch fisherman may run over you trying to get to the swarming birds. This happened to us last year and it was not fun. All fisherman need to understand that by running your boat dead into a school of fish is the fastest way to make sure the fish will disband and break apart. ALWAYS try to fish the outer edges of the schools if possible. Be careful out there folks.

For those anglers who like wreck fishing I highly suggest that you log on to our web site and check out the new Side Scan images produced by Sea Search. The GPS numbers are accurate and the photographs are unreal. Anyone can purchase the complete chart with over 80 Tower Reef accurate numbers. Fourteen wrecks are pictured on the waterproof chart using detailed Side Scan Sonar imagery. REALLY cool stuff!!!
That's about it for now. I am heading to Sunset Boating Center in Hampton to get the Pursuit ready for Rockfishing.

If you are looking for some good Rockfish guides in our area check with Captain Paul Anderson on the Big Minnow or Captain Hogg on the Somking Gun. A complete list of Charter services are on our web site. Should you be interested in the latest info. On Rockfish in the area just call Barry at Bucko's Bait and Tackle or Wallace's. They should be able to give you the very latest on what is happening with the Rockfish.

Wishing everyone light winds, hot oil in the Fryer, giant Rock filets, and plenty of Crabmeat to stuff your fish with for Thanksgiving dinner,

Tight Lines.
Jim Baugh
Jim Baugh Outdoors TV
www.jimbaughoutdoors.com
jbp100@comcast.net