Portsmouth Anglers Club Inc. THE ANGLER Volume 240 October 2014 October Fish Fry Monday, October 20th will be the PAC Fish Fry meeting. Charlie Cutchin will be seeking volunteers to set up the tables and to cook the food. Fish donations are also needed and will be collected on October 18th and 19th. Fish may be dropped off at Steve Tyree s house, 118 Yorkshire Rd, Portsmouth. Call Steve, 488-5180 or Charlie, 484-1643 for more information. The fish fry is free to all members and only $5 for guests. Bring a dessert to share if you can. Serving will start at 5:30 PM. Boater s Safety Requirements July 1, 2014: All PWC operators, regardless of age, and motorboat operators 45 years of age or younger must have completed the required safety education prior to operating a vessel. No person under the age of 14 may operate a PWC. On July 1, 2015 motorboat operators 50 or younger and on July 1, 2016 all ages will be required to have completed the required safety education. Online classes are available. For more information go to http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating/education/requirement/ Up Coming Events October 20, 5:30pm.. PAC Fish Fry Simonsdale Civic Center November 4, 7pm. PAC Board Meeting, Simonsdale Civic Center December 5-6... Catchin for Kids Rockfish Tournament March 21, 2015. PAC Banquet In This Issue of The Angler Fishing Report. Pictures of Recent Catches.. Boat for Sale City Park Fishing Pier. Fisherman Island Tours... Merchandise Report. USCG Vessel Examination. Membership Renewal Form Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 1
The Angler A Publication of the Portsmouth Anglers Club, Inc. Editor Rob Jordan 757-488-9305 E-Mail address rtjordan@verizon.net Circulation Tom Scott 757-966-7569 We encourage all members to submit articles and pictures for publication in the PAC Newsletter. Send your pictures and articles, your favorite recipes, or anything that may be newsworthy and informative to rtjordan@verizon.net. 2014 Club Officers President: Denny Dobbins 477-9156 Vice-President Charlie Cutchin 483-1643 Secretary Denise Harrell 488-9039 Treasurer Dot Oberlander 484-6564 Please visit the PAC website.. www.portsmouthanglersclub.net October 2014 MEMBERSHIP REPORT Membership dues are due on January 1. Family memberships are only $30 and single memberships are $20. The cost of a family membership includes all household members under 18, the PAC monthly newsletter and two fish fry s each year. Now is a good time to bring in new members. New members may join now for half price thru the remainder of 2014, or join now for 2015 and get the remainder of 2014 free. Renewals and applications can be mailed to the PAC post office box or bring them to the October meeting. Remember, to participate in club tournaments and be eligible for club awards, your dues must be paid before you go fishing. Please renew so we can continue to support the youth programs and tournaments that we currently sponsor. Contact Membership Chairman Rob Jordan, 488-9305, for more info. IN CLUB FISHING TOURNAMENTS The fourth quarter species will be Rockfish, Bluefish and Tautog and will run from October 1st thru December 31st. See Steve Tyree at the October meeting to sign up for the tournament. Please turn in all entries to the Prize Fish Committee by the 5th of the month following your catch. Largest percent of citation weight entry wins choice of club jacket or 100% of entry fees collected. The entry fee is only $5.00. Remember, dues must be paid for 2014 to participate in the club tournaments and all fish rules apply. Prize Fish Don t forget to turn in your catches to the Prize Fish Committee. All adult entries that qualify and place in the monthly tournaments will be entered into a drawing at the end of the year for one of several $25 gift certificates. Gift certificates will be awarded for entries drawn from those that placed in one thru five, so many gift certificates are up for grabs. 2
FISHING REPORT October, 2014 By: Dr. Julie Ball The Columbus Day holiday weekend could be good for anglers, if they can get out on the water. This is always a challenging time of year with the weather, so many anglers will opt for more inshore opportunities. Cobia are likely a memory until the spring. If any fish are around, they will probably come as a by-catch for those targeting other species, such as king mackerel or drum. King mackerel have been active along the beaches and a few miles from shore, with both live bait and trolling lures are attracting bites from Damneck down to False Cape. Look for clear water and plentiful bait for your king hook-up. Some of these smokers are pushing to well over 30-pounds. Accessory catches of scattered Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and false albacore are also possible in the same areas. The late season red drum scene continues to escalate in lower Bay and coastal waters. The arrival of bull reds in the surf lines is the local surf angler s rite of passage. Surf casters anticipate this event all year, as folks flock to the beaches with hopes of tangling with a big red in the wash. And most aren t disappointed, as big drum rush the beaches off Sandbridge and the Wildlife Refuge. Some casters are reporting multiple catches per outing, with many reds pushing to well over 48-inches. The favorite offering is still fresh cut bait, with the best luck still happening at night and at first light. A mix of puppy drum, speckled trout, small black drum, sea mullet, spot, croaker and bluefish are also providing some diversity along the shorelines for both surf and pier anglers. The Eastern Shore barrier islands are still hosting red drum activity, with anglers reporting catches of fish on fresh mullet, bunker, and spot. The bite around the islands of the CBBT is still good, with a range of sizes of red drum available. The Bay striped bass season is off to a good start this week. Anglers are landing school-sized fish averaging around 22 to 25-inches on top-water plugs along the rocks and islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, with the 1 st and 3 rd islands offering the best action. Anglers working the light lines at night are finding plenty of smaller schoolies along the structure of the CBBT, the HRBT, the MMBT, and within most lower Bay inlets and rivers. Backwater species are drawing more interest, especially when working against the weather, with speckled trout at the top of the list. The size of the trout is improving as the weather cools, with most fish ranging between 18 and 21-inches, with some gators pushing to over 27-inches. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are hosting some decent speck action, along with most of the usual Bayside flats and creeks, although the bite slowed a bit after the rain last week. The Elizabeth River speck trend is also on the upswing, with several fish exceeding five pounds taking top water lures and jigs before the rain. Although the action is not hot, some nice puppy drum are still taking lures intended for trout within the Southside and Eastern Shore inlets and the Elizabeth River. Spot are still providing results on bloodworms in Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlet, lower Bay tributary rivers, and along the Bay and ocean shorelines, with some days better than others. Flounder action eased up due to the rain and muddy water, and anglers are also having a hard time getting out to target them. The best catches were coming from channel edges and the 1st and 2 nd, and 4th islands of the CBBT. Deeper water wrecks are providing good catches of flatfish, although it is hit and miss right now. Decent sized sea bass are hitting in the same area, but you can t keep them until the 18 th of the month. Big triggerfish are making a good showing on inshore and offshore structures this year. Tautog action is on the rise in Bay waters, with limits of keeper fish pushing to around 4-pounds favoring fiddlers around the islands, pilings, and tubes of the CBBT. Some smallish sheepshead are still taking bait intended for tog in these same areas. Amberjack are still available at some deeper wrecks and at the South Tower. A few amberjack and jack crevalle were also caught at the Chesapeake Light Tower recently, but this bite will not last much longer. Deep water bottom fish are responding well when boats can get out, with good hauls of blueline tilefish and blackbellied rosefish, along with some grouper and barrelfish. Wahoo are the main event offshore when boats can get out, with several fish pushing to over 60-pounds boated recently. This trend should last through October. Scattered white marlin are also still around, along with lots of bailer and gaffer mahi. The occasional yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna also a possibility. For information, go to www.drjball.com 3
Pictures of Recent Catches Each month I will try to publish pictures from PAC members of recent catches. Please email pictures to rtjordan@verizon.net, with a brief description of who, where, what and when, and I will try to include it in the next issue of The Angler. See additional pictures on following pages. Ray Harris with 25 1/2, 6 3/4 lb puppy drum Nice catch on Oct. 10th by Jerald George and crew Steve Tyree with Makenzie and Jacob Bagley 4
Boat For Sale Tom Scott is selling his 2000 Wellcraft. The boat is currently in dry storage, but he does have a trailer with electric winch and rollers that he can sell with the boat. Tom will consider paying storage fees to January. 2000-22 foot Wellcraft Walkaround Volvo 250 hp stern drive, completely rebuilt about 3 years ago. Bimini Top, fish finder, pressure water system, live bait well, VHF 25 watt radio, dual batteries, stainless prop, swim platform, hydraulic trim tabs, vacuum flush head with holding tank and pump out, Coast Guard package (anchor, life preservers), spare parts and tools. Price of boat without trailer is $10,000 or best offer. All offers will be considered. Call Tom Scott, 966-7569 for more information. Chesapeake Bay Fall Striper Season Opened Oct 4th Chesapeake Bay Fall Season...October 4th thru December 31st...Minimum Size Limit...18 inches...maximum Size Limit *... 28 inches...possession Limit...2 per person * 1 fish of the 2 fish possession limit may be larger than 28 inches. Virginia Coastal Season Virginia Coastal Season...May 16 thru December 31st...Minimum Size Limit...28 inches...possession Limit...2 per person Go to http://www.mrc.state.va.us/regulations/swrecfishingrules.shtm for the most up to date regulations. 5
City Park Fishing Pier The City of Portsmouth Department of Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services is hoping to build a 220 foot long, 10 foot wide T-shaped fishing pier in Baines Creek at Portsmouth City Park. The plan hinges on obtaining a $250,000 grant from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in May with completion by summer of 2016. The pier would be free to use. City Engineer James Wright narrowed the location to the east side of the park, near a pair of crew launch docks that extend into Baines Creek. The city is considering offering a temporary solution within 90 days that would install side rails and safety features on the crew launch dock to allow people to fish until a permanent pier is built. The city also plans to reopen the bait and tackle shop at the park, leasing the space to a private vendor to run. City councilman Bill Moody is one of two council members whose interest sparked the project. See Tim Eberly s article in the October 15 th edition of the Virginian-Pilot to see pictures and read the full article. www.priorityauto.com 6
AD SPACE PRICES Business Card size is $110 1/3 page ad is $135 1/2 page ad is $150 Full page ad is $200 PAC membership is in addition to ads and will run January thru December. Please support out advertisers! Portsmouth Floral Company 428 Elm Avenue (corner of Elm Ave and London Blvd) Portsmouth, VA 23704 397-5886 or 397-5887 Serving Tidewater for more than 30 years Florist of Choice for P.A.C. Owner: Charles Etheridge. BARTLEY F. TUTHILL., IV, LTD. ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW 464 DINWIDDIE STREET Portsmouth, VA 23704 (757) 393-6544 E-MAIL FAX (757) 393-1916 barttuthill@hotmail.com Bart Tuthill, P.A.C. Member Email: bayprop@visi.net www.baypropeller.com Max Allen HOURS: MON.-FRI. 8:00-5:00 SAT. 8:00-12:00 Christopher M. Heilman Vice President, Financial Advisor PAC Member SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. 757.436.4147 christopher.heilman@suntrust.com For 7 years, Chris Heilman has been helping clients make the most of their financial situation. That experience, paired with the broad range of products and solutions offered by SunTrust Private Wealth Management, will help him develop and implement a personalized wealth management strategy for each of his clients. Because his goal, just like ours, is to help you shine. Investment and Insurance Products: Are not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured*May Lose Value SunTrust Private Wealth Management is a marketing name used by SunTrust Banks, Inc. and the following affiliates: Banking and trust products and services, including investment advisory products and services, are provided by SunTrust Bank. Securities, insurance (including annuities) and other investment products and services are offered by SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., and SEC registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, member FINRA, SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency. C SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust and How Can We Help You Shine Today? Are federally registered service marks of SunTrust Banks, Inc. DGD162901-13 7
Fisherman Island Tours Fisherman Island lies just south of the Eastern Shore mainland, you see it as you cross the CBBT or as you fish around the CBBT high-rise bridge. The island is a national wildlife refuge and is off limits for the most part. Fisherman Island is an important nesting area for birds. In 1969 the island was declared critical habitat for royal terns and brown pelicans, and it also hosts piping plovers, terns, and skimmers. The presence of nesting birds prompted closure of the beach years ago, but once the birds complete their summer nesting process and the chicks have fledged, the island is opened to half-day guided walking tours. On the tour you will see the remains of concrete bunkers used by the military during World Wars I and II for harbor defense. The island was also used as a marine hospital and quarantine station in the 1890 s during the cholera epidemic in Europe. Immigrants would be quarantined here before being taken up the bay to Baltimore. The military maintained a presence on Fisherman until shortly before the CBBT opened in 1964. Empty barracks, dining facilities, and battery commander and radar towers stood until 1986, when they were demolished by the Navy in a training exercise. The tours are led by Virginia Master Naturalists or by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff and volunteers. The free walking tours are available to the public on Saturday mornings from October through March. The tours are limited to a maximum of 25 people. For reservations and information, call Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge at 757-331-2760, ext. 123. Tournament Results Eighty teams competed last week in the 64th Annual Nags Head Surf Fishing Club Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament. The weather was good this year and the fish cooperated with most teams catching fish. PAC members Rob Jordan & Mike Howard, fishing with The McClammers Surf Fishing Team came in 25th. Jim Sheppard, fishing with The Dolphinettes Surf Fishing Team came in 34th. Pictures can be seen at http://www.nagsheadsurffishingclub.org/ soon. The results are below. Men s Division Women s Division 1st Place Kitty Hawk Surf Fishing Team TW s Mullet Mamas 2nd Place Crooked Hooks Twisted Blues Sisters 3rd Place Bald Hooters Fishtales Largest Scoring Fish 30 1/2 Drum 28 1/2 Drum Jim Sheppard and puppy drum caught during the Nags Head Surf Fishing Club s 64th annual tournament. His team, The Dolphinettes Anglers Club, came in 34th out of 80 teams participating. 8
Merchandise Report Some time ago I was asked if I could get a fishing hat with a brim all around to protect your ears and neck from the sun. I was able to find them with my wholesaler; however they only had XL in stock. They told me that the L should be in by the end of August. So far I haven t found them on the inventory list. They will be in eventually, I just don t know when. In the meantime I have one XL to use as a show and tell and I m taking orders for more if you want them. They will be $15. I will not be able to embroider on them at this time. They will not fit any hoop that I have. If I find out later that there is a way to embroider them, I will do them at that time. I ll have a sign-up sheet at the October meeting for you if you d like to order one. I don t plan to keep these in stock. I ll keep you informed about the supply. Dot Oberlander 9
E-TEC www.ptrailerusa.com ron@ronsmarine.hrcoxmail.com Ask for PAC Member Ron Pierce Mike D Livesay, Agent and PAC Member Bus: 757-673-0150 www.mikeinsuresva.co USCG Vessel Examination Even if you pay careful attention to safety, dangerous mechanical problems can crop up on the bestmaintained boat. That s why the U.S Coast Guard recommends that all recreational boaters (including personal watercraft users) take advantage of the free Vessel Safety Check (VSC) program every year. VSCs are offered by experienced members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons, two of the nation s premier volunteer boating safety organizations. A VSC is your best way of learning about problems that might put you in violation of state or federal laws or, worse, create danger for you or your passengers on the water. Sarah Bremer, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 53 and PAC member, will be glad to provide you with a courtesy inspection. Call Sarah on 397-3659, and she will set up an appointment to come to you and provide a free USCG Vessel Safety Check. PAC Member TOMMY MILTEER President & PAC Member e-mail: sturtevant@sfhva.com www.sturtevantfuneralhome.com 10
Ask for PAC member Mr. Robert Salas www.facebook.com/seatowhamptonroads PAC Application For Membership or Renewal Name Address City State Zip Code Phone E-Mail Address Signature Dues: $30 for family membership Boat Name (optional) $20 for an individual membership Mail to PAC, P.O. Box 7842, Portsmouth, VA 23707 11
First Class Mail www.gregsbaitshack.com Freshwater & Saltwater Tackle & Accessories Live Bait - Fresh Bait - Frozen Bait Official Weigh Station Price Match Guarantee Rod Repairs Live Eels Fresh Menhaden Gudgens Shinners Bloodworms Peeler Crabs Night Crawlers Super Reds Mullet Filet Fiddler Crabs Clams Finger Mullet Shrimp Squid Ballyhoo Chicken Necks PAC Members - Show Membership Card to Receive Discount 2560 Airline Blvd. Portsmouth, VA - Email greg@gregsbaitshack.com - Call 757-465-9020 12