Kitopeke & Eastern Shore VA ?????

[Raptor]

I was thinking about a trip to Kiptopeke, or that area, in late April. Does anyone have any tips, advice, must dos, lures, tackle etc.?

[Hemingway]

I don't know what species you are targeting, so I will not discuss tackle, but here are a few other things you should know. There are only two public ramps south of Cape Charles, Kipto and Wise Pt. You do not want to put off some rural road that will probably be private land. Stuff has and will happen to your vehicle. The waters down there can change quickly and things can become dangerous in a matter of minutes. The tide can be 5+ ft and it goes out rapidly, easy to get caught in the marsh creeks. The current around Fisherman's Is. and the CBBT can rip 5-6 kts around the full moon, hard or impossible to go against especially with wind. All said, it is a very fishy place on the right day, and probably my most favorite place to be. Send me a PM when you are ready, and if things at work permit, I will be glad to meet up with you.

[chex]

The tautog should be biting at kipto in April. If you haven't yet caught a tog, it is an experience not to be missed. Crustaceans (blue crab, green crab, sand flees, shrimp) work best, but some excellent fisherpeople also catch them with artificial jigs. If you search snaggedline for 'tog' or 'kipto' you'll find plenty of posts to fine-tune your arsenal.

[chex]

Speaking of excellent fisherpeople, check out this tog writeup by our very own redfish12: http://interstatekf.blogspot.com/201...l-bartgis.html

[RavensDfense]

Take Hemmingways offer. Get out and explore with another person if you are not familiar with kayaking in current or breakers. Also, look on the VA forum and search for "eastern shore" or "kiptopeake" post. There are several post on there. Some may not (however, some do) contain exact locations, but they make up for it in everything else you will need to know to be successful. Pay attention to the dates, lures, water depth, etc. as these will help you cut your learning curve.

Hope to see you out there. Good luck.

[Raptor]

Folks,

Thanks for the information. I learned a lot from the blogspot about Tog fishing - thanks Mike. I think I don't have heavy enough tackle for those bad boys. Hemingway - I sent you a PM . . . you were praised from multiple sources - hope you can join us. I have had a taste of fishing in strong tides at Kent Narrows if you get on the wrong side of those tides it can really suck.


Terry

[Slobber Bob]

Agreed, good blog on tog, thanks! Bucktoothed crab eating bait robbers are fun to catch but making a trip down there in late April beckons for spot and stripes in the shallows and shoals!

[Mark]

Do stripers breed there in April or are they merely passing through?

[surfdog]

Don't forget the flounder!

[Raptor]

Don't forget the flounder!

I have never targeted flounder per se. I caught a few accidently while trolling. They seem quite aggressive. What is the normal method when targeting them?

T.

[J.A. Veil]

Do stripers breed there in April or are they merely passing through?

Striped bass are anadromous species that migrate to fresh or low salinity waters to spawn. After spawning is completed, the larger and older fish generally move to the ocean where they feed all summer. The breeding stock that spawns in the Chesapeake Bay region generally moves down the bay and out through the mouth or exits to the north via the C&D canal. They become part of the coastal stock that moves northward along DE, NJ, NY, and New England. Late in the fall, the big fish return to the Chesapeake in preparation for spawning again. The Chesapeake maintains stocks of small and medium sized fish that are resident to the bay for much of the year.

With that as background, I believe that any rockfish found by the lower eastern shore in late April are passing through and are not spawning there.

[Mark]

Thanks, John.

[Slobber Bob]

Yep, they're pretty much rounding the corner to leave the bay and head north. After they spawn most don't stick around long.

[RavensDfense]

It's a short window, but they are usually on the ES of VA around the end of April. They're lean, mean, and hungry after they spawn out. They're very aggressive and will hit almost anything that lands near the school.

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...90-Striper-Arm

[gkreps]

Terry, keep me posted on this trip. I think I may have some time to join you if you would like.