CBBT Info for First Timer

[ComeOnFish]

I have limited knowledge regarding CBBT fishing. I think first timers can get more info from many experienced kayakers by using this thread.
Here is the basic info for CBBT fishing. We can add more useful info, such as backup places, on this thread. So, first-timers, please ask questions:

Parking and Launch:

Buoy 44 Seafood Grill
4536 Ocean View Ave
Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Practice common sense street parking near the restaurant. Three are soft paths to beach between the blocks. We usually launch between the restaurant and restaurant parking lot. That path is public. You can park and unload/load kayaks.
Bring a cart is recommended. The distance from hard surface to the water isn't that long.

Bait and tackle shops:

Oceans East Bait & Tackle Shop
5785 Northampton Blvd #104
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757) 464-6544
Opens at 5 AM - call for confirmation


Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle
2109 West Great Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Opens at 5 AM - call for confirmation
(757) 481-7517

Tide/Current Info: - For me this is very important. Based on the current, I plan when to move (longer distance) when to fish for a particular target species.

The directions of the current at CBBT follows "Progressive Wave Model". The "Progressive Wave Model" applies to the most of East coast bays and sounds, including CHSP

In summary, The strongest current occur roughly in high and low tides. The slack tide occur roughly in the middle of the high and the low tide, and the low and the high tide. I have been verifying the "Progressive Wave Model" theory at CBBT and CHSP for months.
So all you remember is times for high and low tides.

The directions of currents roughly:

Low tide - strong outgoing tide
in the middle - slack. The current changes from outgoing to incoming
High tide - Strong incoming tide
in the middle -slack. current changes from incoming to outgoing
Low tide - Strong Outgoing tide

Joe

[Goody]

Great info. Thx

[YakCapn]

Thanks for posting, it's a bit of a journey for me to get down there, but having this info may be just the push to get me to venture forth.

[GlobalTJB]

Thanks for starting this

[JohnE]

Not much to add except that parking can be tough on weekends in warm months, especially if you do not get there very early.

[Romo]

Good stuff Joe. I had to figure all this out on my own last year! I'll add that I camped at First Landing State Park and found it to be a top notch campground. Safe, beautiful, cheap, great bathrooms/showers and close to the launch!

[ComeOnFish]

Romo,
First Landing State Park was good park for me and my boys a long time ago. We didn't catch many fish by surf-fishing, but we caught many quality blue crabs using chicken necks and nets.
My wife didn't quite like camping. So I always reserved a hotel room and a camp site to make everyone happy.

Joe

[daolai]

Great information guys hopefully make it down there in the near future.

[JohnE]

Here are some links that I use on a regular basis:

http://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.p...9&lat=36.95871

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get...=116&footnote=

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noa...tionid=8638863

-These links should be useful to both first timers and some of the more experienced who don't have this info handy.
I have been paying attention to the tidal current predictions for max flow and slack and they seem to be pretty accurate when I have checked them.
I linked the official NWS marine weather forecast for 1st island, but I usually also check accuweather to get a second opinion. I rarely use windfinder these days since I found it usually overpredicts wind speeds and wave heights, which would cause me to miss too many opportunities to fish there if I paid too much attention to it.

-Does anyone have a link for turbidity measurements? I thought I stumbled across it one point, but maybe I was dreaming.

-Here is one more current predictor link I forgot I had saved. I just compared it to the one above they seem to differ only by a few minutes, but this is a little easier to read for me since you can specify a date range to view.
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/tidesh...urrent+%282%29

I would also suggest checking moon cycles before planning a trip. During a full moon, the currents tend to rip very hard. Occasionally there will also be super moon tides and it can become more dangerous than normal.

[Seasalt]

This is great information!

Couple question from a newbie who is interested in heading out soon.

1. What is the distance between parking and place of launch? Do you recommend sand carts?
2. What is the distance between point of launch to CBBT?

Thank you!

[Seasalt]

Can this be a sticky for VA board?

[mchottie]

Getting down to CBBT is on my bucket list. As a relative beginner to open water, thank you for starting this thread. I agree - this should be made into a pinned post at the top.

[Jman]

This is great information!

Couple question from a newbie who is interested in heading out soon.

1. What is the distance between parking and place of launch? Do you recommend sand carts?
2. What is the distance between point of launch to CBBT?

Thank you!

Parking is all on the street and it's first come -first serve. Plan on being there pretty early, because it's packed quick with beach goers. You can drop off your yak on a concrete ramp that leads to the beach or cart it from your parking (multiple entrances down the road on either side of the bridge in the neighborhoods). I've used a C-tug on a loaded 16' Revo with limited issues, but most have balloon wheels. If you're carting from your parked car it could be a hundred yards or more depending on how good your spot is!

If you're parking anywhere near Buoy 44, the bridge is right there, probably a few hundred yards away and only a 1.5 mile stretch to the SBC.

[Seasalt]

Parking is all on the street and it's first come -first serve. Plan on being there pretty early, because it's packed quick with beach goers. You can drop off your yak on a concrete ramp that leads to the beach or cart it from your parking (multiple entrances down the road on either side of the bridge in the neighborhoods). I've used a C-tug on a loaded 16' Revo with limited issues, but most have balloon wheels. If you're carting from your parked car it could be a hundred yards or more depending on how good your spot is!

If you're parking anywhere near Buoy 44, the bridge is right there, probably a few hundred yards away and only a 1.5 mile stretch to the SBC.

Thanks JMan! I think I'm going to get a kitchen pass for Father's Day to hit CBBT.
Do you know what will be running then? I'm itching to get a spade or sheepshead...

[Jman]

No worries! Right now there's croaker, some flounder, blues, few reds, and cobia. I saw a photo from Rob Choi of a citation Sheepshead, but it seems a little early still. Joe knows a lot about the area and can give you way more information than I can about the CBBT.