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After getting some suggestions for Virginia Beach fishing spots over the weekend, I decided to try the Elizabeth River Hot Ditch today. The nearby launch spot is no longer available, so I had to launch at Top Rack Marina ($5 fee). Most days of the week they are open until 10:00 pm, but on Mondays they close the gate to the parking area at 5:00. I did not realize that until I got there, and needed to be back to the parking area by 4:30 to allow loading time.
I launched at 1:20 and paddled a bit more than a mile up to the Rt 64 bridge where I started fishing. The waters in the channels around here are warmed somewhat by a nearby power plant discharge. The water was flat calm with pleasant air temperatures. I trolled three rods for nearly three hours without a single bite. I ran different combinations of Mirrolure, Rapala XRap, spinner bait with root beer minnow (the lure that caught my first ever redfish in Lynhaven), and Gulp baits.
I paddled slow, medium, and occasionally fast. I tried shallow areas near the channel edges, mid-depths (4-10 ft), and deeper areas in the middle of the channels (12-16 ft). At one point I saw lots of fuzzy screen marks (see photos below) and paddled through those zones for hundreds of yards without a touch.
Near the end of the trip, I paddled across a shallow bar near a point. The rod with the XRap started shaking a bit. I excitedly began reeling in but soon realized there was not much extra weight. It turned out to be a silver dollar sized oyster shell that snagged on the rear treble of the lure and changed the hydrodynamics of the lure. At least I had 10 seconds of pullage!
I talked to a few other kayak anglers I met. They had caught a few fish, but overall it was a slow day.
I launched at 1:20 and paddled a bit more than a mile up to the Rt 64 bridge where I started fishing. The waters in the channels around here are warmed somewhat by a nearby power plant discharge. The water was flat calm with pleasant air temperatures. I trolled three rods for nearly three hours without a single bite. I ran different combinations of Mirrolure, Rapala XRap, spinner bait with root beer minnow (the lure that caught my first ever redfish in Lynhaven), and Gulp baits.
I paddled slow, medium, and occasionally fast. I tried shallow areas near the channel edges, mid-depths (4-10 ft), and deeper areas in the middle of the channels (12-16 ft). At one point I saw lots of fuzzy screen marks (see photos below) and paddled through those zones for hundreds of yards without a touch.
Near the end of the trip, I paddled across a shallow bar near a point. The rod with the XRap started shaking a bit. I excitedly began reeling in but soon realized there was not much extra weight. It turned out to be a silver dollar sized oyster shell that snagged on the rear treble of the lure and changed the hydrodynamics of the lure. At least I had 10 seconds of pullage!
I talked to a few other kayak anglers I met. They had caught a few fish, but overall it was a slow day.
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