# Hampton Roads VA



## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

The flounder were on fire yesterday up here in VA. I managed two 15.5 inch fish a few around 14'' and the rest around 10-13'' (14 total). On the down side they have to be 16.5'' in VA so no keepers this time. All were caught on bull minnows. 16.5'' fish are hard to come by sometimes.

On another note if you guys saw someone keeping short reds would you call marine patrol? I saw these people down the pier keep at least 10 shorts the longest was about 17 (thy have to be 18-26'' here with 3 per person) So I did call and gave them the info on the people, who left just after I called. The marine police as they are called here never showed. The thing is you can't catch a slot fish here, unlike FL where I have no problem. However its still the law so I follow it. I told then that they have to be 18'' and they were like oh yeah we are goig to throw them back, as they slide them in a walmart bag and take them to the truck.


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## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

*Flounder*

The flounder and rockfish fishery in the Bay is as screwed up as the red snapper fishery here. Most of the flat fish you are catching are winter flounder or fluke as they are called up north and 16 inches for them is like catching a 30lbs ARS it can happen but it's pretty dang difficult but don't worry the commercial guys can keep them at 13 inches


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## Christophi (Apr 26, 2012)

Man I was stationed in Yorktown for a while but I never did fish much while I was there. Wish I could have after reading about those flounder.

Only time I've ever called anything in was when there a bunch of Mexicans running gill nets in my favorite small mouth spot trying to net bass. Game Wardens got out there in a hurry lol. I probably would have called too though if they were keeping a bunch of short reds though.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

@Billin When I first got here in June the first two times I went out I caught four 17-20'' fish. After that its been hard. If the min. was 12'' like Florida it would be easy. This will be my first striper season so we will see.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

The thing is a few years back the min. for flounder was 20 something and I hear you could go all year and not catch a keeper. They are more concerned with getting a citation fish than food here.


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## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

*VA*

once you get north of NC most saltwater fisheries are catch and release more like BASS fishing that what we are used too. I have fished a few times with some guys from Deleware that dont even take Ice on there Bertram cause they release everything. Striper fishing off the beach up there after New Years is amazing you cant go out past three mile but you wont need too. They stack up on the beach and chase bait. One another note they also have a spring and summer sight fishery for Cobia up in the bay one of my old fishing buddies is up there in Rudee Inlet now and I mailed him a few jigs last year he has had 20+ fish days inside the bay.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

I hear the cobia fishing is some of the best.


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