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FISHING
TIDEWATER, APRIL 2010
By Don Lancaster
Miscellaneous
Fishing Related News
The most reliable action in our area remains in the Elizabeth
River and around the Hot Ditch. Specks reported to me have weighed
as much as 8 pounds, 8 ounces with sporadic multiple catches announced.
Sheldon Arey, from Virginia Beach, who was the 2009 Speckled Trout
tagging leader with 920 tagged fish, and Robert Sufficool of Virginia
Beach, each got a release speck citation.
When the recreational anglers or charters can get offshore, the
area around the Triangle Wrecks has produced goodly numbers of
tautog. The deep dropping enthusiasts have reported decent catches
of blueline tilefish, blackbelly rosefish, golden tilefish and
groupers, when they can get to the proper depths. Their only problem
lately was that when they were able to get outside, many of the
hot spots were loaded with dogfish and/or they were covered with
black sea bass, which has a closed season and these tasty animals,
being boated from 300+ feet, must be released (even though they
float away belly-up).
Next you can read the bottom line, for the time being, concerning
the National Saltwater Angler Registry, that Senator Northam sponsored
and both the Senate and the House of Delegates passed.
The Office of Senator Ralph S. Northam
Sponsored Measure Exempts Virginia Anglers from Federal Fees,
Retains Boat License~Legislation Creates State Angler Identification
System
NORFOLK- The General Assembly has passed a bipartisan compromise
on Senator Northam's SB668 to exempt Virginia anglers from having
to pay the $25 fee associated with the Federally-mandated National
Saltwater Angler Registry. SB668 has been amended to create a
state-level angler identification system, similar to the Hunter
Identification Program run by the Virginia Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries.
This solution will allow Virginia to maintain the recreational
boat license, as well as the license exemptions for piers, rental
boats, senior citizens, and private shoreline. The state program
will be administered through the Virginia Marine Resources Commission,
and will be paid for through increases of up to $5 on individual
licenses, and up to $10 on boat licenses. Instead of paying the
Federal government to register, anglers with a Virginia license
will be registered automatically, and anglers exempted from Virginia
licensing requirements will only have to call in and obtain an
identification number free of charge.
"As is the norm with compromises, this one is not perfect,"
said Northam. "However, it does accomplish the goals of exempting
Virginians from Federal fees and fines, and also allows us to
keep the boat license, as well as all existing license exemptions."
The legislation was introduced in response to a VMRC study that
provided options on how Virginia could comply with the Federal
mandate. The data collected from the new system will improve the
quantity and quality of data available to manage fisheries sustainably,
and will help prevent the kind of stock collapses that have led
to massive job losses, regional economic depressions, and serious
environmental effects in the past.
The bill was reported from a conference committee and passed the
Senate and House of Delegates on Wednesday. It will now go to
Governor McDonnell for his signature.
There are still a load of questions concerning registering, law
enforcement, renewals, etc. I will do my best to keep abreast
of whatever comes about and I will report all the news as I get
it.
Congratulations are due to the below named folks who won 1st and
2nd place in each of the species tagged under the Virginia Game
Fish Tagging Program in 2009.
Most Recaptured Fish Red Drum
1st: Ed Shepherd - 1,018 1st: Ed Shepherd - 632
2nd: Steven Mann - 93 2nd: Jim Robinson - 200
Most Tagged Fish Sheepshead
1st: Ed Shepherd - 5,336 1st: Kevin Whitley - 179
2nd: Sheldon Arey - 1,116 2nd: Brandon Bartlett - 39
Black Drum Spadefish
1st: Bill Knapp - 18 1st: Kevin Whitley - 172
2nd: Jan Duell & Kevin Whitley - 14 2nd: Buddy Noland - 54
Black Sea Bass Speckled Trout
1st: Ed Shepherd - 1,862 1st: Sheldon Arey - 920
2nd: Susan Harrell - 436 2nd: Donnie Smith - 347
Cobia Tautog
1st: Jorj Head - 14 1st: Ken Neill - 134
2nd: Elmer Diggs & Sheldon Arey - 2 2nd: Kevin Whitley - 74
Flounder Triggerfish
1st: Ed Shepherd - 2,737 1st: Rob Collins - 92
2nd: Scott Vinson - 703 2nd: Mike Perron - 14
Additional fishing related awards presented for 2009 were the
Expert and Master Angler Awards. The Expert Angler Award is presented
to those anglers who register six or more species of fish for
citations. There were 409 anglers who received a pin and a certificate
suitable for framing. The Master Angler program, which is the
most demanding of Virginia's awards program, requires and angler
must earn 25 Citation awards in a minimum of 5 different species
(a maximum of one citation per species, per year, is allowed)
over an unlimited period of time, starting in 1996. The first
25 citations registered qualify an angler as Master Angler I.
An additional 25 citations must be obtained to go to the next
level (Master Angler II, Master Angler III, etc.). For the 2009
fishing season, 16 new anglers received Master Angler Status while
2 anglers advanced to the next Master level. One of the most overlooked
of the Virginia Angler Awards, in my opinion, is the Junior Angler
Award. To obtain this status, any angler 15 years of age or younger
may qualify simply by catching and releasing 6 different species
of saltwater fish in Virginia during the year. There is no minimum
size limits for the fish and all species qualify. Complete information
for this program is available from the Virginia Marine Resources
Commission's website (www.mrc.virginia.gov) and the forms can
be down loaded and printed.
In closing, I think the best illustration of how saltwater fishing
is going in the early part of 2010 is the citation report, updated
each week by the Saltwater Tournament office. Citations have been
awarded for 4 species of fish. For blueline tilefish-15 weight
citations; for speckled trout-116 weight and 102 release citations;
for striped bass-155 weight and 56 release citations; and for
tautog-5 weight citations. Since the snow has melted and the temperatures
are slowly warming, I have high hopes that IO will have some newsworthy
fishing reports for next month.
If anyone has a fishing report, send it to my e-mail address:
suthrncstm@aol.com, or FAX me your news at 757-874-0745.
Don't be too anxious, get on the water but be safe. Have your
PFD's close at hand and easily accessible and have a super season.
Until next time, tight lines, sharp hooks and strong knots.
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