Captain Roy Amburn and the author's wife Gale, show that bluefish and croakers are readily available in the summer months in Virginia waters .

Virginia anglers live through a split striper season every year. The early schedule ends on June 15 annually and the fall portion gets under way this fall on October 4. Enduring 3 1/2 months without being able to target stripers, one might think that fishermen in Virginia would take a hiatus through the summer months. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Earlier this summer, my wife Gale and I took a getaway weekend to the middle peninsula area of Virginia. We took the opportunity to drive to Reedville to fish with Captain Roy Amburn aboard ROBIN SUE. With the striper season out of consideration, Captain Roy had assured us that there would be plenty of other species to provide day-long action.

Amburn considers is home port of Reedville one of the most prime locations on the Chesapeake. Within a 40-mile radius, he can fish in locations such as the Potomac River, Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sounds, Buoy 72, Northern Neck and Asphalt Pile Reefs, and Wolf Trap Light. As he roams day to day, from location to locale, he has a multitude of species to target. Captain Roy took us on a dual purpose trip of bottom fishing for croakers and chumming for bluefish. While fishing, the captain explained that with the dawn of each day, an angler can target these two species and more.

A BOUNTY OF BLUES
Bluefish are readily available throughout the Northern Neck realm. Captain Roy targets them by either chumming, trolling, or jigging. No matter what the tactic, he insists that you have to target them on a moving tide. Chumming is best at the Asphalt Pile Reef and Northern Neck Reef. Amburn's typical chumming rig includes a medium action Ugly Stick and Penn 4500 SS spinning reel spooled with 14 to 20-pound test monofilament line. He uses a 60-pound test leader and at least a 3/0 long shank hook. These last two items are vital in aiding against toothy bluefish biting their way to freedom after being hooked. The ROBIN SUE is equipped with a power grinder and Captain Roy gets flats of fresh bunker for each chumming trip.

Trolling and jigging require a watchful eye on the bay. Bluefish are highly mobile and can move, not only day to day, but hour to hour. Amburn watches the horizon for tell tale gulls dipping and diving for scraps within a bluefish blitz. That is when he breaks of the trolling or jigging tackle. When trolling, he doesn't break out the standard striper lures; instead he opts for spoons and surgical hose. He trolls #1 or #2 Huntington Drone spoons and surgical hose behind planers to entice riled up bluefish. When it comes to jigging, Captain Roy likes the same rod and reel combination used for chumming, but spools reels with 25 to 30-pound test mono. He favors the 3-ounce Sting Silver jig which he buys by the gross.

CAGY CROAKERS
Croakers are hardest fighting fish an angler can catch in the Chesapeake considering there size to strength ratio. Amburn ranges from the Target Ship to Tangier Sound to the Asphalt Pile to catch them. Croakers can be caught during the day, but he finds that the biggest of the species are caught in the evening hours. He theorized that they lie along deep channel edges and move up on to humps and knobs as the sun begins to set. Again, he favors the Ugly Stick/4500 SS combo, and rigs them with a standard double bottom rig adorned with 2/0 hooks. With strong tides, heavy sinkers are needed to hold bottom -- at least 3 ounces. Captain Roy considers crab baits to be best for croakers, but says they will also bite shrimp and squid baits, too.

FINDER FLOUNDER
When most anglers think of flounder fishing, they conger up images of shallow inland areas, squid strips, and marsh minnows. Out in the bay proper, it's a far different scenario. Captain Roy targets channel edges, drop offs, and hard sand bottom areas, all at depths from 30 to 60 feet. He says that you can find such areas in Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds, Cut Channel, and around the jetties at Smith Point. He uses an 18 to 24-inch leader to his hook, and a 6-inch dropper to attach his sinker.

Flounder are sight feeders, and thus, you have to drift for them. Amburn says that if you have the wind against the tide, you have to engage your motor to set the right movement of the baits. In the deep water locations, the squid/minnow bait combo used in shallow marshlands simply won't do. Captain Roy says the best baits for flounder in order are strips of bluefish, spot, and croakers. These baits become secondary after catching a flounder. At this point, flounder belly meat is best.

SUMMER SPADEFISH
Spadefish are a regional specialty. It takes a dedicated breed of angler to fish for them. Patience is a virtue. Amburn says that, unlike many other species in the bay, spades prefer a slow moving tide. The best method to catch them is to chum with clam baits. Differing even further, anglers should use light tackle and small hooks. To get clam baits down to spadefish, a rubber core sinker is coupled on to the line in front of a hook that should be no bigger than 2/0. The hook point has to be buried into the bait because spadefish have the uncanny ability to slurp in a clam without touching an exposed barb. Captain Roy says that structure is key when looking for spades. They prefer rocky bottoms and wrecks. The Cell, Wolf Trap Light, and the Target Ships are prime locations.

When stripers are off limits in the summer month in Virginia, fishing still is in the forefront. Captain Roy Amburn and plenty of other anglers know that just because you can't keep a rockfish doesn't mean that the boat has to stay tied to the pier. There are many locations, species, and tactics that can help occupy the summer angling schedule in Virginia waters.