TITLE: All Spades can be a great hand!
While playing poker, everyone wants a sure hand that is going to win the big pot! Well, when it comes to angling, the best hand to hope for this time of year is all Spades, Spadefish that is.
WOW, these are like one of my all time favorite fish to catch. They are strong as an ox, will break tackle easily, they are beautiful to watch underwater, and they do great service to hot oil and a cast iron skillet. Also Spade fishing around the Chesapeake Light Tower is more like a reunion. Every year I see folks I know just anchored up, having a ball catching Spadefish.
May - June is a great time to go to the tower for Spadefish, however it is not the only place to catch Spades. Seems like they are just about everywhere from, the light tower to up past the Cell. Many times when we are fishing the CBBT for Flounder, a school of Spades will follow the Flounder up while being reeled in. One of the best trips for Spades we ever had was out near the high rise one August. My son Ben, then only about 10 yrs old, and my buddy Joe Dudley and I found a large school of Spades that would not leave us alone. I mean, I am not sure that day if we found the Spades, or the Spades found us! Boy, we caught a mess of them and had one heck of a fish fry back at the house.
Catching Spades, like anything else at times can be very easy, or very difficult. They can be rather finicky. When this happens, lighten everything up as much as possible including your bait. Freeline, even without a split shot, nothing but a hook, small bait, and let out a lot of line. This will work if they are not in the feeding mode. Be patient, it may take several passes of those Spades before they bite. Once they do, it is a bit like Dolphin fishing, they all seem to start to turn on. Standard bait is usually fresh cut clams while chumming a bit overboard, and a lot of people are using some artificials now. If they are biting, it all works.
This time of year if you are going to the tower and you have never fished for Spadefish, I recommended to go with a Charter Captain. There are a TON of them who charter for Spades, just look on our web site or here in the Chesapeake Angler Magazine. For the first time, it will be an easier and more fun experience and you will learn a lot. One of our oldest and favorite Spade fishing captains is Captain Dale Carlson on board the Jenny Lee. Dale and I go way back and will be filming a new Spade fishing show during the month of May. You can contact Dale at 757 715 3474 or on the web at www.jeanieleecharters.com/home.htm
I would like to invite everyone to check out all of the celebrations in our home base port of Hampton VA. The 400th anniversary of Hampton Virginia is a huge celebration that you and your family do not want to miss. For a list of events and festivals just log on to
http://www.jimbaughoutdoors.com/ or the Hampton CVB web site for accommodations and lodging info. (
http://www.hamptoncvb.com/go/visitors)
Lastly, I would like to invite everyone to join Jim Baugh Outdoors on FACEBOOK. To find us, just do a search on Facebook, Jim Baugh, or the direct address is,
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=feed&id=1624276499. On Facebook, we have some great behind the scenes stories, photo’s, sponsor info, loads of recipes, articles, tourney info, and the latest happenings in Hampton, Virginia. Be our friend today!
For more info. Just log on to
http://www.jimbaughoutdoors.com/, and be sure to check out our JBO BLOG that is updated almost daily.
GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN!!Tight Lines!
Jim Baugh
JBO TV
For more info on charter captains in our area, just log on to
http://www.jimbaughoutdoors.com/ and check out our charter pages and order your free Hampton Roads Fishing Guide!!!!
