Jim Baugh's Coastal Angler Column Nov Issue In Stores Now!

Nov issue of Coastal Angler Magazine in stores now! This month we included our famous “Baugh Slaw” recipe that we featured at my JBBQ Restaurant. This is a perfect side to go with your holiday fixins great with fried turkey, rockfish and of course mac and cheese. Also we have some great tips for sure fire rockfish pullage. I hope everyone will plan on joining us of Thanksgiving for the JBOTV official start of rockfish season. Thanksgiving weekend has always been a good time to start pulling the tube at the tunnel and night casting the pilings. We will also base out of the awesome Virginia Beach Resort and Conference center for our fall rockfish trips and the good news is they still have that unreal Thanksgiving buffet! Yall book your stay now and make reservations for this fantastic Thanksgiving event, and bring your fishing rods! JB

 

 

 

 



Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Tourney 2014 Virginia Beach Virginia.

We, like thousands of enthusiastic sportsman around the country enjoy our history of rich rockfishing in our Mid-Atlantic waters. Years past have proved that the Chesapeake Bay and our offshore waters off Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks provide arguably the best rockfish in the world. Where else do you hear of regularly caught rocks in excess of 50 pounds?

What I have seen over the last 25 years of producing Jim Baugh Outdoors TV our rock fishing shoots have been simply amazing. One year we boated over 200 pounds of bluefish and limited out on huge rockfish all in the same location in just a matter of a couple hours. The location was only about 50 yards away from the rock jetties at Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Fishing Heaven was here on that day, one of the rare fishing tales that needs no embellishment.

For many angling sportsmen there seems to be a blemish on the ever-changing horizon of successful rock fishing. Understandable when the recent Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Tournament saw not one fish caught during the three-day tourney. This with over 100 well seasoned experienced boaters out fishing their heart out for not just the big bite –but A BITE! Now combine that with the fact that last year’s tourney yielded one fish, and two years prior was also pretty awful, and well you can see where this is going.

Keep in mind that poor fishing does not represent a poor tournament. The Mid-Atlantic Rock Fish Tournament is one of the best run and most respected fishing events on the East Coast. Nothing but praise can be said for the tournament directors and staff.

All participants in the event have to abide by the rules and regs –the biggie being fishing in legal waters. That means staying on the beach inside of the demarcation line. If you pass the three-mile limit, you are fishing illegally and will be thrown out of the tournament. The event staff makes sure everyone plays by the rules and has all the latest technology to monitor vessel locations. It is all a good thing and most sportsmen by nature honor the rules that are in place to protect the species.

As we anglers do, many of us have thrown in our two cents as to why the rockfish are not swimming within the three-mile line of the beach. Many accuse the menhaden fleet of taking too much bait out of the local waters sending the rockfish elsewhere to fatten-up. This has been a topic of discussion for years along with allowing commercial boats too much harvest. There are regulations in place and authorities monitor these things.

Whether or not commercial overfishing or menhaden boats affect the recreational supply of fish, I don’t have the answers. All I can say is I have not met many recreational fishermen that love menhaden operations or commercial fishing boats.

From my own personal experience, I once had the opportunity to film on board a menhaden boat in the Chesapeake Bay. I admit I was surprised at the lack of bycatch. True, their nets were full of baitfish, but nothing else that I saw. 

Expenditures to clean up the Chesapeake Bay over the last 30 years have been in excess of $15 billion yet we still have big problems with water quality in the Bay and Tidal rivers.

Rockfish migrate to the tidal shallows to spawn however, the 2012-2013 Chesapeake Bay Barometer found 71 percent of Chesapeake streams and rivers fail to meet standards for oxygen, algae, water clarity, and marine grasses. Also according to the Bay Barometer, the population of female adult rockfish has decreased nearly one-quarter in the past ten years and now is threatening to fall below the threshold for a healthy rockfish population.

While this is of concern, other reports state that the rockfish are rebounding strong and eating a large diet of delicious Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab.

One thing is for sure from the sportsman’s perspective –we want more rockfish! So, can a possible decline in the rockfish population, commercial fishing harvest and menhaden fleets be the reason there were no fish caught within the three-mile demarcation line during the past tournament?

Well, it is possible, but having fished local waters for the last 40 years, I see it differently. 

Rockfish don't know what a demarcation line is. 

Rockfish don't know what a demarcation line is. Couple that with a simple fact: fish swim.

We humans prefer hanging out in a nice temperature with plenty of food around. For me, an all inclusive beach resort in Cancun is preferable. Fish, including rockfish are no different; they too are driven by prime temperature and food conditions. Unfortunately, during this rockfish tournament that was around 10 miles offshore.

Rockfish prefer to stay in their comfort zone.....so does Jim !

If the bait is offshore, the water temperature is right, and the migratory pattern puts fish wintering 10 to 13 miles offshore  then that is where they will be. All fine and dandy, unless you are holding a fishing tournament where one can only fish up to the three-mile line. 

I have been fishing many times when thousands and thousands of rockfish where just busting up the water like pop crackers, but three and a half to four miles out. So close, but yet so far –these were illegal waters.

As of yet no one has invented a technique to make a rockfish swim to the beach. I don’t care how nicely you talk to them, or drag your baits to shore, I know of nothing that can make a fish swim to where we want them.

 That’s the sport –that’s why they call it fishing!

I still contend if you are going to hold a rockfish tournament there is no place better than Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rather than point to a few skunked years we need to look at this popular tournament in its totality. Starting in 2004 the Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout has an impressive track record that has made it the biggest rockfish tournament in the country. 

Along with the area’s long history of excellent rock fishing, let’s not forget the other species that make Virginia Beach a fishing mecca.

Many people may not realize but Virginia Beach is a fantastic year round destination. It is resort central with every amenity imaginable. It is also my favorite place to fish for multiple species. 

Fishing for dolphin is always a treat and let me at those spadefish waiting offshore in Virginia Beach. Topping my list are monster sea bass deep in the Atlantic that hang off the wrecks. Now THAT is a fun trip!

Dolphin offshore Virginia Beach. JBO TV

Spade fish 10 miles of Virginia Beach, CLT. JBO TV

If you have not yet enjoyed the wonderful springtime Spade fishing or sea bass offshore action, book your trips now to the beach and get ready to hold on!

For the most part Virginia Beach is an all season fishery and a totally awesome resort town. Next time you visit be sure to bring your better half or the family and discover all the area has to offer.

 Sea Bass offshore VA Beach. JBO TV

So, while this year the rockfish were enjoying their “Cancun-Esk” vacation some 10 miles offshore, we will be planning on participating in next year’s tournament. Meanwhile catching a lot of spadefish, sea bass, flounder, trout, drum, tuna, dolphin and of course…Croaker!

Donna and I are also looking forward to checking out some of the new restaurants at the beach. Tautog’s Restaurant and Yama Sushi Bar are at the top of the list.

 

I can see a lot more seafood recipes in our future!

Tight Lines and Chow

Jim Baugh

Rock Around The Clock!!

Rock Around The Clock

By

Jim Baugh

Yes, happy days are here again with another round of rockfish season!!!! It is sort of like Christmas day, but last for three months. Then comes New Years, the ocean season! Jim Baugh Outdoors is going to produce several stories this fall all promoting some old and new ways to catch these swimmers.

Rockfish Pizza with Sourdough Starter Crust

Best of all, I have some new recipes that you are going to want to serve up over the holidays like oyster stuffed rockfish. My fav is my new rockfish pizza with artichokes, a delight for sure that will make for some upcoming holiday cheer extra special.

In this column I am going to review some of the general ways that we have caught Rockfish for both fresh and salt water. First up works for both the saline and non saline h2o environments and that is trolling. 

Trolling

This may be my all time favorite way for catching rocks. Certainly this technique does not work all the time but I probably enjoy it the most. The reason is simply that the method of setting out the lines and having a nice day on the water is very enjoyable. There is always movement and when the fish are not biting it can make for a nice conversational social gather with angling mates. When you do come across a school of feeding brutes, having six rods ZIIINNNNNNGGGGGG is always a blast!! The trick is with trolling if you want to catch fish, you need to be where the fish are. Case in point during the ocean season you can troll the beach until the cows come home, but if the fish are schooling 10 miles out, all you will catch by the beach is maybe a nice fat tasty 10 pound clump of seaweed.

Before I go trolling local research is usually at hand. I try to get an idea of where the bait fish are, water temperature, and any reports of schooling fish. Listening to the radio and seeing which way the birds are flying is not a bad idea either. Lastly, always fish current. Great minds may never rest idle, but rockfish do if there is no current. Always fish the tide in saline waters. Always. 

Bump and Troll

A fun way to pick up a few rocks is to do what I call bump and troll. This is a successful method for always catching rocks however you do need a clean stretch of bridge with little to no boat traffic or else your heading for trouble. Position your vessel up current side about 30 yards and drift back your favorite chartreuse stretch far enough back to where it is just slapping the bridge pilings. Every time I pull off a fish doing this. Very important to remember that rocks aren’t on every piling across the span of the bridge. Trolling this way covers a lot of ground until you find the pilings they are holding.

Two very important tips if you are going to bump and troll.

1)      Do NOT do it by yourself. Have a captain at the helm the entire time. Have your crew at hand with the rod to be ready for a quick hook up

2)      PICK A SLOW DAY meaning very little boat traffic. If your out on a weekend and boats are lined up at the pilings, forget it. Simply is not worth the hassle.

I know a lot of you folks may think you lose a lot of lures fishing this way, but you really will not. If you keep the boat speed right and position the bait so it is just tapping the front of the pilings, you will not be loosing many lures at all.

Lastly like I always say, if your coming trolling with JB, pack a nice lunch because chances are you will be on the water for a while with plenty of time to dine.

Casting

Fly fisherman love it. Bass fisherman live for it. I, well, don’t do that much of it. Same reason I don’t play tennis. It’s not that I don’t look good in shorts or mind sporting colorful tennis ware.

The thing is I don’t have the arm for it. My elbows were made for power lifting, not casting a 1\2 ounce jig head. So casting all day is not appealing to me because it throws my arm out.. However pulling up to a piling on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and knocking down a few hook ups casting around the pilings is a blast!! Yes it is very productive, but again fish the tide.

If you like casting try the early morning or evening tide around the islands and pilings. The Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean are pretty big places and provides excellent opportunity for fly casters. Go have at it!!!!! Light weight angling on even a 10 pound rockfish is an absolute blast.

Pulling the Tube

I have written several columns in the past about this highly effective technique. For those that don’t know, pulling the tube does not mean you throw a rope overboard with an attached inner tube and sling your kids around behind your boat doing 60mph.

Pulling the tube means simply to fish the up current side of the underwater tube structure at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Depending on the current, you could be dragging a 16 or 20 ounce weight down to the rocks in order to keep the bait presentation where it should be.

This method always works for me, pretty much guaranteed. But it also works for everyone else and their brother, sister, friends, family, the hole darn shooing match and they are all there at the same time on the weekends doing the same thing. Throw in the charter boats, and you have one big mess. Do yourself a favor, just don’t do it. Fish elsewhere using other methods. If you hit the tunnels when no boats are around, go for it. You will find rocks in your boat pretty quickly.

I know anglers who hate this method for many reasons. Most complaints come from the “gee I don’t want to fish with all that weight on my line”. I can understand this. If you are having a slow day and nothing is happening with the fly rod, on the way in, stop by the tube for some pulling and have a wonderful rockfish dinner. Works every time. 

A Remote Freshwater Tactic

This may seem like an odd way to catch fish, but it works and we featuring this on our TV show over 10 years ago. Keep in mind that if your going to catch fish, you have to be where the fish are. The problem is you can always maneuver your boat to get where those big swimmers are.

We had this problem come up fishing at Smith Mountain Lake one summer where the rockfish (stripers) were schooling down by the dam. There is a log boom that of course stops any boat traffic from entering the so called danger area. Our captain pulled out his trust surf rod and then from beneath the floor, A REMOTE BAIT BOAT!!! I had never seen one at the time. This boat allows you to tie your bait to a release clip on the small boat. The release clip and the bait boat are all controlled via a remote control.

So here we go, bait attached and having a ball playing with our toy boat. That sucker was fast to!! Once we got the boat down by the dam we released the bait via our handy remote and within five minutes, FISH ON!!!! I must say the Smith Mountain Stripers do taste delicious!! What a fun day.

So as you can see, there are many ways to catch a rockfish. This should be a great season and I am looking forward to seeing all my rock fishing friends on the water this season. I will have a lot more updates and info as to where we will be filming and when in the next couple of weeks.

In the immortal words of Frank White the Southern Sportsman, "Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishing."

Tight Lines, good reads and good eats!

Jim Baugh

JBO TV

Author of HOOKED

Rules and Regs
http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/swrecfishingrules.shtm