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

Hogg Rockfish are finally here!

Well folks get on your boots and fill the coolers with ice and head over to the Eastern Shore side of the Chesapeake Bay.

The biggest tip we can tell you is drift live Eels from Plantation light down past the concrete ships. Fish the tide and the east side of the channel slope and get ready to ZIIIIIIING! The big boys are back in the Bay and this weeks cold front is helping matters greatly.

Night fishing is always god along the pilings however if you have been waiting for the big ones, they have been making there way into the lower bay Eastern Shore side this week.

Go Get Um!!

Jim Baugh

This is where it began for me over fifty + years ago- Mr. Franc White.

Dedicated to Fracus White and Tina Turner Baugh

“Fracus” “Swinus Americanus” “Don’t re-elect anybody, not even your Mama!!” “Julia Child of the Wild” and “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishing”.

These are just a few of the words emanating from what then was a three inch speaker of one of the first color televisions I had ever seen. The year was 1972 and all I had ever viewed since 1961 was a black and white tube that my father the Judge affectionately called,

“The Idiot Box”.

Besides watching some weird interpretation’s of cowboys called Cartwrights wearing ten gallon hats and riding horses that were too well trained, there would be some guy on Sunday mornings shouting out of our three inch TV speaker about the difference between pigs and humans. “Swinus Americanus” a description of human trash, waste, and filth.

Before I could change the channel to watch the only other thing on TV which was the local church broadcast, all of the sudden this old man starts cooking up a storm in his kitchen and the dish was what he had caught fishing that day. Since the Judge loved to take us boys fishing both in the nearby pond and Chesapeake Bay, my interest was peaked about what I was now watching on my dad’s least favorite toy…. the Idiot Box.

Next thing I know, for many, many years, to many years that I care to remember, I would end up watching this same old man on the Idiot box. As I grew older I began to realize just how intelligent and funny this man was. To be honest, some of the hardest laughs I have ever had was watching this man on TV. Simply because I could not believe he had the nerve and audacity to say some of the things he was uttering. The man became a legend here in the south. That legend of a Southern Sportsman was none other than,

Franc White, THE Southern Sportsman.

Franc was a television producer, host, author, pilot, chef, restaurateur, World War 2 Correspondent, and avid sportsman both with hunting and fishing. Franc was also a hard nosed environmentalist who did not mind going after big buiz to accomplish what he thought was right. This included helping to stop commercialization on several Carolina islands to help protect nesting sea turtles. And if you happen to be one of those chemical plants dumping waste into what then was pristine waters of Carolina, you did not find a friend in Franc White. Franc was ruthless on TV with his public denouncing of such chemical plants that were polluting his favorite waters.

Franc had no problem being voicing his political opinions either. Something Franc was not shy about at all. What ever Franc thought, he pretty much let it spill out into the airwaves. This did not make a lot friends in certain circles for Franc, but I don’t think he cared much. In the many years Franc ranted and raved on television about political and environmental issues I can not say I ever remember him being wrong. He just spoke his mind and let the chips fall where they may.

I can’t tell you yow many times I heard Franc say, “Don’t re-elect no one, not even your MAMA!!!!” Again, Franc may have been very vocal, but not often wrong.

About the only thing that would seem to calm Franc down during one of his rants was his on air companion and mascot, “Frickus”. The love that man had for that dog was so evident on every show. Probably one of the best relationships he ever had.

As Fate Will Have It.

When I started Jim Baugh Outdoors, we actually began as fishing Virginia 30 years ago. After our first broadcast run on the FOX station in Richmond, the NBC affiliate contacted us and wanted us to air in a block next to Franc White Southern Sportsman. Of course this was an easy decision to make. For many years to come we would broadcast in our home town of Richmond Virginia and also syndicated throughout the Mid Atlantic states also airing next to Franc White.

This was a bit of a thrill for me because I had watched Franc since I was about 10 years old on most Sunday mornings. When Franc would get so political and hilarious, I actually would tape his show just to watch later with friends and laugh our butts off. Franc was a very funny man and got his points across with humor and in a way, eloquence.

As the years passed I was able to meet Franc on several occasions. One such time was at a private fish and hunt club where we had been ask to film a show. I met Franc and told him what a big fan I was and what an honor it was that our program broadcast adjacent to his. I was extremely polite and was happy as hell to finally really meet and talk with him.

Franc looked at me, sort of like the Judge does when he is not happy with me. You know, like when you come back from a Dove hunt with no birds. Yeah, that look.

Franc paused, there was silence, then he said loudly,

“I don’t #@%$#* Care!”

I shuck his hand thanked him again and left.

I had met him briefly on other occasions and he was almost just as welcoming. Personally I loved this. To me Franc for the most part in person was what you saw on TV. I liked that and to this day am very glad I had the opportunity to met him.

To be fair during this time fishing shows were springing up like to him, poison Ivey. There was now a lot of competition in the outdoor marketplace and stations were starting to demand big bucks for air time. Back in the day television shows like ours and his could barter with broadcasters and negotiate air time because our programs had good ratings.

However with the advent of the infomercial stations were out for the buck only, it was just too easy. So all of the sudden an outdoor program that would not have to actually pay money to broadcast because of its loyal audience, now had to cough up thousands of dollars just to air. For the most part, this is how it still works today.

Back then the industry changed for all of us. About the time stations were asking for the big bucks to air, Franc had already had enough. He pushed for retirement and he had already been broadcasting for 20-24 years. The Southern Sportsman started back when color TV’s were just coming onto the market and Franc did a great job to swing with the changes for as many years as he did. Kudos to Franc.

The Influence of the Southern Sportsman

Although Fishing Virginia had aired along with The Southern Sportsman in many markets for many years, I never thought his show had any influence on our production at all. The fact is it did not. We always produced a program with very high production value and we would never get into politics the way Franc did. Our show was also post produced heavily edited and scripted. Franc’s show the Southern Sportsman was live to tape. He would show up in the studio with his note pad, do one take and be done with it. This of course was not a polished show, but to me that was the appeal, and his personality just cracked me up about every Sunday Morning.

I loved Franc.

The influence for me was his cooking on the show. Franc appealed not only to the male sportsman but to the ladies as well. Everyone wanted to know how Franc was going to prepare the days catch. Other similarities were that both the Southern Sportsman and Fishing Virginia were film style shot programs. Both shows also were heavily syndicated throughout the south for many years.

So, for those that are too young to remember, there once was one heck of an outdoors enthusiast, environmentalist, restaurateur, television producer and writer named Franc White. Franc was loved by his family, many close friends, and many thousands fans over the years.

Like other vintage television figures of the past, we will never see the likes of Franc White again. A little bit like Johnny Carson. Sometimes the good Lord just breaks the mold and blesses us with their talents for just one earthly lifetime.

When my time is done and if I am lucky enough to ever get to heaven and happen to bump into Franc White, I am sure I will hear these words.

“What the hell are you doing here?!!!”

Jim Baugh

JBO TV

Author of HOOKED

“"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

        ~ Jackie Robinson 

RIP Franc White July 20, 1926 - June 06, 2012

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/fishing/story/11183259/

watch an old Southern Sportsman Show.

http://www.wral.com/wral-tv/video/1416204/#/vid1416204

Franc White Legacy Fund for Conservation Education, contributions c/o N.C. Wildlife Federation at 1024 Washington St., Raleigh, NC 27605 or (800) 264-6293 or online at https://www.ncwf.org/support/honor.php . 

Web site for ordering books and merchandise, Franc White

http://francwhite.com/2.html

Sample other Solo Piano and Award Winning Soundtracks by Jim Baugh on his Piano You Tube Channel

How it all began 25 years ago

Here is the full story and we will be highlighting many special moments during the first 25 years here on the JBO TV Blog Site.
CL.ICK HERE for the full story

Jim Baugh Outdoors New Logo Celebrating our 25th Anniversary!

To celebrate our 25th anniversary it was time for a bold, new logo to take us into the next quarter century. Many changes have occurred during our first 25 years. Gosh, my two kids literally grew up on the program. Now an empty nester like many of you, Jim Baugh Outdoors will reflect our new lifestyle along with our outdoor adventures. The show’s focus will be more coastal in nature. As we highlight the rich bounty of our offshore waters, we will also include all the marvelous attractions you can savor along the seaboard with our “Lure of the Shore” segments. Because you have enjoyed JBO’s unique mix of outdoors adventures, cooking and travel tips, these will continue to be at the forefront of our programming.

So how to capture all this in a logo you don’t get a headache looking at? The best logos are simple and still convey the message you want the audience to get –and that ain’t simple. We love our many loyal fans but we do not have any illusions we are as famous as “Apple” or “Nike”. A stand-alone fruit or swish sign was not going to say it. We needed to contain the show’s name in our logo.

Associate producer Donna Bozza and I discussed how we wanted the JBO logo to have a clean, contemporary look that would adequately represent our show. Lots of editing, hair pulling [more so Donna than me] and we think we integrated the central coastal theme in a simple yet compelling way. A fist bump to Donna for envisioning a cool wave in our Outdoors “O”. Its fun and JBO is all about that.

We look forward to bringing you a blast of new adventures in our 25th year of broadcasting. We will feature six JBO TV specials during 2014 with new programming and new markets targeting the East Coast prime television markets. Stay tuned –more info and fun to come!

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

NEW FEATURE on Jim Baugh Outdoors TV 2014!! "Lure of the Shore" With Donna Bozza

Celebrating Jim Baugh Outdoors 25 years we are introducing a new segment to our program. “Lure of the Shore” hosted by Donna Bozza will be an outdoor travel and entertainment feature in each program. Donna is an award-winning writer with thousands of articles published throughout her career. Her long-standing experience in the field of outdoor marketing, writing and publishing will be a huge asset to our program that already has a strong history in outdoor features.

Her love affair with words turned professional with 6 years as a journalist with the Eastern Shore News. Followed by a successful career as a freelance writer for regional/national newspapers and magazines covering a broad range of subject matter, she later specialized in regional travel as a contributing writer with Chesapeake Life Magazine. Recognition’s include an International Regional Magazine Award and Virginia Press Association Award. With a detour to Destination Marketing, Donna Bozza   became the first Tourism Director for Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Under her leadership the region held the highest percentage increase in tourism revenue in Virginia and she was recognized with the Rising Star Leadership Award from the Virginia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

Donna’s first program features will be “Lure of the Shore Coastal Virginia”. Donna and I will also be collaborating on various articles promoting different outdoor travel and activities. We recently produced in collaboration a feature on the Outer Banks. A good read with quite a few laughs for sure.

Read Outer Banks Article Here

Donna also has a new COASTIN' web site that will feature many articles, columns, and a really cool section called "Beach House" featuring everything Beachy Keen....yes, she can decorate!

Stay tuned, lots more to come including info on the new Go Green Fishing Machine 2!!!!

Tight Lines, Good Reads and Good Eats!!

Jim Baugh

JBO TV

Author of HOOKED