Chincoteague Charter Boats, Nature Cruises, Tour Boats and Fishing Guides

Chincoteague Island Standup Charter Fishing Aboard Shammy

Daybreak — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:52:28 +0000

Stand up fishing involves specialized tackle which gives the angler not only freedom to maneuver but also puts the angler in a position where they can use their body to its utmost advantage against large and powerful fish.

The foundation of the system includes special rods which are shorter than traditional IGFA trolling rods that were once common in offshore fishing. Stand up rods bend in a parabolic curve, meaning they flex more at the tip and stiffen sharply along their length. The reel seat is also closer to the butt on stand up style rods. This design allows more pressure to be transferred to the fish during a hookup and fight.

A key component of stand up tackle is the gimbal belt, which places the pivot point low on the angler, creating an optimal leverage against the fish. For larger fish, a kidney or shoulder harness is added. The harness greatly increases the size of fish that an angler can comfortably catch.

How does stand-up fishing help the angler?

First, the simplicity of the system makes it an ideal choice for small to mid-sized boats, and for anglers of all ages and skill levels. The learning curve is fast and the technique is extremely popular among beginners and seasoned anglers alike. Another reason that stand up fishing has become so popular in offshore fishing is that it is more fun. Anglers can follow the fish around as it maneuvers and keep pressure on the fish, even while resting their arm momentarily.

Captain Glenn of Shammy Sportfishing explained the how they use the technique to fish for large tuna off the coast of Virginia, stating “Stand up tackle allows us to introduce anglers from teens to seniors to large bluefin and yellowfin tuna as well as several other species. In matter of minutes, we can effectively coach anglers of any skill level to battle tuna that sometimes outweigh the angler. The tackle allows us to have a clean, organized cockpit with lots of room for fishing and relaxing. When a tuna is hooked, we quickly outfit the angler and the fight is on. People are amazed at how easy and effective this system can be.

Anglers that fished aboard Shammy described the experience, saying “On the day we fished, we found the motherlode of fish. We fought fish 2,3, and 4 at a time, sometimes non-stop. Our catch included dolphin of all sizes, a couple types of jacks, enormous false albacore and skipjack tuna. Captain Glen and his mate showed us how to use the standup tackle, quickly getting us equipped with belts and helping us into postion at the stern. The covering boards are well padded which provided a comfortable surface to brace ourselves against. We were able to catch a lot of big fish with very little physical strain.”

To learn more about standup fishing in Virginia for tuna, sharks, billfish and other species visit Shammy Sportfishing. For more about Chincoteague Island, visit Chincoteague Island Virginia.

This article is copyright © Craig Banks, Chincoteague Charter Boats, Nature Cruises, Tour Boats and Fishing Guides. For more information on Chincoteague Charter Boats, Nature Cruises, Tour Boats and Fishing Guides visit www.chincoteaguecharterboats.com. When visiting other locations worldwide, you can find charter boats, sailing charters, cruises, fishing guides, hunting guides other outdoor adventures at Worldwide Charter Boat-Guide Directory.

Virginia Swordfishing

Daybreak — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:46:23 +0000

Boats from Chincoteague Island sometimes fish for swordfish. To reach swordfish, boats often travel 55 -75 nautical miles, searching in deepwater areas such as the Baltimore, Poor Man’s, Washington or Norfolk Canyons.

These structures have amazing features which produce conditions that attract several types of fish and other ocean life. West of the canyon walls are shallower but still productive areas. Near the canyon walls, the bottom becomes steeper and rockier. Fish congregate along the drop offs to catch food that is caught in the hard running current. Along the edges are lobster traps which are marked by orange buoys or “lobster balls”. The buoys attract mahi-mahi, also known as dolphin fish. Not only are the mahi-mahi excellent fish to catch, but they also attract the larger marlin which feed on them heavily. A trip by a buoy can be uneventful, or one or more lines might be attacked by mahi mahi, tuna, marlin or other fish.

Swordfish are caught mostly at night, in the deeper areas of the Virginia offshore canyons. On overnight trips, anglers typically set one or more lines at various depths. Nighttime swordfish rigs usually consist of a large circle or Southern tuna hook on a cable leader. Swordfish baits include whole squid, mackerel or other small fish. A glow stick is added to the leader a few feet above the bait. Inline weights may also be added on the line to control the depth of the bait.

Swordfish complete the trio of billfish that swim off the coast of Virginia, the other common billfish being white marling and blue marlin. Swordfish have tremendous strength and stamina, testing the limits of the most experienced anglers. Swordfish may vary from perhaps 4-10 feet in length, reaching weights of several hundred pounds and rarely exceeding 1000 pounds. They are found in the deeper offshore waters, feeding in extreme depths during the day and coming near the surface at night. Like marlin, swordfish move with temperature changes, becoming most common in late summer and fall.

Mako sharks are one of the few predators of swordfish . Several cases of shark attacks on swordfish have been documented of the Virginia coast. Large mako sharks are known to prey on swordfish basking on the surface. The shark attacks from behind, biting off the tail which leaves the swordfish powerless. The shark then eats its fill and leaves the rest of the fish to scavengers.

Anglers fishing the waters off the coast of Virginia almost always release both blue and white marlin. In fact in some areas the arrival of a dead marlin to the dock is considered highly offensive. As for swordfish, the decision to kill or release a legal sized swordfish is usually a matter of personal preference. The American swordfish fishery is one of the few fishery management success stories, with a recent comeback of the fish after their stocks plummeted due to overfishing. Hopefully future harvests will remain within reason and Virginia will enjoy good fishing for all 3 species of billfish.

Chincoteague Virginia White Marlin, Blue Marlin and Swordfish

Daybreak — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:18:06 +0000

Chincoteague Virginia is known for deep sea fishing, including white marlin, blue marlin and swordfish. These three magnificent fish are found in practically the same areas and it’s even possible to catch all three fish on the same trip, although triple headers of billfish are rare events.

White marlin tend to weigh around 30-60 pounds and feed on a variety of smaller baits. They are very intelligent fish. When hunting prey, white marlin display neon colors and change to an aggressive posture. A hungry or agitated marlin will charge and bat its bill at a baitfish or trolled lure.

Blue marlin are much larger, up to 1000 lbs, feeding on larger baits. Blue marlin are brightly colored and are known for their dramatic leaps and deep runs. Most local blue marlin are over 100 pounds and feed on fish such as small yellowfin tuna, false albacore, mahi mahi and other fish. A sign of potential for blue marlin fishing are pods of skipjack tuna. Skipjack tuna are the smallest of the Virginia tuna, ranging from about 3 to 18 pounds. The fish are sought after by fishermen because they are among the favorite prey of blue marlin.

Marlin migrate into Virginia waters in early summer with peak fishing usually occuring in late summer thru early fall. The fish may be widely scattered but when conditions are right, marlin congregate around sources of food. Ideal conditions occur when Gulf stream water moves into the area, bringing weedlines, temperature breaks and pods of small fish on which marlin feed.

Chincoteague Island charter boats may travel about 40-70 nautical miles to reach billfish. Anglers search for marlin and swordfish in deepwater areas such as the Baltimore, Poor Man’s, Washington or Norfolk Canyons.

These structures have amazing features which produce conditions that attract several types of fish and other ocean life. West of the canyon walls are shallower but still productive areas. Near the canyon walls, the bottom becomes steeper and rockier. Fish congregate along the dropoffs to catch food that is caught in the hard running current. Along the edges are lobster traps which are marked by orange buoys or “lobster balls”. The buoys attract mahi-mahi, also known as dolphin fish. Not only are the mahi-mahi excellent fish to catch, but they also attract the larger marlin which feed on them heavily. A trip by a buoy can be uneventful, or one or more lines might be attacked by mahi mahi, tuna, marlin or other fish.

Swordfish complete the trio of billfish that swim off the coast of Virginia. These fish have tremendous strength and stamina, testing the limits of the most experienced anglers. Swordfish may vary from perhaps 4-10 feet in length, reaching weights of several hundred pounds and rarely exceeding 1000 pounds. Swordfish are found in the deeper offshore waters, feeding in extreme depths during the day and coming near the surface at night. Like marlin, swordfish move with temperature changes, becoming most common in late summer and fall.

One of the only predators of swordfish are large mako sharks. Several cases of shark attacks on swordfish have been documented of the Virginia coast. Makos seem to be skilled at catching swordfish basking on the surface. The shark attacks from behind, biting off the tail which leaves the swordfish disabled. The shark then eats its fill and leaves the rest of the fish to scavengers.

Blackfish Banks Artificial Reef

Daybreak — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:50:16 +0000

Blackfish Banks Artificial Reef is located less than 10 miles off coast of Chincoteague, Virginia. The reef has been constructed in several phases. The first reef is composed of tanks dispersed near the buoy. The second phase added railcars east of the buoy. The material sits in roughly 60-70 feet. just east of buoy 8A.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) is planning on adding 84 new Subway Cars on Blackfish Banks Artificial Reef. The deployment of the new reef material is expected to begin in July or August of 2008.

The reef is inhabited by sea bass, tautog, trout, croakers, spadefish and other structure oriented fish. It is best known for its excellent flounder fishing during the summer months. The reef is also visited by amberjacks, jack crevelle and a variety of sharks.

Virginia Council of Angling Clubs

Daybreak — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:39:31 +0000

The Virginia Council of Angling Clubs (VCAC) performs work in the interest of the recreational fishing community. The VCAC serves Virginia angling club members and the Virginia recreational fishing community by providing immediate access to the latest news and issues related to recreational fishing.

The group works to gather and share news and information including fisheries issues, political action, regulations, fishing-related news and other information. This important work allows Virginia angling clubs and their members to stay updated and react to issues that affect area recreational fishing.

The public can support the VCAC by joining your local angling club and urging them to be represented on the council. A list of particpating angling clubs is available on the VCAC website.

The Virginia Council of Angling Clubs is located at: www.vafish.org.

The website provides an option for subscribing to email notifications of news items, thereby keeping anglers up to date on important developments.

2008 Virginia Flounder Regulations

Daybreak — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:01:22 +0000

The following information relates to Virginia recreational summer flounder regulations for the 2008 fishing year.

2008 Virginia flounder regulations include:

A 19 inch minimum size limit with a 5 fish catch limit.

The season will open Saturday March 1st, 2008.

There is a season closure from July 21st thru July 30th, 2008.

* fishing regulations are subject to change. For the latest information see the VMRC website.

The Summer Flounder Rebuilding Plan

Since 1993, summer flounder has been under a rebuilding plan in order to reduce fishing mortality and continue rebuilding the stock. A 10-year rebuilding plan began in 2000 and was to have ended January 1, 2010. The recent re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act extended the summer flounder rebuilding plan to January 1, 2013.

Federal and State Summer Flounder Regulating Agencies

Virginia summer flounder regulations continue to be a complex issue for anglers. Recreational and commercial summer flounder (P. dentatis) regulations are regulated by the Virginia Marine Resource Commission (VMRC). Several entities seek to affect Virginia and the overall Mid Atlantic region summer flounder regulations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sets summer flounder quotas for the region and each state based on scientific data from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) is responsible for management of fisheries in federal waters which occur predominantly off the mid-Atlantic coast. States with voting representation on the Council include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. (North Carolina is represented on both the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils.)

NMFS has approved a total allowable catch (TAL) of 15.77 million pounds for the 2008 summer flounder fishery, divided into a 9.46 million pound commercial quota and a 6.31 million pound recreational harvest limit.

Virginia will draft 2008 regulations that seek to stay within the federal limits. The exact regulations are based upon a variety of input, including input from the angling community via Ad Hoc committee meetings, letters and other communications.

Virginia’s share of the 2008 total allowable catch will include a cut of roughly 20% compared to 2007. The reduction of summer flounder recreational harvests can be accomplished by (1) increased minimum size limits, (2) lower creel limits, (3) seasonal closures or (4) some combination of options (1), (2) and/or (3).

Summer Flounder Recreational Landings Data Collection

In late 2007, the federal government began moving forward with plans mandated by Congress to overhaul its data collection systems for marine recreational fisheries by 2009. The NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology web site summarizes the joint State and Federal efforts to redesign the program. A significant component of the anticipated survey design changes call for the creation of a national registry of marine anglers by 2009 based on accepted state licensing programs or a new federal fishing permit. The new registry is anticipated to be a comprehensive, up to date listing of all active marine anglers and will be used to improve angler surveys.

Summer Flounder Lobbying Groups

The Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) lobbies for recreational summer flounder fishing. SSFFF is a non-profit organization consisting of party boat and fishing charter boat owners, bait and tackle and store owners, tackle distributors, bait suppliers and other people that are involved in the recreational fishing industry.

The Virginia Council of Angling Clubs publishes up to the moment news concerning Virginia recreational fishing issues. Many of the member clubs work with VMRC to create the best possible summer flounder harvests for Virginia anglers while staying within the federally mandated yearly quota.

Both the PEW environmental group and the Marine Fish Conservation Network have called for a summer flounder moratorium. Both groups have published press releases and are actively seeking to restrict or eliminate recreational fishing for summer flounder.

2009 Summer Flounder Moratorium Possible

In a 2007 letter to W. Peter Jensen, chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, then head of NMFS William T. Hogarth wrote “I urge you to consider new approaches for 2008 that will better ensure that the recreational targets will not be exceeded…” Hogarth noted that the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey indicated that all but two East Coast states exceeded their 2007 targets by the end of August. He went on to warn that “… if the measures implemented by the states to manage the 2008 recreational fishery are not effective to constraining harvest within the recreational harvest limit, NMFS is prepared to close the summer flounder recreational fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone.”

Updates

This article was last updated on February29, 2008.

Virginia Offshore Fish - Bluefish, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo

Daybreak — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:06:04 +0000

Bluefish

Bluefish are among the most common fish off the coast of Virginia. They may appear as early as April and are usually common by late May. They can be up to about 20 lbs and are brutal fighters. Their teeth and strong jaws make them dangerous and tackle damage is an issue. Anglers often resort to a few strong lures when bluefish are present, otherwise a high loss of equipment is almost a certainty.

Tuna

Bluefin Tuna

Fishing for bluefin tuna is heavily regulated. The fish usually appear off the Virginia coast in late May or early June. Bluefin tend to congregate is schools of similar sizes and weigh from 15 to several hundred pounds. Most Virginia bluefin are in the 25-100 pound range. Bluefin are caught by trolling articial lures, natural baits, or by chunking with baits such as butterfish. A little known technique involves drifting baits along the bottom of humps and hills. This works well when large tuna take up residence on structure and are feeding on bottom dwellers such as squid, red hake and sea robins.

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin are the most common tuna caught in Virginia. The fish vary from 15 to over 100 pounds. Yellowfin fishing can start as early as late May depending on water temperature. Late June is more typical. Locally, They are most likely to show up first along the edge of Norfolk, Washington or Poor Man’s canyon. Anglers may find success with a variety of daisy chains, artificial squid, spreader bars, small bullet shaped lures or rigged baits such as ballyhoo. Yellowfin tuna are caught chunking as well as trolling and are caught from the 20 fathom line out to 1000 fathoms. Off the Virginia coast, yellowfin are common in 30 fathoms, shadowing pods of bait.

Skipjack Tuna

Skipjack tuna are the smallest of the Virginia tuna, ranging from about 3 to 18 pounds. Their size is not an indicator of their strength, and they often fool anglers into thinking they have hooked a larger tuna. The fish fight amazingly hard and swim at speeds that few fish can achieve. Another reason the skipjack tuna were a welcome visitor in the area is because they are among the favorite prey of blue marlin.

Cleaning and Preparing Tuna

Tuna is delicious grilled, blackened, or as sushi. Those of us that still love tuna salad can enjoy tuna from the can or use leftover grilled tuna to create a unique and delightful tuna salad with a unique flavor. moked fish lovers will be thrilled to know that tuna is excellent when smoked. The finished smoked product makes fish dips, salads or just eaten alone.

Wahoo

Wahoo are among the fastest of Virginia’s pelagic fish and are excellent table fare. Wahoo migrate into range of Chincoteague during the summer and sometimes linger thru October. Wahoo should laid straight on top of a bed of ice and rinsed well before cleaning. Cleaning the fish begins by cutting the flanks from the body with the skin still attached. The flanks can then be cut into steaks with the skin on or the entire sections can be skinned before cutting into steaks. Wahoo is delicious grilled, fried or smoked.

Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi, or dolphin fish are brilliant green, yellow and flourescent blue pelagic fish. Dolphin fish are caught in the open at times but often are found near floating objects or mats of weeds. They appear in Virginia waters from June Thru October. The meat is mostly white with a high content of oil. Dolphin fish is best grilled, blackened or smoked.

Chincoteague Island Virginia Blue Marlin Fishing

Daybreak — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:12:29 +0000

Our day began before sunrise, loading drinks, snacks, ice and bait for our trip. The air was still and the harbor was quiet except for a few captains and crews that prepared to fish. Our goal was to fish the deep waters off Chincoteague Island Virginia for white and blue marlin. Chincoteague Island offers an excellent atmosphere for family fishing. The trip from the harbor to the open ocean is short and relaxing, with a wide variety of scenery and nature to see. While on the way to the ocean, you may see dolphins, porpoises, seals, pelicans, flocks of gulls working schools of fish and even sometimes a glimpse of the wild ponies on Assateague Island.

White marlin tend to weigh around 30-60 pounds and feed on a variety of smaller baits. Blue marlin are much larger, up to 1000 lbs and eat larger baits. Most local blue marlin are about 200-400 pounds, and eat skipjack tuna, small yellowfin tuna, false albacore, mahi mahi and other fish. Marlin migrate into Virginia waters in early summer and tend to peak around late August or early September. The fish may be widely scattered but when conditions are right, marlin congregate around sources of food. Ideal conditions occur when Gulf stream water moves into the area, bringing weedlines, temperature breaks and pods of small fish on which marlin feed. The trip to the fishing grounds covers about 30-60 nautical miles, depending on the season and where the fish are.

Marlin are often found in the deep water canyons off the coast of Virginia. Boats fishing from Chincoteague Island might fish as far as the Baltimore, Poor Man’s, Washington or Norfolk Canyons. These structures have amazing features which produce conditions that attract several types of fish and other ocean life. Inshore of the canyon walls are areas of sloping bottom that can be very productive. As the sea floor approaches the canyon walls, the bottom becomes steeper and rockier. Here ocean currents are very strong and fish congregate to catch food that is caught in the rushing water. Along this dropoff are lobster traps, marked with bright orange buoys. These offer an added fish attraction as the buoys are often visited by mahi-mahi, also known as dolphin fish. Not only are the mahi-mahi excellent fish to catch, but they also attract the larger marlin which feed on them heavily. A trip by a buoy can be uneventful, or one or more lines might be attacked by mahi mahi, tuna, marlin or other fish.

On our trip we fished the area from 30-50 fathoms which had been productive in the days prior to our trip. We had fair weather and were able to raise a few white marlin to the boat in the morning. Between marlin, we were assaulted by little skipjack tuna. These fish are excellent to stumble onto, especially on a family outing. Skipjack tuna are the smallest of the Virginia tuna, ranging from about 3 to 18 pounds. Their size is not an indicator of their strength, and they often fool anglers into thinking they have hooked a larger tuna. The fish fight amazingly hard and swim at speeds that few fish can achieve. Another reason the skipjack tuna were a welcome visitor in the area is because they are among the favorite prey of blue marlin.

By afternoon we were relaxing and just enjoying the day when all hell broke loose behind the boat. An enormous blue marlin attacked our longest line and took off in a series of jumps across the boat’s wake. Seeing a fish of this size is something that cannot be described. Blue marlin are brightly colored and their leaps are dramatic, shaking and showering water in a display of defiance. Our fish eventually shook free and made his escape, something that everyone on board could admire and respect. The brief encounter with this regal fish made the day unforgettable.

Shammy is a 32 foot Luhrs sportfisherman powered by diesel engines. Capt Glen has years of offshore fishing experience on Virginia waters and is well respected among the fishing community. The boat is comfortable, clean and the captain provides a safe and enjoyable trip. For corporate charters with large groups, Shammy can team up with other Chincoteague area charter boats to accommodate everyone. In addition to marlin fishing, Shammy Sportfishing fishes for tuna, mahi mahi, sharks, flounder, sea bass, tautog and other ocean fish. For more information, visit the Shammy Sportfishing website.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Ranked # 1 in USA

Daybreak — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:40:47 +0000

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular refuges in the United States, especially among bird watchers. The refuge is either home to or a stop over point for a array of birds and other wildlife. Ducks, geese, swans, egrets, herons, skimmers, plovers, sanderlings and dozens of other shorebirds visit or live on the islands.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reported that Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge reported the most recreational visits of roughly 80 national wildlife refuges during 2006. The refuge had about 7.5 million visitors for the year. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge held the number one spot for jobs at 3,766, economic return, at $315.4 million. Economic benefit was number one among the nations refuges with $155.42 returned for every $1 budgeted expenditures.

Chincoteague Aerial Photographs - Boats, Property, Events and Landscapes

Daybreak — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:36:23 +0000

Highcamera Aerial Photography has announced that the company will step up flights along the Delmarva peninsula in order to better serve customers. The company’s area of coverage is to include Chincoteague and Assateague Islands as well as much of the Eastern shore of Virginia.

Patrick J. Hendrickson of Highcamera explained that “it has been a pleasure to introduce my aerial photography services to Virginia. My company Highcamera is devoted to producing images which are catered to the personal needs of the client. I work with each individual to get the best possible photograph of the property.

Highcamera’s aerial photography is popular with Chincoteague Island real estate firms and other property owners. Highcamera Aerial Photography is also available to photograph fishing, charter and pleasure boats either at rest or at sea. Examples of Highcamera aerial photographs are displayed in several Chincoteague Island businesses. His work is also featured in the Chincoteague Photo Gallery.

Hendrickson spoke about flying over Chincoteague Island and other Virginia barrier islands, “Unlike the Washington D.C. airspace where TSA waivers are required to fly most missions, the Eastern shore has few restrictions and most controlling agencies are more than willing to accommodate the flight plan.”

Highcamera provides aerial images by helicopter using a wide range of formats including 35mm, medium format and digital video. The company can photograph practically any site or event and offers fixed wing or rotary shooting platforms for images.

Visit Highcamera.com for more information on Chincoteague Island Aerial Photographs.

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