May 2013 Rivah - The Rappahannock Record

Spring arrived late this year
but never fear, the fish are
biting on schedule. The
water temperature on the Chesapeake
Bay broke into the low
50s by late April and continues
to climb. Although rockfish are
the most anticipated species this
season, other fish are available
in surprising numbers. A tasty
time is ahead!
The big surprise
Speckled trout action was
hot in both the Rappahannock
and Potomac rivers during the
month of April. This is not the
24
Billy Pipkin
The Fishing Line
It’s gonna be a
“fish-a-licious” spring
first time these tasty fish have
been caught during the colder
weather months, but it is the
first year that so many anglers
participated in the fishery.
These “specks,” as we call
them locally, have been found
in the feeder waterways between
the bridges on the Rappahannock
and as far up the Potomac River
as Montross. They range in size
from 14 to 25 inches.
The specks tend to hang in
skinny water locations where
structure is present. That structure
can vary from grassy or
shell bottoms to piers and even
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Two Locations
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(804) 776-7044
along marsh-grassed shorelines.
Locations with a water depth of
less than 6 feet are more likely
to hold the trout as they tend to
feed on prey that frequent shallow
water, such as minnows, soft
crabs and grass shrimp.
This has become a very popular
fishery among kayakers and
anglers in small skiffs that are
able to navigate quietly through
the shallow areas.
Speckled trout action will
continue to improve and be
available into May while they go
through their spawning period.
As the month progresses specks
can be found in more widespread
locations.
Rockin’ the bay
With last winter being relatively
warm, it allowed the
migratory stock of rockfish
to winter off of the upper Virginia
coastline. Then several
cold fronts hit the region in late
winter which created cooler
water temperatures, and slowed
the migration of fish into the
bay.
Many rockfish had an even
earlier start on the spring spawning
run as they never left the
bay waters after initially heading
up in December. During
the fall months, rockfish head
up the bay in an effort to find
their favorite food source—
menhaden. With much of the
bait remaining in the bay and
rivers this winter, the rockfish
that arrived in December never
left. That seemed to be a benefit
as the spawning run was spread
over a longer period of time.
This creates a longer duration
that these fish head out of the
spawn areas and head out toward
the ocean. I look for these fish
to be abundant again this month
with individual sizes ranging
from 30-40 inches during the
trophy season.
By mid-May the smaller rockfish,
20-24 inches, begin to settle
in. If the weather remains moderate,
we should find abundant
numbers of the smaller class of
rockfish both in the rivers and
bay waters.
Croaker have already begun
to filter into the middle bay and
will be available to bottom fishermen
this month. Spring action
is usually best in the rivers first
and then the bay waters fill with
large specimens.
With warm weather here, the
fishing season is getting off to a
great start. I’m looking forward
to cooking some fresh rockfish
on the grill with a side of fresh
cut asparagus. Get your grills
ready for some great tasting fish
and you too will be enjoying
some “fish-a-licious” meals.
Until next time . . . fair
winds.
Capt. Billy Pipkin owns and
operates Capt. Billy’s Charters
and Ingram Bay Marina in
Wicomico Church —580-7292.
For the latest fishing information
and tips, read his column
“The Fishing Line” weekly in
the Rappahannock Record.
Sara Weakley of Montross displays
a trophy rockfish caught with
Capt. Billy Pipkin aboard “Liquid
Assets II.”
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