Reds & East winds...........

[ice cream man]

When searching for Reds, found them on the flats. Could see them & almost touch them, but could not get them to bite. And I know they saw me because they would spook & leave a sand cloud behind. Did catch a 5 ft Blacktip & my buddy Scales made a big Spinner Shark dance for us. Also saw about 5 ft black & grey Ray come completely out of the water, about 20 yards from the boat.

Now my question is this " Does an East wind really affect fishing?"......ICM

[JMS-ILM]

I know they saw me......spook & leave a sand cloud behind........Did catch a 5 ft Blacktip

i think you have answered your own questions here.

fish will get spooky with the presence of sharks and porpoises. also, those fish have been getting hammered on for months....fishing pressure makes them freak, especially in the summer. there are hungry fish elsewhere....might try finding another spot.

[Graceland]

In Va a NE wind turns the red bite on in a big way. I am not really sure why. The only two other in shore species I can think of that a NE wind turns on are cobia and spot, it seems to shut everything else down.

[ice cream man]

Thanks JMS-ILM & Graceland ......I know those Sharks will freak them out, they usually calm down after awhile long enough to play with, but not yesterday. Will give them a break & find another school. Concentrating on mastering Flounder fishing, have not put any thing on the table lately - released all Reds caught...........ICM

[Honey Hole]

I think that the wind affects the bite... not necessarily shutting it down, but moving it to other places. Example, from what Graceland says, the Cobia bite on a NE... well that's on the western side of the bay. The bait is pushed, and the cobia follow. That same NE wind will shut off the bite on the eastern side of the bay.

Red Drum are turned on by an easterly wind as it pushes them onto the shoal off the barrier islands.

The spot are concentrated in the inlets as the wind pushes water into them, where the same wind will shut off the bite on the other side of the bay.

I just don't think that a wind from any direction will keep a fish from eating... maybe when he eats or where he eats... but, he's gotta eat.

[Graceland]

Well since you put it that way Al, I will have to agree with you. I've never fished around the CBBT on the shoals on a hard NE for cobia. I have for the reds, but that's always late evening or night. Maybe that's why we were waxing them in the deeper holes earlier on, since it was calm. Sure was nice not having to take a beating to catch one for a change.

[Honey Hole]

Darren - I "think" there's a constant movement of pods of fish from the barrier islands to the shoals around the CBBT. Those same fish, if the wind remains constant, will move in and out of the mouths of the inlets on the seaside... usually with respect to the tide... funny, but the spot seem to do the same thing inside Little Creek/Lynnhaven inlets.

A NE wind will usually shut off a flounder bite in the bay... but, it drives fish into Lynnhaven... some of the best "inside" bites I've seen have been on a NE.

Good to see you over there on Saturday. I was talking up how good a kite rig would work in that spot... I grinned when I saw you flying one! We ended up seeing 6, hooking none. MAY have had one take a bait, but no hookset... a BIG bait was mashed hard all the way to the hook... if it'd been a ray, it was a HUGE ray.

[Graceland]

I don't know if you could get a hook set if you got one on a kite but it would be a lot of fun trying, and a sight to see. Did you see the sharks airing out on it? Jim wasted a bunch of baits just for the entertainment value of seeing the sharks jump. When the tide slacked we were getting eaten alive by sharks and rays, so I thought maybe the kite would get us some relief. It was actually worse, and get hit by the sharks as fast as we could get baits on it.

You're going to have to take me fishing in the inlet some. I don't have a small boat for that place, but you know me, I love to wet a line. Any evening you want to go just give me a yell. Put me in for the CCA tournie. I told Pete I would fish with him if he has room, but I will ride where ever you need me.

[Honey Hole]

Darren - 10-4 on the tournament.

A buddy of mine fished yesterday and caught a 7.5' Black Tip... had Tarpon rolling around the boat, brushing his lines, but no bites. Regardless of the bites, it's like "going home" for me.... it's just hard to look at the "beach house" they built where my Grandfolks' place used to stand in Oyster.

As far as the inlet fishing goes, the small boat I use is Dale's. I'm thinking of buying a Lowe 1448 w/25 Yammy from Ed's Marine... I know their service deal, but the price is hard to beat. I've been trying to convince Ellen that it'll pay for itself in bait... LOL.