Bill Cochran Field Reports: New year brings new regulations for fishermen
A number of new fishing regulations arrived with the 2015 New Year. Here’s a quick look:
- Kids under 12 can fish the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Crooked Creek and Clinch Mountain fee-fishing areas without buying a special permit as long as they are under the supervision of an adult who has a permit. Douthat Lake already has such a policy; thus, all three DGIF fee-areas now have consistent rules.
- In Smith Mountain Lake, you must release alive any striped bass caught Nov. 1-May 31 that is 30- to 40-inches long.
- Along the ocean front, the striped bass limit is one fish measuring at least 28 inches.
- On the New River, from Fields Dam in Grayson County to the Virginia-West Virginia line, no bass 14- to 22-inches may be kept and only one above 22 inches.
-
Portions of Big Stony Creek in Wise and Scott counties; Little Stony Creek in Scott County and Little Tumbling Creek in Smith and Tazewell counties are now special regulations trout water where catch-and-release is enforced.
-
It is illegal to stock blue catfish and their hybrids in private ponds.
-
Trotlines, juglines or set poles must be removed from public water when not in use.
-
Permission is required from DGIF to tag fish for personal information or research.
-
On the Clinch River, the limit is one bass per day longer than 20 inches.
-
Saugeye and walleye have been lumped together with an aggregate catch limit of 5-per day and an 18-inch minimum size.
-
No daily limit or size limit on snakehead fish.
-
It is unlawful to possess American shad and hickory shad in the Virginia waters of Kerr and Gaston lakes and their tributaries, including the Dan and Staunton (Roanoke) rivers.
- Snapping turtles for private use only can be taken from June 1 to Sept. 30.
What readers are sayingIs there a difference in the taste of a striped bass caught in freshwater, like Smith Mountain Lake, compared to one caught in saltwater, like the Chesapeake Bay?
That was a question addressed in last week’s Field Reports. My answer was, “Yes” there is a difference. Saltwater stripers taste better.
Reader Elly Robinson agrees. If you are looking for a striper to take home to eat, forget the 40-pound trophies. He recommends one about 24 inches in length caught during cold weather periods.
“The cold water imparts firmness of flesh, the [smaller] size imparts tenderness of the flesh and the saltwater gives an enhanced flavor,” he said.
Outdoor notes
-
For a brief time, it appeared that an angler from the western part of Virginia would be a winner in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. In early December, E. B. Padgett of Roanoke entered a 58-pound, 5-ounce striped bass that was the leader in its category. But just as the year ended, a fish entered by David Long of Roxboro, North Carolina, surpassed Padgett’s catch by 10 ounces.
-
During the hunting season, deer were scarce around our house in rural Roanoke County. In fact, weeks would pass without us seeing one. But the day after the season ended there were five near the back of our house.
-
One of the first outdoor bills, HB 1507, offered in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly would designate a 38.6-mile section of the Dan River in Halifax County as a state scenic river. The designation would be from the North Carolina-Virginia state line to the confluence with Aaron’s Creek. The bill’s patron is James Edmunds, R-Halifax. A 15-mile section of the river in Pittsylvania County and Danville already has state scenic river status.
-
The golden tilefish has been added as a species eligible for a citation award in the 2015 Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. The minimum weight to qualify is 30 pounds.
- Mike Ward, new president of the Smith Mountain Striper Club, has set a goal of rebuilding the club’s membership, which has been in decline. The organization’s next meeting is 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Moneta Center.
Seasons/Meetings/Events
-
New River Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Montgomery County Government Center, Christiansburg, pre-meeting meal 6 p.m. at Due South BBQ.
-
Roanoke Quality Deer Management Chapter program on coyotes, Thursday, 6 p.m. Sportsman’s Warehouse, Roanoke.
-
Eighth annual Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo, Jan. 16-18, Meadow Event Park, Poswell near King’s Dominion, http://richmondfishingexpo.com.
-
New River Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter meeting, 7 p.m. Feb. 4, Montgomery County Governmental Center, Christiansburg, features writer Bruce Ingram.
-
Twenty-eighth annual Western Virginia Sports Show, Feb. 20-22, Augusta Expoland, Fisherville.
- Sport Fishing School May 31-June 4, Hatteras, N.C. offshore and inshore basics, sponsored by NC State University, www.go.ncsu.edu/fishing.
Email comments, questions and events to billkatcochran@gmail.com
Star City Whitetails thanks Bill Cochran for allowing us to share the above info.