Great fishing is just around the corner, and I’m excited.
A relatively mild winter gave a slow hand-off to spring, but with water temperatures on the rise we are now seeing a more rapid migration of fish.
The upper Rappahannock and Potomac rivers and their tributaries have been yielding catfish and perch already, but the fish that most excites saltwater anglers in the spring are striped bass (rockfish). By late April, rockfish had already migrated up the bay, into the rivers and began engaging in the spring spawn.
Striped bass — An overview
Striped bass are anadromous, meaning they spend most of their adult life in ocean waters, but return to their natal rivers to spawn in the spring. The migration up the bay occurs when water temperatures reach the mid-50s. These fish swim into the rivers up to or above the tide line to a lower salinity environment. Once on site, the fish stage in the area and then spawn when the water reaches 60 degrees and continue to spawn up to 68 degree water temps.
If the spawning grounds are able to sustain a minimum of 60 degrees, then the fry will hatch in about 65 hours. If the water sustains a higher temperature of 68 degrees, then the fry will hatch in 44 hours.
The eggs have a large oil globule that keeps them buoyant in flowing water but causes them to sink in still water. Water movement is essential because eggs that sink to the bottom will suffocate and die. With that in mind, the faster the eggs hatch, the less other environmental conditions come into play.
Less than stellar conditions may have contributed to the poor spawning success in recent years, but another factor looms heavily, a decline in spawning stock biomass (SSB). In the 2018 assessment, female (SSB) was estimated at 151 million pounds, well below the SSB threshold of 202 million pounds. This represented a 25-year low, yet was still above the level that triggered a total ban on rockfish harvesting in the mid 1980s.
Although each state has implemented measures to reduce spawning stock mortality, surveys including young of the year (YOY) and recruitment (age-1 fish in the population) have been very low for the past three years. In the large picture, we need to have a two to three year moratorium on striped bass more than 32 inches in length and a moratorium on commercial fishing prior to May 1 (after the spawn is completed). These fish represent a huge windfall to the eastern seaboard both commercially and recreationally. With a small sacrifice now, we can keep this fishery alive and well for the next generation to come.
Rockfish fun facts
- Females fully mature by age 8.
- Males mature by age 4.
- 36 inch female produces 1 million eggs.
- It takes four years to reach 18 inches.
- The Chesapeake Bay is the main spawning ground for more than 80 percent of the Atlantic population.
Virginia’s striped bass season opens May 16 and concludes on June 15 with a size limit of 20-28 inches and bag limit of one fish per person.
Other species
Many of the species that frequent our region in the spring, migrated south along the southern Atlantic states during the winter months. Some remain local and others find a desirable climate somewhere in the middle.
The mild winter appears to have favored species that spawn in the fall off the coast, such as croaker and spot. The latest survey documented a resurgence in abundance of these sought-after species. Spot abundance was the highest since 2010 and Atlantic croaker abundance was the highest since 1998. This is welcomed news. We have enjoyed a great run of spot in the past two years and would love to see the large croaker make a comeback.
Speckled trout should have wintered in the region since the winter was mild. This fishery will improve throughout this month as they migrate into the shallow waters. Last year was very productive fishing and all signs are pointing to good catches again this season.
Another species that will begin to enter the region later this month is bluefish. The first catches will likely be found on the chumming grounds while mixed in with catches of rockfish. These fish have been making a comeback in the bay. You can expect to catch two-to-four pound class fish throughout the spring.
While we are all excited about beginning a new fishing season, let’s also keep in mind that we need to sustain our fisheries. We can do that by choosing to only keep the amount of fish that we need and carefully catch and release the others for another day.
Until next time, fair winds.
Capt. Billy Pipkin owns and operates Ingram Bay Marina and Capt. Billy’s Charter Service located in Wicomico Church. Visit his website at ingrambaymarina.com. His phone number is 580-7292.
