Thursday, July 03, 2008
New rules at Carvins Cove
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
The door to fishing at Carvins Cove opened a little wider this week with new regulations that became effective July 1.
The cove, which is a 630-acre water supply impoundment owned by the city of Roanoke, has restricted boat fishing for more than 15 years to residents of the city and nearby areas for several years. That policy caused the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to discontinue management of the fishery, saying the lake was being operated like a private body of water.
The Western Virginia Water Authority, which now operates the lake, has eliminated the preferential treatment, and this opens the door for the DGIF to return as the fisheries’ manager. While both the DGIF and water authority believe this is a good plan, details are yet to be worked out, said Bud LaRoche, a senior DGIF biologist. Potential projects, he said, included stocking walleye, striped bass and catfish. Also being looked into is a better fishing pier and shoreline habitat for fish.
As in the past, boats must be inspected as part of a zebra mussel deterrent. The boat operator must supply written certification by the owner that the boat has been in no other water other than Carvins Cove for the past three weeks.
Through the years, the Cove has yielded trophy largemouth bass and crappie. At one time DGIF stocked it with trout and, later, striped bass and walleye.
BILL
SUPPORT FOR TURKEY FEDERATION
The National Wild Turkey Federation has received a statement of support from its Florida Chapter. The federation has been under attack by a group of past board members who want to oust current boat members (see last week’s Cochran Column).
The Florida board of directors stated: “Chance can be good for an organization and we believe that the National Board of Directors is doing an exemplary job of addressing issues that will prove to be highly beneficial to the organization as a whole, and that will be widely and enthusiastically accepted by staff, volunteers and members alike.”
BILL
SPANISH MACKEREL ARE HOT
About this time of the year you can expect cobia and spadefish to dominate the Virginia saltwater fishing scene, but that’s not the case as the July 4 holiday approaches.
The hot fish is the Spanish mackerel, which has attracted mobs of trollers to the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Some say the flotillas of boats after mackerel are remindful of the hoards of anglers who go after winter striper in the area. Many boats are filling their fish box with limit catches.
Meanwhile, both cobia and spadefish action has been on the slow side. A few cobia up to 90 pounds have been landed, but not in big numbers. As for spadefish, they have been running small. The early season big-fish hangouts, like Chesapeake Light, really never have taken off.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries graduated 19 conservation police officers from its Basic Law Enforcement Academy following a 28-week training period. The class contained some impressive candidates -- an honor graduate of a criminal justice academy; a veteran awarded the Army Commendation Medal; a graduate of Virginia Tech; a deputy sheriff. Several will be assigned to the Smith Mountain area.
>>Two fly-fishing tournaments on Rose River Farm in Madison County netted $67,000 for Project Healing Waters, a program open to wounded military personnel and veteran hospital patients.
>>Gary Funkhouser, Conservation Police Officer assigned to the Roanoke area, has been recognized as the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Conservation Police Officer of the Year.
>>The 2008-09 Hunting and Trapping in Virginia Regulations Guide is available at hunting and fishing license agents. It features a new look, with color-coded tabs to make locating information easier. There is an entire page devoted to new hunting regulations.
>>Spike Knuth’s watercolor painting of a pair of gadwalls in flight over a marsh has been selected for the 2008-09 Virginia State Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp.
>>Bruce Stanton, vice president and general manager of PRADCO Fishing, a major maker of lures based in Arkansas, has been elected to the board of the American Sportfishing Association. Staunton spent time on the staff of the Roanoke Times prior to becoming an employee of PRADCO.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
The first gray triggerfish and bluefin tuna catches of Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament have shown up on the leader board and there are new leaders in the cobia, croaker and tuna categories. Here are the standings:
BLACK DRUM: 87 pounds, 3 ounces, Paul Elliott, Surry, Latimer Shoals (C-2 Buoy). BLUEFISH: 19 pounds, 4 ounces, Richard Brown, Richmond, off Virginia Beach.
BLUEFIN TILEFISH: 18 pounds, 12 ounces, Dr. Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
COBIA: 90 pounds, 10 ounces, Charles Thain, Birdsnest, Inner Middle Ground, C-13.
CROAKER: 4 pounds, Lorie Richardson, Mechanicsville, Rappahannock River. DOLPHIN: 49 pounds, 7 ounces, Edward Pickett, Portsmouth, Norfolk Canyon.
FLOUNDER: 10 pounds, 8 ounces, Thomas Horsley, Gloucester, off Cape Charles.
GRAY TRIGERFISH: 4 pounds, 2 ounces, Adam Lyons, Chesapeake, Seagull Pier on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Joseph Hudgins, Jr., Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (4th island).
KINGFISH: 1 pound, 9 ounces, David Davis, Portsmouth, Sandbridge surf.
SEA BASS: 7 pounds, 8 ounces, Reggie Myrick, Portsmouth, off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPSHEAD: 13 pounds, 4 ounces, Byron Farlow, Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. .
SPADEFISH: 13 pounds, 15 ounces, Donald Knight, Chesterfield, Wolf Trap Light.
SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, Alfred Simpson, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge pier.
SPECKLED TROUT: 9 pounds, 15 ounces, David Hester, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
STRIPED BASS: 73 pounds, state record, Frederick Barnes, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.
TAUTOG: 20 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Shreve, Glen Burnie, Md., Monroe Wreck.
TUNA, BLUEFIN: 195 pounds, Troy Hart, Locust Grove, Norfolk Canyon.
TUNA: 82 pounds, Larry O’Neal, Virginia Beach, Hot Dog.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., July 11, Moneta Center, Jeff Meeks on trolling tactics.
Meeting of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ board, 9 a.m. July 15 at the agency headquarters, 4000 West Broad St. in Richmond.
Shenandoah River Rodeo, July 19, Bentonville’s Low Water Bridge Campground, $40, to benefit Shenandoah Riverkeepers, pig roast, bluegrass, fishing, canoeing, camping information from Shenandoah Riverkeepers, P.O. Box 405, Boyce, Va. 22620.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., Aug. 1, Moneta Center, presentation by Ken Mitchell, manager of the Brookneal striper hatchery.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Aug. 17, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from Triangle Archers 3D tournament, June 22, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Eastern Regional Big Game Championship, Sept. 13 and 14, Southampton County Fairgrounds, Franklin, sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association, more information from Kenneth Pickin, P.O. Box 1860, Williamsburg, Va. 23187-1860; 757-229-0490. This is the contest for deer, bear and turkey killed east of the Blue Ridge. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Sept 14, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Third annual WSLS 10 Hunters for the Hungry banquet, 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, Salem, tickets $20 singles; $35 couples, kids 12 and under free, to benefit the organization’s feed-the-needy program, tickets from Jeff Fletcher, 540-985-6523 or Fred and Phyllis Wells, 540-992-3874 or may be purchased at Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, additional information from hunt4hungry@cs.com.
Western Regional and State Big Game Championship, for deer, bear and turkey killed west of the Blue Ridge or advanced from the Eastern Championship, Sept. 27 & 28, Rockingham County Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg, more information from Jon Ritenour, 2041 Spaders Church Road, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801, 540-434-8028. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Fall Optimist Club of Cave Springs Fishing Tournament, Oct. 3-5, Smith Mountain Lake.
Saltwater striped bass tournament opens Oct. 4.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 18.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
