HOW I Spend My Weekends

This past weekend myself and another member of the Virginia Tech Bass Fishing Team volunteered with the Heroes on the Water - Tidewater.  The two of us found ourselves racing around in the morning Saturday before the event to get a kayak for me and some GULP!  We got to the ramp and everything was set to go and after a short pep talk we headed out in search of some flounder and trout.

All Lined Up

We prowled the inlet with a couple hits, but I could not manage to hook up.  As lunch time neared the whole group started to have trout splashing all around them.  I tied on a mirrolure and worked it quickly back to the kayak.  I hooked up on my third cast and landed a short 10-12in speckled trout, but with lunchtime and heavy rains forcing me off the water that would prove to be the only fish I landed.
 It was a great time out there with awesome people, and I learned a few things that would help me for future saltwater outings.
Sunday rolled around and it was off to Lynnhaven for some flounder.  Evan and I got out of the launch and immediately started fishing the grass.  We had numerous hits from blues, croakers, and a few flounders, but couldn't get anything into the yaks.  After moving around Evan landed his first flounder of the day; a 13-14in flounder.
We then paddled around the inlet waiting for the tide to turnover.  We found a spot and tossed our gulps around, but during slack-tide we had difficulty getting any bites.  Once the tide started rolling in I hooked up, but it was a shorter flounder than Evan's.  It was super small, but it was my first flounder I ever landed and I was proud!

My Super Small Flounder Held High and Proud!

A couple minutes later I had a solid hit and set the hook.  Fish on, but it was significantly bigger than my first one.  It splashed around yakside and I got my first look at it; it was a solid flounder.  Evan screams at me to land it without losing it, and after several failed landings I got it into the yak.  I paddled to the shore and threw him on the measuring board.  My first "doormat" (despite it being a small doormat) went a shade over 20 inches.  I was elated, but struggled to hook up with any other flounders for the rest of the outing.

20.5in "Doormat"

About an hour before we decided to head in me and Evan started hooking up with little tiny puppy drum.  They were 5-10inches, but fought like a freight train!  It was a blast fighting them, and was yet another species I was able to check  off my saltwater check sheet.

Pungo!

I cannot wait to head back down and get in to more saltwater species, they taste a lot better than the freshwater fish I am accustomed to catching.