THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510080184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
``S-Day'' is just over a week away, and already Virginia anglers are gearing up for their longest striped bass season since 1989.
The rockfish season will open at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 17 and run through the end of the year. The bag limit will remain at two fish, with an 18-inch minimum, unchanged from a year ago.
However, the fall/ winter season will run 76 days, for a total of 107 open fishing days this year, including the earlier spring season. That's more than three times the 32-day season anglers have had for the past few years.
The liberalization comes after East Coast fishery scientists declared the once-beleaguered rockfish ``completely recovered.''
Striper numbers have been on the upswing for several years after the East Coast population was almost wiped out by a combination of factors. They included pollution, acid rain and habitat loss. But scientists said decades of excessive fishing was the prime culprit.
Anyway, it looks as though stripers aren't waiting for the season to open before starting to provide exciting moments, especially along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Outstanding catches already have been recorded.
The fish have been around all four artificial islands and along stretches of causeway. However, most are running 15 pounds or less.
It'll be a different situation by the middle of November, when the bridge-tunnel season really swings into gear. By then, local stripers will be joined by others migrating down the Chesapeake and still others moving down the coast from summer homes in New York and New England.
Many of those fish should weigh more than 30 pounds, and a few 50-pounders could be included.
They'll be greeted by an armada of anglers, showing once again that the striper casts a magical spell over neophyte and accomplished fishermen.
On calm nights, lighted boats will be strung out along the 17.6-mile bridge-tunnel like twinkling green, red and white diamonds.
November will also see impressive numbers of stripers along both the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and the new Monitor-Merrimack Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.
Other than the season's length, the biggest difference this year will be in fish-keeping nights.
Past seasons have been limited to keeping stripers four days a week - Thursday through Sunday. You could fish for them on other days but you couldn't keep them.
This year, anglers will be allowed to keep rockfish caught any day.
And that should make a lot of fishermen happy. Baked rockfish, cooked with chopped onions and diced potatoes, is mighty pleasing to the palate.
Small wonder so many folks are eagerly awaiting ``S-Day.''
FISHING STUDY: Some 12,000 Virginia anglers will be surveyed as part of a study to see just how much sport fishing contributes to the state's economy.
A recent informal study by the Governor's Blue Ribbon Strike Force on State Government placed that value at $400 million.
The new study, being conducted by Dr. James Kirkley of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is expected to be a much more thorough look. It is being funded by a $113,000 grant from the state's saltwater fishing license fund, through the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
A similar study of the economic impact of commercial fishing is being funded by a $52,500 grant from the seafood harvester's license, also through the Marine Resources Commission.
The disparity in funding does not sit well with Bob Pride of Virginia Beach, head of the Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia, an organization of recreational fishermen. Anglers would like to see a ``same-time, same-quality'' study of the commercial industry, he said.
``The perception is that commercial fishermen are getting more for their money,'' Pride said. ``While this is probably not an accurate perception, recreational anglers will certainly feel that any findings from their more expensive study are being deliberately diminished by VIMS and the state of Virginia.''
Still, Pride encouraged anglers to ``provide complete and accurate information to document the millions of dollars Virginians spend on recreational fishing.''
SUPER WINNER: The winner of this year's ``Super September'' series of fishing tournaments will be crowned at a banquet at the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach.
The winner will not be announced until the ceremony, scheduled for Oct. 13. Anglers competing in a series of tournaments during September earned points based on their performances. The title will go to the one with the greatest number of points.
The series was inaugurated by the Hampton Roads Sportfishing Council to promote the ``great September fishing'' in Virginia, according to Dr. Jim Wright, the founder.
SHORT CASTS: Hatteras Island lost one of its favorite adopted sons with the recent death of Ray Couch of Buxton. A retired Army colonel, he owned the Red Drum Shopping Center and at one time operated the Red Drum Tackle Shop. Couch was an effective, efficient promoter of the Outer Banks. More than anything, though, he was a gentleman and a gentle man. He is missed. . . . Hunters in North Carolina are reporting pretty decent shooting during the opening session of the early duck-hunting season. Wood ducks and green-wing teal provided most of the action. Virginia's early season opens Wednesday. Each state will have seasons split into three segments. . . . National Wildlife Refuge Week runs from today through Saturday. At the Back Bay refuge in Virginia Beach, activities will include bird-watching walks, nature hikes, wildlife talks and demonstrations. The week calls attention to the value of preserving 92 million acres in more than 500 refuges. . . . A well-illustrated, easy-to-understand guide to using your recreational vehicle in winter is available by sending $2 to: Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Dept. WNTZ, P.O. Box 2999, Reston, Va. 22090. . . . Dave Dudley of Lynchburg was the top Virginian in the recent $272,000 Bassmaster Top 100 largemouth bass tournament at Catskill, N.Y. He finished out of the money at 61st. Rick Morris of Virginia Beach was No. 76. Jim Bitter of Fruitland Park, Fla., took the $45,000 top award. by CNB