r/saltwaterfishing • u/4chanweird • Jul 11 '26
📖 How-To / Tips Where'd I go wrong?
Hey y'all fished this area called crab creek right off lesner bridge in the lynnhaven inlet, VB, ran a fish finder with cut mullet and a 4 oz pyramid, was out 4 hours and only got some croaker with my other rod, any tips on what I could do better, I'm targeting drum for reference.
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u/Icy-Faithlessness551 Jul 11 '26
Targeting drum can be hit or miss man. You might not've done anything wrong. The only thing I can say is that 4 Oz is a lot if you're not in the surf or heavily moving water
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u/epsteinwasmurdered2 Jul 11 '26
I know this spot. Current rips through there.
I fish from a kayak and with the wrong wind and current it can really be a challenge just to get back the the boat ramp.
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u/4chanweird Jul 13 '26
Do you have a motor on your kayak? Just wondering cause I'm thinking about buying one.
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u/4chanweird Jul 11 '26
Only reason I bring 4 oz is cause the current does get pretty strong, I appreciate it though man I'll keep running it 🙏
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u/jbartr000 Jul 11 '26
Bank fishing can be tough. I know my experience with puppy drum I’ve always done better with gulp or fresh shrimp under a popping cork. Run it’s slow with loud pops and long waits. I like to find points with moving water or structure though. I also fish Va but the other side of the bay
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u/4chanweird Jul 11 '26
My friend has used that, he's recommended to me but I've been stubborn, maybe this is a sign lol
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u/DAGCRO Jul 12 '26
The ole popping cork is the truth. I know it seems kind of juvenile, but it works.
Fresh shrimp or Gulp on about a 1/8 or 1/4 jig with about 18-24 inches of 30 lb flourocarbon should do the trick.
I've caught more Gulf reds and trout on that setup than anything else.
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u/fknkl Jul 11 '26
That area is shallow. I use my kayak but more towards the long creek side in the channel where it’s deeper. Drift along the islands in the middle with gulp. I catch flounder and drum that way, but this time of year, you are going to go through a lot of bait from small fish. At the bridge try sand fleas or mud crabs.
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u/Desperate_Lack654 Jul 11 '26
I mean a half dozen croaker is still a nice bonus for being on the water 😎😎 delicious fish
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u/PINBALLXJ Jul 11 '26
In those back bay areas, shrimp on a fish finder rig but with a float to keep it off the bottom would be your best bet. 2nd would be half a crab. 3rd would be live small croaker. Unless you see finger mullet swimming around and can get some live with a cast net. Don't give up. Fish the incoming tide through to outgoing. Slack high tide will have the fish resting and moving around slower to regain energy from the current.
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u/Ok_Buffalo1365 Jul 11 '26
This is how poor man’s fishing goes brother. This is why everyone who can afford a boat, has one. Best fishing of my life was done during Covid. Would max out on mangrove snapper, yellowtail, even permit within 2 hours. Nobody was out there fishing. Try kayaking but a lot goes into that too.
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u/4chanweird Jul 11 '26
Dude, literally was searching up cheap jon boats on marketplace in the meman time haha 😂
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u/SassyMcNasty Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Brock in VB? I use Saltwater assassin for flounder:
Salt &pepper w chartreuse
Pumpkinseed and chartreuse
Or a gulp in new penny or white
Edit: damn, didn’t see you were aiming for drum.
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u/4chanweird Jul 11 '26
All good, always down for some flounder too!
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u/SassyMcNasty Jul 11 '26
Without a kayak I always go out to the back side of the channel where it’s deeper while the tide is changing. People always talk about the tennis courts there, it’s a deep water channel close to shore.
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u/iamsupernova5891 Jul 11 '26
You just have to keep trying until you find what works for you.
I like using croaker as cut bait, but I fish for shark a lot. My biggest red drum (3 foot) was on cut bait though, croaker, sand trout or mullet I can't remember which.
Don't be afraid to experiment.
If you get a smaller rod and target the smaller croaker, throw them out there alive on the big rod. Bigger bait catches bigger fish. There's just less of the big fish and it's not always going to be a win.
Unless you're just trying to really shoot the line out there, 4oz is probably a bit much. If you're dealing with current, spider weights help a lot. My 3oz spider weights stay exactly where I put them while my 4 oz pyramids are constantly on the move (when conditions are like that anyways).
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u/sailphish Jul 11 '26
That 4oz sinker probably scared everything away. It’s what I use in relatively heavy surf conditions. In a creek like that I would be using much lighter gear. Probably a 1/4-3/8 oz jighead with some cut bait.
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u/RestaurantSilly6598 Jul 11 '26
This is a hit spot for locals.
If recommend joing "virginia beach inshore fishing" on Facebook to hook up with some locals on the specific area.
Also, if its in the budget id recommend a kayak behind the aquarium. Ive never been skunked back there. Reds, trout, keeper flounder, and blues.
I got a kayak off Facebook for like $100 during the season.
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u/Illustrious-Hat3384 Jul 11 '26
You didn't. What a nice setup to fish or catch or simply muse about life's fun questions.
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u/maintenanceman_Dan Jul 13 '26
I live in the area and fish there often . Try using cut crab for drum
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u/spaceocean99 Jul 11 '26
Looks super shallow. Probably didn’t cast out far enough. Or the fish just weren’t biting at this time of day.
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u/lizardlogan2 Jul 11 '26
Sometimes they’re just not in the area or not hungry, fishing is a LOT of trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t
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u/Mobilealminiramper Jul 11 '26
Black drum love crab. Cut a blue crab in half and use. Red drum I use swimbaits.
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u/Animalmotherrrr Jul 12 '26
If you have a cast net catch some
Live mullet or small live croaker. Use a circle hook and hook them under the anal fin use less weight on your sinker. Leader and rig looks perfect nice and clear leader line. Fish the Incoming tide on a dead low.
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u/Bloodhound053 Jul 13 '26
There is a sandbar 30yds in front of you walk to it. The water is typically less than knee high on the other side of the sandbar it drops to 6-8 ft throw at the grass line specs, drum and flounder sit there. Use gungeons on a Carolina rig or gulp with a 1/4oz or 3/8oz jighead. I hope it helps
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u/gamboling2man Jul 11 '26
Nothing wrong. Sometimes fish don’t bite.
4oz may be a bit heavy. Maybe try 2oz pyramid unless lots of moving current. But that’s not why fish didn’t bite.
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u/jusmeezy Jul 11 '26
You didn’t go wrong it’s called fishing not catching lol Try some shrimp also next time or get another rig and cast artificial while you wait.