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Sampling Location in Hampton Roads area of Virginia

Started by Guest_Speckled93_* , Sep 04 2013 05:28 PM

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5 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Speckled93_*

Guests

Posted 04 September 2013 - 05:28 PM

Hello everybody,

I am sort of new to the naitive fish keeping hobby, though I have been keeping tropicals since I was a small child, and I was looking for advice on where I could go sampling, I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and have been doing my sampling from man-made lakes and drainage ditches that are in my neighborhood. Needless to say, the species that are available there are of a limited variety.

#2 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 04 September 2013 - 08:09 PM

Welcome Speckled... I am glad that you decided to check us out. I think we have a few members out your way and I know we have a great rep in Raleigh, North Carolina which is not too far from you. Hopefully some of those folks will speak up and help you out with something specific. On the other hand I want to commend you for being ultra local and learning the fish that are right around your neighborhood... I have made some interesting discoveries that way.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#3 Guest_Speckled93_*

Guests

Posted 04 September 2013 - 11:42 PM

Yes, I have put in my time and learned the lakes and ditches in my neighborhood. Lots of bass and sunfish in the lakes, with a few bullheads and channel cats, carp, and bowfin mixed in. In the ditches there are mostly just mosquitofish. It's slim pickings.

#4 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 05 September 2013 - 05:30 AM

Speckled, I spent several years in and around the Hampton Roads area during and after college sampling both freshwater and marine species. Unfortunately the freshwater collecting on the peninsula and coast where you are isn't going to be much more diverse than the species you've already come across. The coastal plains tend to have less speciation when it comes to FW natives. To find more species, you need to head inland to higher ground. My personal recommendation would be to sample brackish waters. The Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries are extremely diverse. You will find a lot of juvenile, oceanic species that take refuge in marshes before they are large enough to return to the open ocean. This time of year, you are likely to encounter some juvenile, sub-tropical species that followed the Gulf Stream up as larvae earlier in the year. (Most will subsequently die as the cold weather approaches). I certainly am a sucker for FW species, but also fell in love with our saltwater natives too. Lots and lots of cool stuff out there. I'd be happy to share a few locations if this interests you. Best of luck.

Nick L.

#5 Guest_phishnter_*

Guests

Posted 05 September 2013 - 08:36 AM

Hi Speckled. I live in the Richmond Va area and have read some things about the dismal swamp area. I haven't yet been there, but there are supposedly a bunch of canals in and around the swamp area that have a pretty nice variety of species. I've actually been wanting to go there myself and do some sampling and micro fishing. The canals are roughly an hour from the Va Beach area and about and hour and a half from my area. If you decide to head there, hit me up. I may be able to catch up with you.

#6 Guest_njJohn_*

Guests

Posted 05 September 2013 - 10:08 AM

I know where you can find sheep head minows in VB. The only thing that i ever kept from Hampton Roads is gambuia. Also, Pet Paradise seem to get a lot of natives in their feed tanks. Gotta look close in all of their feeds.