Kayak Fishing Tours

BIO

Kayak Kevin began his water adventures as a two-year old fishing the Chesapeake Bay with his dad and grandfather. When he was a kid big enough to hold a paddle, Kevin and his father would canoe down a section of the James River every year. At fourteen, Kevin was the youngest person to white water raft down the Ottawa River at that time.

In 2003, Kevin kayaked solo for 500 miles in five weeks, from the Georgia/Florida border to his home in Norfolk, Va.
In 2004 Kevin kayaked from Oregon Inlet, NC to Ocean City, MD. Two hundred miles including the 20 mile crossing of the Chesapeake Bay.
In 2005 Kayak Kevin paddled solo from Pensacola Florida to Norfolk, Va. That was an 1800 mile kayak fishing odyssey which he completed in four and a half months

Kayak Kevin is an expert at Kayak fishing the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT). He considers it his home fishing spot. The main attraction at the HRBT is sight casting to Stripers in the light line.

THE LIGHT LINE

Stripers exhibit a unique behavior of feeding at night. Like Snook and Tarpon in Florida, Stripers use the shadow of the bridge to ambush their prey which are attracted to the street lights. Stripers line up on the edge of the light line facing into the current. This is sight fishing at its best. You can “choose your target” for the bigger ones surrounded by smaller ones. This is the challenge, the smaller ones are faster. Often, when they are thick and unflinching you can, with a little paddle and kayak control, grab their tails. Truly an amazing and thrilling way to fish for stripers!

STRIPERS

Resident Stripers hold year round at the HRBT. The best time for big ones, 30 to 40 inches, are in February, March, and early April.

The resident Stripers, 16 to 24 inches, will feed every night during the peak current flow on the light line.

OTHER FISH AT THE HRBT

Flounder are there all summer around the many sandbars that surround the bridge.
Croakers are always a fun catch on bottom, usually providing fast action and hard fights for their size.
Grey Trout and small Speckled Trout sporadically show up in the spring and summer months.
Bluefish and Hickory Shad also put up a fast and furious fight, often jumping like small Tarpon.
Spots make their big run in the fall and are great table fare.

Since you will be kayak fishing in currents, a little water or fishing expertise is necessary. This is a night time fishery and may be a little scary to a novice. But the HRBT has varying levels of difficulty. The current close to shore is not as fast, but further out holds more fish, but not necessarily bigger. Thirty-two inchers have been caught close to shore.

Meeting at the Willoughby Spit Boat Ramp an hour before sunset you will get detailed instructions on kayak and paddle control in the current, positions and castings to stripers on the light line, boat control while fighting the fish, landing and handling the fish, and posing for a picture.

You will be guided out while the sun sets over the Norfolk Naval Base and the historic James River, one mile to the HRBT where Kayak Kevin will put you on the fish, bottom fishing for flounder and croaker until dark. Then Kevin will guide you to the light line for the Stripers.

$180 – we supply Kayak, PFD, paddle, all tackle and rod, headlight and radio.
$150 – you have your own kayak, we supply the rest.

RESERVATIONS

Contact randy@tidewateradventures.com for more information on a guided Kayak Fishing Tour.
Thanks! Randy Gore 757.480.1999 :: 888.669.8368