Angler proves limited time doesn't mean limited results

VIRGINIA BEACH

Sean O'Brien should teach time management classes.

O'Brien, the owner of a carpet-cleaning business, and his wife have four children. Once business matters are taken care of and he has tended to the family's needs, he has a home to keep up.

There's little time to fish, but O'Brien, 36, has it figured out.

"I keep a couple of fishing rods and a tackle box in the work truck," said O'Brien, a Virginia Beach resident. "If I've got five or 10 minutes between jobs, I stop somewhere along the way and fish. Some people are weekend fishermen. I'm the 15-minute fisherman."

O'Brien said he has fished less than two hours this month, but he makes his efforts count. He recently caught his second citation largemouth bass in a section of Hell's Point Creek that runs through Virginia Beach's Ocean Lakes neighborhood. The fish was 23-1/2-inches long - good enough for a release award from the state - and weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces on a hand scale.

O'Brien was fishing on a friend's dock. He was throwing a Texas-rigged, pumpkin seed-colored plastic lizard.

"I caught my other citation there," O'Brien said. "I had about 15 minutes before I had to be home, so I stopped and flipped a few times and caught that one."

O'Brien said he has caught more 3-, 4- and 5-pounders than he can remember.

"I do a lot of research into techniques, where to fish at certain times of the year and what to throw," he said. "I have to make what little time I have count."

O'Brien has more than a dozen local locations where he likes to fish. So, when he maps out the day's scheduled stops, a pond or stream usually gets added to the route.

"I've got about eight to 10 spots that I really frequent," he said. "I'll try anywhere, but you quickly figure out which ones are going to offer the best chance to catch something."

Hell's Point Creek in Virginia Beach is his favorite. A couple of ponds off Salem Road and Lotus Pond off Sandbridge Road are other key Beach spots.

"For the little time I put on the water, I guess I do pretty good," O'Brien said. "I've also caught a citation crappie, which gives me two freshwater species. I think I'm really going to try and get three more species so I can get my Master Angler from the state."

Whether O'Brien succeeds or not, he'll be relaxed because of the effort.

"I really enjoy fishing and wish I could fish more," he said. "But the little amount of time I can fish really helps. It's better than nothing. And it's great stress management for me."