Zoning citation at Bob's Fishing Hole overturned

For more than three decades, anglers wanting to stay the night at Bob's Fishing Hole have been allowed to pitch a tent, tow in a camper or sleep in their van.

Once known as the Northwest River Campground, the location off South Battlefield Boulevard always has been a place to stay for a few days.

But because a Chesapeake zoning inspector had cited the fishing camp's owners for a violation of city code, that practice was in jeopardy.

James Waters and Dennis Padgett had been cited for operating a campground without a conditional use permit.

But Thursday night, the Chesapeake Board of Zoning voted 3-2 to overturn the violation, allowing anglers to continue to camp on the site.

"We're very happy with the decision," Padgett said. "We don't have a lot of people who camp here. But quite a few people do every so often and it's important to them.

"We really appreciate all the support we got from the anglers who use our facility."

City zoning administrators cited Bob's because a portion of the city code states that if a facility is not used for its intended purpose for more than two years, it can no longer be grandfathered in and new permits need to be applied for.

A zoning administrator Thursday said that one of his inspectors drives by the facility every day and said that nobody has camped there for at least two years.

But a group of supporters, a stack of petitions, and several dozen phone calls and e-mails to the city contradicted the inspector's allegations.

The city had assumed that during 2005 and 2006, no one had camped at the facility - thus killing the right to continue to operate as a campground without new permits. The city then contended that from 2007 through April 3 of this year, a camper had been located on the property and that someone was using it - resulting in the violation. A camper is located on the property and it has been used. But because campers have continued to use the facility over the two years in question, the board ruled in favor of Waters and Padgett.

The city has the right to appeal the zoning board's decision.

"Our contention all along was that people camped here off and on during the two years that they said nobody did," Padgett said. "We had enough supporters who said just that."

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LOOKING FOR TAGS

Anglers fishing in and around the Chesapeake Bay should keep a look out for several floating objects that look like bobbers.

They are satellite pop-up tags that have started to release from several red drum that were tagged more than a month ago.

Big red drum that have moved into Virginia waters have been tagged by Dr. John Graves of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in an effort to find out what happens to the fish when released. Only red drum measuring between 18 and 26 inches are allowed to be kept. Many of the tagged drum are longer than 40 inches.

The tags are the same ones used by Graves in his white marlin studies, and most recently in striped bass studies.

Anglers finding the tags and turning them in will get a $100 reward.

When the tags pop off the fish, they float and transmit data to a satellite, from which the information is retrieved. But not all of the information always gets transmitted.

Collected tags allow Graves to download 100 percent of the information, making for a better study.

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CIRCLE HOOKS

Starting Wednesday, anglers fishing in the Pamlico Sound must use circle hooks.

The mandate lasts through Sept. 30 and is an effort to reduce red drum catch-and-release mortality.

The rule is for anglers using natural bait on hooks larger than 4-0 and applies to efforts from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The hooks must be coupled with a short leader and fixed weight.

The regulation was recommended in a North Carolina Red Drum Fishery Management Plan after it was determined that the hooks reduced gut-hooking.

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RESULTS

• From the Bob's Fishing Hole Sunday largemouth bass tournament series: 1. Charles and Diana Ruffin of Virginia Beach, 11.35 total pounds; 2. Darrell Kidd of Chesapeake and Robert Stamey of Virginia Beach, 9.5 (including the 4.1-pound lunker award winner).
• From the Virginia Bassmasters club largemouth bass tournament held last weekend on North Carolina's Chowan River: 1. Reid Williams of Virginia Beach, 7.15 total pounds; 2. Jeff Poplin of Como, N.C., 7.15; 3. Joyce Melton of Corapeake, N.C., 5.13. Top co-angler: Chris Bigbie of Gates, N.C., 2.14 pounds. Lunker award: Billy Webb of Virginia Beach, 2.15 pounds.

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UPCOMING

• Virginia Beach Angler's Club monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Foundry Methodist Church, 2801 Virginia Beach Blvd. Capt. Mike Standing will talk about offshore fishing. For more information, call Bob Stuhlman at (757) 374-7372.
• The 13th annual Virginia Beach Invitational Marlin Tournament, July 23-26 out of Fisherman's Wharf Marina in Rudee Inlet. A kickoff party and pre-registration will be held at 7 p.m. July 9 at the marina. For more information, call Paula Owen at (757) 652-8409.
• The Paddle for the Bay to benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be held Saturday next to the Ocean View Fishing Pier. Registration is at 6 a.m., with the following flights: women's 10-mile outrigger race at 7 a.m.; men's 10-mile outrigger race at 9 a.m.; small boat 6-mile race at 10 a.m., mixed outrigger 6-mile race at 11 a.m.; and a stand-up paddle board race at 11:10 a.m. Pre-registration is $40 and day-of-event registration is $50. Go to www.active.com to pre-register.

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com