Magazine editor touts region as one of the nation's best

VIRGINIA BEACH

George Poveromo is high on mid-Atlantic fishing.

The editor-at-large for Salt Water Sportsman magazine was in Virginia Beach several weeks ago hosting his National Seminar Series.

The series has been held in Virginia Beach a half-dozen times - and for good reason.

"I used to think that the Venice, La., area was the best coastal fishing in the continental United States," said Poveromo, who lives in Florida. "It has an incredible amount of fish and quality fish.

"But I would tend to think that Virginia Beach is even better than that."

Poveromo cited the Virginia Beach and nearby Outer Banks area's abundance of variety as one reason he thinks the mid-Atlantic could be the best. The size that some species grow to is a bonus.

"Anglers looking for incredible variety of trophy fish can't ignore this area," he said. "You're at the southern-most range for northern game fish, and at the northern-most range of southern fish.

"And when you get those extremes, you usually have bigger fish. You certainly do here."

Poveromo especially has been impressed with the size of southern favorites.

"There are places in Florida where they get excited about a 6- or 7-pound speckled trout," Poveromo said. "You guys have this winter trout fishery where they're catching double-digit fish and not raising an eyebrow.

"And we can consistently find places along the Gulf coast where they catch 30-pound redfish. But you guys are catching these giant ones."

Poveromo got especially excited when he started talking about white marlin action from Ocean City to the Outer Banks.

"We've got some pretty tremendous sailfishing down our way," he said. "But a good white marlin bite trumps sailfish every day. What you guys have had the past couple of falls is world class. It's been better nowhere.

"I'd have to say that the fishing you guys have spanks the rest of the country in a lot of ways."

- Lee Tolliver