The 6th Annual Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout
Jan 8-10, 2009

It's Striper Season in Virginia Beach and I'm excited!  I was introduced to Striper, also known as Rockfish by my stepfather (who is from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area).  He insisted that this fish would become my favorite fish and of course, he had the best recipes to enhance it's sweet taste.  Well, I have to give him kudos for making the introduction because he was right.  It did become my favorite fish and it remains to this day.  I knew little of it's popularity in Virginia Beach until now. Virginia Beach is home to some of the best striper fishing in the world.   

Actually, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest nursery on the Atlantic coast for juvenile rockfish.  Seventy to 90 percent of the Atlantic population uses the Bay as spawning and nursery grounds.   So, to celebrate the abundance and fertileness of these waters we welcome the largest Rockfish Tournament in the country to Virginia Beach. 

Get ready to reel as over 1,000 anglers will battle it out top bragging rights.   By the way, there are some serious prizes for the winners of the rockfish shootout (in addition to catching some delicious rockfish.)