DATE: Thursday, May 1, 1997                 TAG: 9705010683

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C10  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Bob Hutchinson 

                                            LENGTH:   29 lines

WEEKLY GUIDE TO THE REGION'S HOT SPOTS

Virginia's ``trophy season'' on striped bass opened at 12:01 this morning and while catching stripers may be easy, not so catching big rockfish.

Only stripers at least 32 inches long will be legal during this special season, which runs through May 15. Last year's ``trophy season'' failed to produce a fish large enough for a citation award from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. However, it takes a 40-pound striper for a ``weight'' citation and a 44-inch fish for a ``release'' award.

Stripers are scattered all along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, although the largest are between the Fourth Island and the high-level bridge across North Channel.

Good numbers of rockfish also are reported in the upper part of the York River, from West Point down toward the York River Bridge. North Carolina's sounds, including including the Albemarle and Currituck, also have stripers, but the Tar Heel season remains closed.

For those who insist on keeping fish, your best saltwater bet remains dangling pieces of crab over coastal and lower-Chesapeake Bay wrecks and reefs for tautog.

Largemouth bass should continue to provide freshwater anglers with some good opportunities for earning citation awards from the Virginia Fresh Water Fishing Program.

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