Mike Halperin
Your Local Sport Fishing Angler
Mike Halperin has been a saltwater fisherman since his teen years and holds the Virginia saltwater state record for a 673-pound dusky shark, the second largest dusky shark on record anywhere in the world. He is well versed in all aspects of saltwater fishing including artificial baits, light tackle, and wire-line trolling and has fished up and down the East Coast as well as in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Alaska.
Mike recently published a book called True Tales of the Tide: An Angler’s Lifelong Quest that includes 13 true saltwater action-adventure fishing stories mostly set in Virginia Beach. The book shares stories about local catches ranging from citation “spot” up to several state record fish.
Mike has lived in Virginia Beach since 1970 and loves that the area is great for world-class fishing, beautiful beaches, fantastic restaurants and a variety of events. He truly Lives the Beach Life by getting out on the water to fish two or three times per week.
Author Entries
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 by Mike Halperin
Captain’s Log: On January 20, what began as a normal Virginia Beach fishing trip suddenly turned into a fabulous forever memory for Cary Wolfe when he fought and defeated an absolute monster striped bass. Trolling a parachute jig just off the Virginia Beach oceanfront, the Bristow, Virginia, angler enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime when he landed a likely new Virginia state record striped bass of 74 pounds!
The striper, caught while fishing with one of our expert local charter boat captains, promises to become the new state record striped bass once certified by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Tournament director Lewis Gillingham’s prediction that it would only be a matter of time until someone would set a new striped bass record has come true.
The huge bass, fought on 80-lb. monofilament line on a 4/0 Penn reel, was so powerful that it had been fraying the heavy line. The line finally broke, not a moment too soon, just as the fish was being netted. Special congratulations to Cary Wolfe on this outstanding catch.
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Tags: citation catches, Flounder, red drum, striper capital of the world, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, white marlin, world class fishing
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 by Mike Halperin
 Photo credit: Ginny Cohen Bait, bass and bluefins are the story off Cape Henry.
Along with the season’s hot striper bite, there has been an amazing inshore bluefin tuna bite as close as the green can buoy right off Cape Henry. Bass and bluefin tuna are feeding on large schools of menhaden and have been joined by four humpback whales. This feeding frenzy has turned into “shock and awe” as tuna in the 100- to 300-pound class have rapidly emptied the reels of numerous striper fishermen leaving them totally speechless other than for some unprintable language. Rock fishermen should bring their “A” game and stoutest gear to avoid this problem and hopefully land a bluefin if it pounces on a striper lure.
One tuna landed during the Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout weighed 265 pounds and will be worth many thousands of dollars to the tournament angler who captured it. The Shootout tournament paid out $145,750 to the seven boats with best rockfish catches. One even larger tuna of 297 pounds has also been landed. Bluefin tuna landed by anglers using 50- and 80- pound class tackle have measured up to 80 inches. Effective tuna lures have included Ilanders and Sea Witches while tuna have also been caught around Chesapeake Light Tower.
Reminder: special federal permits are required for catching and possessing bluefin tuna.
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Tags: bluefin tuna, bluefish, blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, citations, Fishing, Fishing Tournaments, grouper, humpback whales, Rockfish, saltwater fishing, striped bass, Tautog
Posted in Events, Fishing, Living the Life
Sunday, January 1st, 2012 by Mike Halperin
 - Photo courtesy of George Poveromo
Happy New Year from Virginia Beach!
Word is clearly out about jumbo stripers in Virginia Beach. Not only are big bass here but so are big-time fishermen. George Poveromo, editor of Saltwater Sportsman Magazine, recently taped a television show here about our fabulous winter bass fishery. According to Poveromo, “Virginia Beach’s winter run stripers come big and generally plentiful…”*
In his March 3, 2012, television special Poveromo will share precisely how and where he fished to capture the monster bass he found in Virginia Beach waters.
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Tags: bass, blue marlin, bluefin tuna, bluefish, blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Fishing, Flounder, striped bass, Tautog, Virginia Beach, white marlin
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life, The Great Outdoors
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 by Mike Halperin
 Two citation stripers of 57 lb., 7 oz. and 41 lbs. were recently caught at the High Rise Bridge of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel! Recent cold fronts, falling water temperatures, and ample schools of bait have signaled the return of migratory bass to Chesapeake Bay. Rockfish of 40 or more inches and 30 or more pounds are now here. A variety of methods work to land these trophy bass including wire lining, eeling, and chunking. Battle grounds for these whoppers are the northern section of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel from the 12-mile post to the High Rise Bridge area north to Plantation Light.
Smaller bass in keeper slot size, 18- to 28-inches, are being taken by jigging and casting. Surface plugs such as Wind Cheaters and poppers are perfect for the rock islands and pilings of the CBBT. Lynnhaven surf casters are fishing fast current, a perfect situation to fish for stripers. Prime Lynnhaven fishing has been at night. Inlet experts are using 1- to 4-oz. lead jigs coupled with 4-inch Sassy Shads, 6-inch curly tail grubs, or 7-inch pink Zooms. Bass from 37- to 40-inches have been landed with these methods. Many anglers have been rewarded with limits of striped bass. Remember, even BIGGER bass are due to inhabit Virginia Beach waters in the days ahead.
 Virginia Beach is the striped bass capital of the world
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Tags: bluefin tuna, bluefish, blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Flounder, puppy drum, Rockfish, saltwater fishing, speckled trout, striped bass, Tautog, tilefish, yellow bellied rosefish
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life, The Great Outdoors
Friday, December 2nd, 2011 by Mike Halperin
This week’s Beach Report is courtesy of Capt. Mike Halperin who gives us the latest on the winter fishing in Virginia Beach, the striped bass capital of the WORLD!
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They’re Here!
They’re here! Big striped bass, that is. Recent cold fronts, falling water temperatures, and ample schools of bait have signaled migratory bass to return to Chesapeake Bay. A few rock fish up to 40 inches have been reported. While the majority of the bass are slot-size 18- to 28-inch keepers, more large stripers arrive daily, including 30- to 34-inch release-size fish and one 40-lb. fish that measured 47 inches. Best catches will come from wire line trolling, live eels, and tossing lures near the rock islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
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Tags: black drum, bluefin tuna, bluefish, blueline tilefish, dolphin, Flounder, grouper, marlin, puppy drum, rock fish, Sea Bass, striped bass, Tautog, yellow bellied rosefish
Posted in Events, Fishing, Living the Life, The Beach Report, The Great Outdoors
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 by Mike Halperin
 Just as the tides ebb and flood, our summer fish species depart as schools of winter fish arrive. Newly arriving species include speckled trout, tautog, and striped bass.
For extra fun, break out light tackle for the specks but know that more and larger keeper fish are now entering the mix. This year’s “second wave” of trout is affording anglers much larger fish than last year with many fish in the 17- to 22-inch class. Fishermen working Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets have caught a satisfying number of keeper specks up to 24-inch release or 5-pound weight citation size. To maximize success, try Gulp Alive artificial minnows but throw a Mirrolure to trick the larger trout. To date, nearly 100 speckled trout have been registered for citation awards with the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament.
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Tags: bluefish, blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Fishing, Flounder, grouper, Gulp Alive, puppy drum, Sea Bass, sheepshead, spot, striped bass, swordfish, wreckfish, yellow bellied rosefish, yellowfin tuna
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life
Monday, October 31st, 2011 by Mike Halperin
 In a continued testament to wise fisheries management, anglers are enjoying plentiful sport with hungry school-sized striped bass in the 18- to 28-inch slot limit. One of those two fish may exceed 34 inches and still remain legal. Most bass are hanging around structure-like pilings and rocks of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and under tunnel and dock light lines. Generally, the bite is best in fast current. In addition to swim-plastics, the rockfish are also hitting on cut bait.
And the best is yet to come! The recent approval of a new IGFA world record 81-pound, 14-ounce striped bass landed from Connecticut waters this past August promises great hope for a similar catch in our waters. “In Virginia Beach and the adjacent Chesapeake Bay, we are fortunate to have a true melting pot for stripers. Here stripers that have left river systems and actively spent the summer feeding in the northeast return in the fall to co-mingle with a local population of striped bass.” *
So when you’re trolling our waters, don’t set that drag too tight – you just never know what size bass could inhale your lure!
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Tags: bluefish, blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, croaker, dolphin, Flounder, grouper, red drum, Rockfish, sheepshead, spot, swordfish, Tautog, wahoo, white marlin, yellowfin tuna
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life, The Great Outdoors
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