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
Sunday, April 15th, 2012 by Mike Halperin
 Dr. Ken Neill (pictured) nabbed this state record breaking 24 lb., 3 oz. tautog at the Triangle Wrecks Sure enough, with such a warm winter, many favorite local fish have already made their appearance. Early arrivals include red drum, bluefish, flounder, spot, croaker, speckled trout, sea mullet, and tautog. Tautog continue to be a real hot bite. Anglers dropping crab baits on inshore or offshore structure and wrecks have been well rewarded. Several Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament citations (9 lbs. or heavier) were registered with some fish pushing up to almost 15 pounds including the absolute monster tog pictured at left. Fishing alone, 30 miles offshore in a dense fog at the Triangle Wrecks, Dr. Ken Neill knew the bite he had was a big fish. Once he initially weighed the fish on a boat scale, Ken quickly departed the Morgan wreck where he had been fishing, and headed straight to Rudee Inlet to weigh his fish on a certified scale. It is now official: his 24 pound, 3 ounce tautog is a new Virginia state record. The prior mark had stood for 25 years at 24 pounds. Dr. Neill’s fish, caught using 50 lb. Power Pro line, was just shy of the current 25 pound world record tautog. Interestingly, only the day before, Ken had caught his first 15 pound tog. Congratulations to Dr. Neill on this fine angling accomplishment as we kick off the 2012 fishing season!
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Tags: blueline tilefish, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, croaker, golden tilefish, grouper, saltwater fishing, Sea Bass, speckled trout, striped bass, wreck fish, yellow bellied rosefish
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life
Sunday, April 1st, 2012 by Mike Halperin
 - Captain Jonathan Carter nabbed this monster 17 lb., 8 oz. citation Tautog in mid-March on an offshore wreck
Virginia’s spring saltwater fishery is just getting started with many sought after species making their arrival. With fishing season coming right behind a very mild winter, Virginia Beach anglers are hopeful that all of their favorite species will soon return. It is expected that because of warmer water temperatures and an abundance of bait this past winter, many species may even arrive ahead of schedule. Since inshore and bay waters have warmed, several target species are already here.
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Tags: Flounder, golden tilefish, gray trout, grouper, speckled trout, yellow bellied rosefish
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life
Friday, March 2nd, 2012 by Mike Halperin
This week’s Beach Report features local expert angler Captain Mike Halperin who shares a nice wrap up of the 2011 fishing year and a great run down on one of Virginia’s premiere fishing recognition programs, the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament.
Citations Abound Year Round
 One of Capt. Mike Halperin's VSWFT Citations
Attractive Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament citation plaques continue to provide special highlights for anglers. The 2011 fishing season provided another spectacular year for both Virginia Beach fishing and the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament’s 54th year.
This free angler recognition program, open to persons of all ages without regard to state or country of residence, is sponsored by the state of Virginia and administered by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
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Tags: blueline tilefish, cobia, Fishing, fishing citations, red drum, Rockfish, striped bass, Virginia Beach, Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program, Virginia Marine Resource's Commission, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, white marlin
Posted in Living the Life
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
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