Skate off of VA Beach

[Jarhead Chase]

Went head boat fishing for my friend's bachelor party. Caught this skate and about 10 croaker. Good times.

[DoubleJ]

I remember watching a guy we called "the skater" at Illahee State Park when I was a teenager.  He'd catch piling perch until he had about half a dozen and then put some on hooks of a thick rod and then throw them out as far as he could from the dock.  Sooner or later he'd hook a skate.  BIG skate.  5-6' from wing tip to wing tip.  It'd take him an hour+ to land it and he'd let us all take turns fighting it for awhile.  Saw him catch at least 4 of that size over the years.

[Jarhead Chase]

Oh dang. Even these little guys give a good fight. I can't picture a 6 footer.

[quadrafire]

Is that the Bachelor to your left? 

[Jarhead Chase]

That would be his son (my Godson). He caught himself a few croaker that day too, but he mostly showed off to the little girls on the boat.

[Alchase]

I remember watching a guy we called "the skater" at Illahee State Park when I was a teenager.  He'd catch piling perch until he had about half a dozen and then put some on hooks of a thick rod and then throw them out as far as he could from the dock.  Sooner or later he'd hook a skate.  BIG skate.  5-6' from wing tip to wing tip.  It'd take him an hour+ to land it and he'd let us all take turns fighting it for awhile.  Saw him catch at least 4 of that size over the years.

We use to do that in the 80s from the Illahee park dock. Use a 3 ft dropper with 3-4 ounce pyramid sinker, with squid as bait.
40-80 lbers were common.