Kevin Kirsh

Mid-Atlantic Saltwater Fishing

Phone: (804) 652-7128
Location: Virginia Beach, VA

I started fishing and hunting with my dad when I was around 5 years old. From the first time in the woods and on the water I knew that I loved the outdoors. I was also fortunate to grow up across the street from a taxidermist where I spent a lot of free time looking at all the deer heads, fish, ducks and other animals that they were working on. When I was 8 years old my dad took me fishing offshore for the first time in Cape Hatteras NC. We fished all day and finally at the end of the day we found the yellow fin tuna. Being 8 years old it was quite a fight, but I remember getting off the boat and told my dad that our pond would not be the same. The fish in the ocean pull drag and I liked it.

As I grew older I worked and learned all I could about Salt Water Fishing so upon graduating from college and not knowing what I wanted to do for a living I began mating on an offshore sport fishing boat. I loved every minute of being outside. Then I got my first boat a small 14ft john boat that I would fish the rivers and tidal areas near shore in the Chesapeake Bay area. I had a hand held VHF radio so I could hear what was going on around me. After listening to the other people on the water I knew that I needed to get my Capt lic so that I knew what the rules of the water were and not be one those people everyone talked about on the radio.

I started chartering people who wanted to saltwater fish and found that I had more fun watching them catch fish than I do. I always think back to my dad taking me offshore the first time and how I became hooked on such a great sport. It is neat to see my customers come back and fish with me over and over again as well as seeing them on the water, many of who have bought their boats and are fishing on their own.

In 2011 I decided to start the Mid Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Expo for several reasons. First is my son who just turned 10 years old and loves the outdoor just like I do. My hope is that one day we can work on this show together. Secondly in walking through tackle shops you see a lot of different baits. While on a charter one of my clients said that there seems to be more fisherman catchers in tackle shops than fish catchers and he sounded very upset. That got me to looking at my own tackle and wondering why some baits worked and some did not. I called one of the guys that made some custom baits I pulled and told him that I did not have a lot of luck with his baits. We talked for awhile and I quickly learned how to fish them properly. Those so called “fisherman catchers quickly became fish catchers.” If I had the same problem I was assured other people had the same problem so I started working on what it would take to have a saltwater fishing expo in this area.

After a year of planning, calling people, meeting some new lifelong friends the doors opened on the first Mid Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Expo. It was a stressful time but looking back and talking with people at the expo I found out that not only did I make a lot of new friends but everyone learned something to make them a better angler and conserve the natural resource that needs our attention on a daily basis.