The idea for Fintalk was born in 2002 and the actual site went online in early 2004. Although the idea for Fintalk is fairly new the actual finished website is the product of many years of growing up on the water and fishing the Chesapeake Bay and it's surrounding waters by Joseph and Jeffrey Dodd, two brothers who wanted to create a place for anglers to come to get free information for the sport they love so much.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia we were surrounded by water, either the Chesapeake Bay or the Atlantic Ocean. During our early fishing years as kids, around the late 1970's, we actually lived on the water and our first boat was a little aluminum v-hull with a small 9.9 Evinrude that would get us up and down all the rivers around the Lower Bay and get us out to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel so we could trout fish. Back in those days it was all about jigging or wire lining for BIG Gray Trout (Weakfish).

We would take that little 15' aluminum boat all the way across the Bay at times, a 17 mile trip, while the older fishermen with the big boats would look at us like we were crazy! I can't count how many times as a kid I heard, "you don't have good sense being out here in that little boat." Looking back on those days we believe those guys were probably right, my brother and I were quite crazy for being out there in that little tub. All we knew then was that we LOVED to fish, and for a couple of kids around the age of 12 there was nothing in this world like hooking up to a 10lb gray trout on a small Ugly Stick, and that little "aluminum tub" was our ticket to do it. That's where we believe Fintalk.com was born, right there during those great fishing summers in the late 70's and early 80's. We will always cherish those days as young fishermen motoring around the Chesapeake Bay chasing what is now the "ever elusive" Big Gray Trout, at least around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Now as adults we still LOVE to fish, and we wanted to create a place on the internet to further our love for the sport. We wanted to do something we love so we decided to create a website that would feature as much fishing information as possible. We wanted to make a spot for fishermen that was not only a forum, or not only had fishing reports, but a place that had all that and also had tides, weather, and other knowledge or advice we could give to fishermen that would help them to be better more informed fishermen themselves. The old saying goes like this - 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish, well Fintalk.com is here to help you be in that top 10%. Good Luck Fellow Anglers and tight lines!

Good Luck Fellow Anglers and Tight Lines!

Profile for Jeff Dodd - Website Marketing, Fishing Consultant
If you read the first part of this page then you already know I am Jeff Dodd, the younger brother in this operation, by almost 5 years. Age is a frequent topic in our fishing debates, when my brother tells me that I will get old too, I always come back with, "yea but I'll never catch you." He always talks about what lures he used 15 years ago and how many fish he caught way back when and I always tell him that the fish are smarter now, that they are onto those old lures and tricks, that it's time for him to get with the times and use these new fang dangled lures. It's like pulling teeth but I think he is starting to come around, at least he quit using that Red Lead Head he wrote about.

If you read his profile or story about the little aluminum boat we had then you only got half the story. He left out some very important happenings from those days. Yea, we did catch lots of fish and yea we were called crazy for being at the Bridge Tunnel in that little low riding 15' aluminum boat. What he didn't mention was that I was brought along I think to be the designated Captain for when it got rough. Let me explain. Now he was around age 13 or 14 and I was around age 10 or 11 so he was naturally bigger than me at that age. When it got rough he would actually force me to sit in the back and run the boat. I used to beg him to run the boat and he would always say no, or later. When it got windy he would say OK, you can run the boat now while he climbed towards the front to stay nice and dry. Remember it was just a little outboard so you had to sit in the back to run it and when it was rough you took all the spray and waves right in the face! Over and over. Of all the great memories from those days that is one I'd just as soon forget!

When we had this website idea I knew I wanted to do it and I loved the idea of creating an online information center for fishermen. But I had never done anything like this before, computers have never been my favorite activity by no means. In my line of work I never really had to know a whole lot about computers. During my years in high school I would work the summers with my dad as a helper on his electrical jobs. He taught me as much as he could and after a few years of working with my dad it paid off. I was able to get my journeyman's card and I eventually went on to get my master's license. During my early years as an electrician I worked for a couple of electrical outfits in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I eventually went to work for myself wiring new homes for various builders in the area but the competition was fierce to put it lightly. I could almost make as much money going to work for a telecommunications company that was offering me a substantial package and I wouldn't have all the headaches, but the catch was I had to leave town and travel up and down the eastern 1/3rd of the country. I was young and single so I decided to do it, plus my friends and brother would always come visit me. I never got to work near the ocean so I couldn't do much saltwater fishing but I did manage to wet a line in various lakes around Central South Carolina and also in Central New York. It may not be saltwater but that's OK, I was going to wet a line somewhere!

Although I missed my saltwater fishing I would have to say those few years on the road were worth it. But now I am happy to be back home with another company that is based here in Virginia Beach so I have been able to resume my "grueling" fishing schedule. Even though I have to keep my day job my attention now turns to the success of Fintalk.com. We are working hard and often late into the night to keep fresh and up to date information on the site for the Fintalk Sportsmen. We decided to keep the site free to the public and to achieve this we have created The Fintalk Featured Business Directory for Sportsmen. We have various fishing and outdoors related companies that will be listed in the directory for the Fintalk users. You can support us by supporting them. When you need a charter, a taxidermist or other service check out the Sportsmens Business directory, maybe you can find it in there.

Good Luck and Tight Lines!