Date: 7/22/11

Chesapeake Bay:  Cobia catches have increased in the lower bay especially on the west side. Steve Lane and party caught 4 on Wednesday the 20^th. They were sight casting with bucktails. Large schools of Bunker can be seen all over the lower bay which usually signals big fish nearby. Flounder are being caught all over the bay, with notable catches coming from the Cell, the CBBT, and Back River Reef. Recently a Green Top customer reported catching a 461/2 in Red Drum while Flounder fishing at the Cell. He also had 8 keepers (Flounder).  Most of the better catches are coming from jigs with jerk shads. There’s been some good catches of Black Drum at the CBBT recently, up to 60lbs. croaker are pretty much everywhere and this year shrimp seems to be the bait of choice.

Ocean:  The most interesting action is taking place on the sea side of the Eastern Shore, and the species is Tarpon. Live Croaker of Spot is a great choice. Also on the seaside, many catches of sharks are taking place. At the VA beach oceanfront, Spanish Mackerel are the main fare. Trolled Drone of Clark spoons are the ticket. Pink is a hot color right now. Offshore boats are reporting multiple hookups of White Marlin. Dolphin action is good, as is Wahoo. A 23lb Big Eye Tuna was recently caught out of Carolina. Sailfish have made a good showing recently.

Freshwater Rivers:  17lbs won the Fishers of Men Tx out of Osbourne Landing on the lower James River. Johnny Jones and Phillip Gould won by throwing Taco Salad crank baits. Jeff Francis and Brent Hatton won the season points title, making it 4 in a row. 18lbs won a recent Tx on the Potomac River, where the frog bite is red hot. Another red hot bite is the Blue Catfish on the Tidal Rivers, such as the James, Chick, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey.

Freshwater Lakes:  Kerr Lake elevation is 299.51. Bass fishermen are catching fish on just about everything. Rocks are better pattern. At Lake Anna, rocks are also a good pattern. The Stripers are schooled up nicely around the splits and many fishing with Jim Hemby are back at High Point by 10 or 11am. Live herring is the bait of choice. Sandy River Reservoir has been fantastic this year, and right now deep cranks are taking the majority of the bigger fish.

Freshwater Ponds:  People are still out on local ponds, despite the hot temps. Many are getting an early start, as the morning bite has been stronger than the evening bite.

Date: 7/8/11

Chesapeake Bay:  The bay and its tributaries offer many angling opportunities, now that summer patterns are in full swing. One such species that action will continue to improve upon is Flounder. Anglers are enjoying success at many locations, such as the Cell, buoy 36, Plantation Light and the CBBT. Three way rigs with live bait, strip bait, and jigs with jerk shad are all providing success. Another species cooperating well are Croaker. Shrimp has been the bait of choice this year, but squid and bloodworms are still standbys. They’re all over the lower bay, but consistent areas are Cole’s Point on the Potomac, Urbanna on the Rapp, West Point on the York, and the James River Bridge. Cobia seem to be hit or miss still. With the new moon just past, we should see an increase in catches by sight casters, if the weather allows. Chumming is still a good option though. There’s good action or Sheepshead at the bridge tunnel right now. The best bait is Crab, but clams are good also. Spadefish catches are increasing at known hideouts such as Chesapeake Light Tower and the CBBT. Again, clams are working well.

Ocean:  Spanish Mackerel are available at Cape Henry and the oceanfront. As visual, Bluefish are mixed in with the Spanish. The Oceanside of the Eastern Shore is providing plenty of Croaker action. There’s been a few reports of Tarpon being hooked here. Offshore boats are catching plenty of Tuna and Dolphin right now. Some Bigeye Tuna are also hitting the scales. Mackerel and Bluefish are plentiful at Nags Head piers. Amberjacks and Seabass are available on wrecks and the South Towers.

Freshwater Rivers:  The Bassmaster Open has come to the lower James River this week. Many of the Elite Series pros are here in town. Look for 30-40lbs to win the 3 day event. The James, Chick and Appomattox rivers are open to the Tx. The Blue Catfish bite is still going strong on these rivers, and will continue to do so. 19lbs(5 fish) won a weekend Tx on the Potomac. The grass frog bite has become strong. The upper James has been very good lately, but recent rains may slow things down, so check conditions first.

Freshwater Lakes:  Lake Anna Stripers are biting very well on live Herring. Parties of 6 are returning back by 12 noon with their limits while fishing with Jim Hemby. Trolling Redfins is working also. Bass are responding to deep cranks and shaky heads best. Buggs Island is crawling with catfish anglers searching for 100lb fish. Swift Creek Reservoir is fishing very well right now for Bass.

Freshwater Ponds:  Top waters are scoring the best catches right now, especially a buzz bait. A Senko is also good though. Crappie and Bluegills are readily available with live worms, crickets, minnows, and 2inch Powerbait grubs.

Date: 6/10/11

Chesapeake Bay:  Croaker continue to bite well all over the bay and rivers such as the Rap, York, and Potomac. Most are biting squid and bloodworms. Flounder action is picking up daily at the CBBT, Bluefish Rock, and the Cell. Lynnhaven Inlet is still producing good keepers of flatfish. Over at the Eastern Shore, anglers are still finding great action for Red Drum and a few Black Drum. The bayside and oceanside inlets are still holding keeper Flounder and Speckled Trout. The Cobia action is increasing everyday. Anglers are chumming and site casting with good result. Cobia up to 82lbs were caught this week. This fishery will continue to improve.

Ocean:  Schools of Red Drum have been spotted along the ocean front at Rudee Inlet. Inside Rudee;  Bluefish, Croaker, and some keeper Flounder are still being caught. On ocean wrecks and structures, Seabass are providing good action on cut squid and minnows. Seabass are very tasty fish. Garry Oliver of Fishing Unlimited in Nags head reports good inshore fishing for Spanish Mackerel, Flounder, Croaker, and Black Drum. Off shore boats are catching Yellowfin Tuna, Dolphin, and a few Blue Marlin. Avon Pier has been the hottest pier for Cobia, with 3 large Cobia caught this week. Other catches from the piers have been Bluefish, Mackerel, and Speckled Trout.

Freshwater Rivers:  Tidal Rivers of Virginia are fishing very well right now, especially for Bass and Catfish. For Bass, crank baits and Texas rigged worms are solid fish catchers but top waters are working daily on over-cast days.17+lbs won a recent weekend Tournament. The Chickahominy River is also providing excellent bags of Bass as are the Mattaponi, and Pamunkey Rivers. The Blue Catfish are stretching lines for anglers on the James, Chick, and all he tidal rivers. As usual, fresh cut shad and eels are the best baits. On the Upper James, the Smallmouth are responding to top waters, double tail grubs and flukes. Of course, live bait, like crawfish, hellgrammites, and minnows are excellent. Luke Clausen won FLW Open event on the Potomac River with an average of 16lbs per day. He won one hundred thousand dollars.

Freshwater Lakes:  The elevation level at Kerr Lake is 301.9 feet. Top water baits have been the best for bigger fish. For limits, C-rigs and crank baits are successful. At Lake Anna, Bass are biting top waters also, but a shaky head jig is a very good presentation throughout the day. Stripers seem to be scattered form the 7-19 bridges to the power plant. The warm stable weather should group these fish together soon, but for now, they are difficult to pattern. Lakes Briery and Sandy River are excellent places for top water baits right now. Swift Creek Reservoir is fishing very good right now for Bass. 

Freshwater Ponds:  Big Bass are hitting a wide variety of baits, from top waters to Texas rig worms. A spinner bait has also been a good bait recently. Many anglers are targeting pan fish, as they are still spawning in many ponds and small lakes. Night crawlers and crickets are the most popular.

Date: 6/2/11

Chesapeake Bay:  With hot weather setting in, many more species are becoming available, and the fishing will only get better. One such species is Cobia. Cobia sightings have already begun in the lower bay. Anglers are using both eels and Bucktails while sight casting. Another fish biting very well right now is Croaker. The best bite currently is in the rivers, like in the Rap and York, but the lower Potomac is good also. Shrimp and squid have been best. We are hearing more and more reports of Spot catches along the lower bay and rivers. The Eastern Shore is still providing good action for Red and Black Drum. The CBBT is also producing catches of Drum. Crab is still the bait of choice, but clams are working well. Keeper Flounder catches are on the rise by the CBBT and back on the reef. Lynnhaven Inlet is still producing keeper Flatfish. Rockfish are being caught from the structures from the Bridge Tunnel in the early mornings The HRBT is good form Rockfish at night, along with some keeper Flounder. 

Ocean:  Rudee Inlet has Bluefish, Flounder, and Croaker available still. Look for the Spot bite to happen soon. Fishing at the outer banks is very good right now for off shore. Inshore boats are scoring well with large Cobia, Bluefish, and Spanish Mackerel. Surf anglers are also catching lots of Bluefish and sea mullet. Off shore boats are doing very well for dolphin. White Marlin catches are increasing and a few Sailfish have been caught.

Freshwater Rivers:  Conditions on the upper James have been unstable so check conditions before making plans. The lower James has been fishing good for bass lately. 18+lbs won a memorial day Tournament and a 4 fish limit weighing 14lbs won on Sunday. Crank baits and Shaky heads have been good. Blue Catfish continue to bite well on the lower James, Chickahominy, and both the Mattaponi and Munkey. The Potomac River will be a little busy this week, as the FLW Open begins June 2 and ends June 5.

Freshwater Lakes:  Top waters are producing very well in the morning in lakes like Gaston, Kerr, and Anna. Once the top water bite fades, shaky heads and Texas Rigs are enticing. Stripers are responding to 8 to 12 inch Gizzard at Lake Anna in the area of Jets Island and Rose Valley. Crappie have moved to deep water structures like bridge pilings and brush piles.

Freshwater Ponds:  Buzz baits and grass frogs have been excellent for Bass in area ponds lately, plastic worms are working well also. The Panfish bite still going strong with nightcrawlers being a top producer.