The shad are on the move! They are breaking apart into smaller pods and moving up river slowly. The water temperature is coming up a few degrees on the James River which makes the fish feel feisty. Shad darts in tandem are taking the most fish with color combinations of pink, chartreuse, and white taking the most fish. Heavier darts are working better than lighter right now, but you may be able to ditch the 1/2 oz weights for the time being.

Fly-fishermen should take note of the color choices above … Read More »

Chesapeake Bay – As the days grow longer, and water temps climb, the Speckled Trout become more and more active, and are striking a larger variety of lures. Mirr-O-lures still dominate, but plastic fluke-style baits, paddle tail swim baits, and Gulp! baits are also beginning to trigger strikes. Anglers are finding big fish in other places other than the Elizabeth River. Mobjack Bay, creeks and rivers along the Northern Neck, and inlets on the lower bay and ocean are attracting Specks. There’s a strong run of Rockfish up the tidal … Read More »

The shad are on the bottom and the current is swift on the James River. In order to coax them up, local anglers are still using a ½ oz weight, but a better color selection for this part of the week would be pink/white or chartreuse/white. The same colors go well for the fly-fishing crowd, but getting down to the fish is a bit more involved. A sink tip will not do it at the moment. A full sink line over 300 grains is more likely to dredge them up, … Read More »

Shad fishing on the James river has been surprisingly productive for the past few days. The water level according to the USGS is about 6.5 feet average. That is a slightly high but fishable water level, and pretty normal for this time of year. The water level prediction looks surprisingly good for the week as well, despite the snow on the ground. The river should give up some shad throughout the week.

According to some reliable sources, gold spoons and combinations of purple and pink shad darts or flies are the … Read More »