Lots of big bass are now coming to the scales at Lake Anna, including a 9-10 bucket mouth caught by James Maupin. Big bass are taking crankbaits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater baits. Secondary points in the creeks are still producing a few good fish, with the best areas being from the Route 208 Bridge down lake. Crappie are biting well around shallow beaver lodges, submerged brush and boat docks on live minnows, tiny Hopkins spoons and jigs. Stripers are active around the splits and the mouth of Contrary Creek. Best time is dawn and dusk on bucktails and noisy topwater baits.
Chickahominy Lake
The mid-day water temperatures were in the low to mid 50’s in the lower main lake, lower in the upper lake, and higher in the creeks on Wednesday. The lake level was a few inches above the top of the dam.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Bill Edwards and Lawrence Barden had 42 crappie, 3 white perch, and 2 yellow perch. Rob Whitehead, Roland Whitehead, Lee Brickhouse and J. N. Miles had 13 crappie, 1 yellow perch and 1 bullhead. Tom Porter had 32 crappie, 1 white perch and a yellow perch.
Rappahannock River
Shad fishing is excellent. The white perch run is slow this year, but they are now coming on strong. Shad darts are taking shad and herring, while bloodworms and nightcrawlers are taking the white perch. Bass, catfish and stripers in the tidal sections are active, although the season on stripers is closed. Big blue catfish, to 40 pounds, are taking cut bait. Above the city, smallmouth action is excellent on small crankbaits, small topwaters, four-inch plastic worms and live minnows.
Shenandoah River
The river is lightly stained, but dropping and clearing. Smallmouth are becoming more active. Sunfish are taking small spinners, nightcrawlers, plastic grubs, live crickets and minnows. Catfish to 15 pounds are taking cut bait and nightcrawlers.
Chickahominy River
Spinnerbaits, topwater baits and plastic worms are taking large numbers of bass from the edges of the lily pad fields and around cypress trees. Catfish and crappie are also plentiful. Cut bait, shrimp and dip baits are the choice baits for catfish.
Lake Gaston
Fishing is getting better as water temperatures increase. Bass may be taken on Shad Raps, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and Gitzits. Crappie fishing is excellent around boat docks on small minnows and jigs. Live shad and bucktails are accounting for good striper catches. Below the Roanoke Rapids Dam in Weldon, N.C., striper anglers are mopping up. Catches of 20-25 a day are not unusual.
Buggs Island
Striper and white bass fishing is good below Kerr Dam. With the lake level at 303 and stable, fishing has picked up. Currently, the better bass are on the windblown points. Crappie action is excellent with medium minnows fished over submerged brush piles and around bridge pilings. Two pounders are common.
Smith Mountain
Good striper action on Cordell Ripplin’ Redfins and live shad in the lower end of the lake. Uplake, anglers are catching largemouth, smallmouth and crappie. Main lake points are the preferred location for the bass, while crappie are located around submerged brush and bridge pilings.
Leesville
Anglers are catching stripers, white perch and largemouth bass. Most stripers are being caught early in the morning on Cordell Redfins, bucktails and live shad. White perch and largemouth are taking bucktails, live shad and crankbaits. The Staunton River is giving up good-sized walleye.
Lake Moomaw
Citation yellow perch are biting. Smallmouth bass are taking jig ‘n pig and grubs in the upper end of the lake. Crappie are eating small minnows, in 10-12 feet of water, mostly at night. Anglers are catching some brown trout to six pounds in the early morning hours.
Lake Orange
The water is slightly stained. Bass are being caught on hard baits and minnows with several citations being brought to the scales. Crappie are being caught on small minnows and jigs at varying depths, depending on the weather. A few walleye have been caught on nightcrawlers and minnows worked along rocky areas down lake. The water temperature is currently in the low 50s.