At Nags Head, there were good catches of bluefish on the piers on Wednesday and they were biting all day. Angler, Justin Wase, said there were over 200 caught in less than 2 hours at OBX Pier and he caught 30. The same for all the piers. Bluefish like clear water because they sight-feed and the ocean is remaining clear. The piers were catching bluefish again on Thursday morning along with some shad. One angler fishing beside Avalon Pier was catching both bluefish and trout on Thursday morning
The Oregon Inlet fleet stayed in port due to windy conditions.
On the south beaches, there was a big drum bite on Wednesday. The best of the season. People fishing at The Point scored bigtime. Sea mullet, blow toads and bluefish were also caught along the Hatteras beaches.
In Virginia, red drum have showed up in good numbers along the Eastern Shore, says Stan Cobb at Greentop. Black drum are still biting, but the reds are on the rise. Fresh crab and clams are the preferred baits for both species. Cut bait, such as mullet, works well also. The tautog bite remains very good on ocean structures, and they are increasing in numbers along the CBBT. Crab is the best bait for the ‘togs also. Tog season ends May 16th. Flounder action is increasing, especially in the Wachapreague, and Chincoteague areas. Rudee Inlet, and Lynnhaven Inlet have given up flounder catches also. The yellowfin tuna bite has been red hot. Loads are being brought back to the docks. Catches of Wahoo and Mahi are also on the upswing.
Freshwater
At Lake Orange, the water is clear with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Bass and crappie are still in all phases of the spawn. Crappie are being caught mainly on live minnows, but a few on jigs. Bass are being caught on soft plastics and top water baits. Some nice walleye were caught on live minnows in shallow water. Catfish are up-lake hitting on livers, live minnows, and nightcrawlers.
Potomac River
Capt. Steve Chaconas notes that fish are on wood cover. At higher tides, Mann’s Baby X crankbaits in red or fire tiger patterns are working. Tie to 12-pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line. Make contact with wood and briefly pause, continue. Make fish bite. Grass isn’t coming up well again this year. Get used to fishing hard cover.
Bigger females are nearly up on beds as males get ready for them. Finding drops and ditches could house bigger females at this time.
Greentop Reports
The bass bite on the Chickahominy has been excellent. Twenty-one lbs. was the winning weight from the past weekend. Weights were very tight, as 19 lbs. earned a 6th place finish. A wide variety of lures are effective right now, as the bass are quite aggressive. Crappie have slowed a bit on the Chick, as most agree that the spawn is over. Look for things to pick up soon. The bass on the James have been biting, despite high, muddy water. Due to the high-water conditions, there haven’t been many reports from the shad anglers. Things are usually winding down for the shad inside the city limits by now, but they’re still available. The tidal river cats continue to bite well, especially on the Rappahannock River. The 360 Bridge area is known for high numbers of cats. The Potomac River has been producing large numbers of cats also. The bass bite on the Potomac river is increasing again. Last year was a tough one for bass on the Potomac. Bass are in spawn mode in many of the area lakes.
Anglers visiting Kerr, Gaston, Anna, and Smith Mountain are all reporting lots of bedding bass. The stripers are biting well at Anna, especially on live bait. The crappie bite is still good at Anna, with the fish still shallow. The spawning run of stripers is occurring at Kerr. This draws a lot of anglers up the rivers that feed into Kerr. There is a lot of shallow water, and sand/mud flats to cross when entering the rivers of the upper lake. This can be tricky, as many have run aground trying to access these areas. The lake level has much to do with success in this area. The current level is 303-feet, about three feet above normal pool. Crappie are starting to roam around in local ponds, striking bugs at the surface, and hitting small grubs over deeper water, but in the upper water column. Bass in some ponds are responding to topwater baits quite well. Look for the bluegill bite to ignite everywhere soon.