Stan Cobb with Greentop says there’s not a lot happening on the saltwater front. There are, however, still plenty of rockfish available inside the bay for catch and release fishing. The best action has been between buoys 38 and 42, about a 25 mile run up the bay from Lynnhaven Inlet.
Loads of really big fish are being caught on live eels. Ocean anglers are catching plenty of tautogs on wrecks and reefs. There have been some bluefin tuna caught, along with some yellowfin tuna, and some big-eyes. Swordfish, some huge ones, are being caught offshore.
On the Outer Banks, there have been some puppy drum and black drum caught. Angers fishing around the bridges for stripers reported little action. A few nice trout have been landed in Buxton at the jetty. The best news is the arrival of big bluefins off Hatteras.
Freshwater Report
Warmer than normal weather has the fish in many places scattered. Some are still deep, while others are shallow. Tidal river fish are almost always more shallow than lake fish, but many are reporting that the bass are holding to shallow cover constantly. The Chickahominy River, the Chickahominy Lake, and the James River are prime examples. Twenty-one pounds was the winning weight on the Chick over the weekend. There was also a ten-pound lunker weighed, reportedly caught from the lake.
Good catches are coming from on the Rapp, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi rivers as well. Crappie catches on these rivers have been surprisingly good, as many dismiss tidal rivers as good crappie fishing spots. Productive bass baits include chatterbaits, jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, and jigs. The upper James has risen considerably, due to recent heavy rains.
Seventeen pounds won the most recent winter tournament on Lake Anna, out of Sturgeon Creek Marina. A 7.95 lb. bass was the big fish. Water temps at Anna have been 49 degrees at the 208 bridge. Good crappie fishing has been taking place along the bridges at Anna. Stubbs Bridge, Dillard’s Bridge, and Holladay Bridge have all been productive.