Tidal James
Big cats are on the prowl on the lower James. If playing tug of war with a 50-pound plus blue cat is your thing, head for Petersburg/Hopewell and bring along some cut shad for bait – and a powerful rod and reel! The cat action has been so good that bass anglers are complaining that catfish are eating their lures.
Lake Chesdin has been giving up lots of crappies, plus catfish and mostly smaller largemouth – with a few big ‘uns mixed in.
Chickahominy River
Lots of fish are biting on the Chick, including cats, crappie, bluegills and largemouth. Gar are plentiful throughout the river.
Lake Gaston
Bass action has been good at Gaston in Pea Hill and Lizard creeks with an early morning bite. A new NC catfish record was recently established with a blue cat tipping the scales at 117 pounds. Wow! Crappie are concentrated around the bridge pilings and brush piles.
Buggs Island
Finally, some hot action for stripers recently returned from their upriver jaunts in the Dan and Staunton. Successful anglers are concentrating from Nutbush to Buoy A-C. Some are trolling, some casting to busting fish and some are dunking spoons and live shad. Crappie are scattered from 8 to 15 foot depths, mostly relating to brush piles.
Smith Mountain Lake
Also good striper fishing at Smith Mountain. Live bait at the dam is taking quick limits. Carp are biting near the shoreline. The Blackwater arm is giving up some nice bass.
Upper Potomac
Overall, smallmouth action is good despite the ups and downs of water levels following seasonal rains. Lots of fish are being caught on topwater offerings.
Rappahannock River
Good action for bass on the tidal Rapp with buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Blue cats are being caught in the deep holes. Crappie action is good off the brushy shoreline areas.
Lake Anna
A mixed bag at Anna including some decent walleye catches on deep diving crankbaits and some plastics. Five to six pound bass are common. Crappie are moving much deeper.
Lake Moomaw
Anglers are having the best luck after dark in this western impoundment. Brown trout are taking minnows in 25- to 30-foot depths. Bass fishing is also best after sundown.
New River
The muskie bite is steady. Live chubs and splashy topwater baits are drawing strikes. Smallmouth action is excellent.
Trout Streams
Still a little action on the Bullpasture and Jackson with holdover stocked trout. The Jackson below Moomaw and the spring creeks across the Blue Ridge are the best bets.
Potomac River
Bass are in the grass
Topwater lures are in play all day, as long as the tide is right. On morning high tides, use louder surface lures like Lucky Craft Gunfish walked slowly to allow fish to find the lure. Cast around grass, wood and docks. As the tide falls and cloud cover remains, go to poppers like Lucky Craft G-Splash and eventually hollow frogs over thicker grass. GAMMA Torque 50 pound test braid is a must for frogs but can work well with walkers and poppers. Just lighten up to 20-30 pound test.
Clouds are the key this week and allow for a wide-open tackle box. Mann’s Baby 1-Minus on 14 pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line will cover water and is more effective when snapping from the grass. Use a rod with a bit more backbone. Craw patterns for chatterjigs also on fluorocarbon can be fished the same way.
If or when the sun is out, go a bit deeper with swim jigs and Texas rigged Mizmo tubes. Swimbaits are also worth the time. Add a pegged bullet weight to balance the weighted Mustad Swimbait hook. Also weighted soft plastic jerkbaits can cover water in thick grass. Use Edge, 12-16 pound test. The key with these baits is to contact grass and get down into where fish are seeking shade. Dock fishing is best with full sun and high water. If the tide is low, fish the deeper pilings.
Capt. Steve Chaconas is a guide on the Potomac River. info@nationalbass.com
Chickahominy Lake
Fishing with Capt. Conway out of Ed Allen’s, Dean Dunbar had 45 bluegill, 3 shellcrackers, 2 yellow perch and 2 bass. Norma Hall and Jimmy Marable had 9 crappie, 2 bullheads, 1 blue cat, and 2 bass. Pat, Gabe, and Mallory McGinnis had 5 bass. Tom Porter had 19 bluegills, 1 shellcracker, 4 crappie, and 1 yellow perch.
Shenandoah River
Ed T reports
The water level took a jump this past week, which has its pros and cons. You can get down the river easier, but it often throws the fishing off for a few days. In faster, stained water, noisy action type lures are the way to go. I used a #3 Mepps inline spinner and a Bandit 100 crankbait in root beer. I was basically just floating and tossing the lures and cranking ‘em back. Moving at a fair pace, it took me an hour just to catch a couple of smallmouth and a few bluegills. One bass was a ten-inches, one was a foot. When I reached the bottom area in front of the houses, I started getting smallmouth on the crankbait. From there down through the stretch of rock ledges and islands, I caught seven smallmouth, all a foot or better, the best a sixteen incher: Nice hard-hitting smallmouth. Three and a half hours netted me nine bass and a half dozen bluegill. It was a short trip and a rather light tally of fish, but still a fun day, all things considered.