As the water temperatures decrease in the Chesapeake Bay, the speckled trout bite is on the increase. Currently, the sleek, speckled warriors are the Fish du Jour in the bay and tributaries. Some anglers are using live shrimp to entice the trout while other go with GULP baits under popping corks. Fishing shallow water banks with grass and structure on a falling tide produces the best … [Read more...]

Everybody let’s rock! Rock, as in catching rockfish – stripers, that is, and the season is here. As of today, October 4, anglers are allowed to keep one rockfish per day between 19- and 31-inches. This means that those 40-pound plus fish – the big females with lots of quality eggs – will be off limits but those school sized stripers are in play. There seem to be lots and lots of 18- to 24-inch … [Read more...]

Lake Orange will hold its annual Youth Fishing Day this Saturday, September 27 from 10 to 2 pm. It’s a free event for those between 2 and 16 and there will be lots of fun and prizes in store. This will be the last week that Angler’s Landing will be open for the year, but the fishing is wide open. Says Darryl Kennedy, “The water temperature is in the low 70s bass and crappie heading to the shallows … [Read more...]

They are not everywhere, but in certain spots the screech of cicadas is piercing the treetops and smallmouth bass are quick to notice, moving in along the banks, hoping for a big fat bug to fall near them. That’s why “bugs”, popping bugs, are doing a number on the river bronze backs. According to Alex McCrickard of the Division of Wildlife Resources, the annual cicadas in Virginia excite fly … [Read more...]

On the Virginia saltwater scene, there has been a strong nearshore run of False Albacore, also known as Little Tunnies. These fish are fierce fighters for their size and are a prized catch on a fly rod. Boats patrolling the oceanfront are also running into blues and Spanish mackerel. In the mix are some whopper red drum and cobia, but no king mackerel were reported.   In the Chesapeake … [Read more...]

Rough weather early this week put a damper on saltwater fishing, but mild weather starting Wednesday has improved the catches. Particularly, Spanish Mackerel. I remember about 30 years ago when Spanish Mackerel first began to enter the Bay. Previously they stayed offshore but gradually worked their way as far as Stingray Point. Currently, they are prolific both off the coast at Virginia Beach … [Read more...]

Fishing during the middle of a hurricane with winds up to 150 miles per hour is not recommended. However, the period right before a hurricane and right after can offer some of the best fishing of the year. The period following a big blow finds the water stirred and baits confused and dislodged, and anglers can often have a hay day. Last year, I fished off the Piankatank River right after a big … [Read more...]

Not stoves. On hooks. There is nothing a speckled trout craves more than a live, fresh shrimp. Dangle one in the creeks feeding the Chesapeake Bay, and if there is a trout around, he’ll eat it. Trout fishing is picking up as the infusion of freshwater from rains subside, and a surge in salty water has them on the move. If you can’t net or buy fresh shrimp, topwater lures and popping corks … [Read more...]

We were fishing off the dock at High Rock Lake in NC where my daughter and son-in-law have a new home. The wind was blowing and the waves from the jet skis were crashing against the bank, stirring up the mud and the fish were biting. We caught catfish up to 5-pounds, but we also caught some huge redear sunfish, sometimes called shellcrackers. My daughter, Angelin, caught a monster, weighing maybe … [Read more...]

The beauty of a Mahi Mahi (dolphin fish) when it first comes out of the water is breathtaking. But when aas soon as they die, the colors fade. Anglers on the Outer Banks have been catching limits of these beautiful and spectacular leapers, some as close as two miles from shore. Occasionally, there are reports of Mahi being caught from the piers. Currently, the piers are reporting spot, … [Read more...]