They always show up first at Chincoteague and Wachapreague, and this year is no exception. Some nice flounder have been caught on the Eastern Shore and the tasty flatfish will soon enter Bay waters. Trout and puppy drum have been active in both Rudee and Lynnhaven inlets and tautogs are stealing baits along the CBBT and other structures. The first black drum of the year were caught … [Read more...]

  Angler’s Landing, the marina and bait shop at Lake Orange, is open again for business. Just in time for the crappie and yellow perch bite, Angler’s Landing rents jon boats and sells bait and supplies for one of the most productive lakes in Virginia. Owned and managed by the DWR, Orange gives up trophy bass in addition to channel cats, redear sunfish, walleye, saugeye, bass, crappie, … [Read more...]

It was our anniversary and we decided on a Caribbean Cruise. We would fly from Charlottesville to Miami, then hop aboard the Norwegian Joy and head for the western coast of Mexico, but our flight left at O-Dark Thirty on a Saturday morning. My wife, Nancy, insists on being early to the airport whenever we fly. When I say early, I mean really, really early. We got to the airport on Tuesday to give … [Read more...]

On the OBX, fishing has not slowed with the late winter weather. Lawrence Benner can vouch for that as he weighed in a 29-inch plus speckled trout that tipped the TW’s Tackle scales at 7.12 pounds. Wow! Striper s and drum continue to bite in the Carolina sounds. Offshore, lots of giant bluefins are being caught and released, along with yellowfins, and blackfins.   Virginia March … [Read more...]

The Chesapeake Bay water is cold at about 48 degrees, but offshore boats are finding big sea bass, tautog, and even flounder. BTW, you can catch Black Sea Bass in February if you have a permit. . Visit the VMRC website for more info. Some anglers are taking advantage of the recent warm spell, and are catching trout, puppy drum and stripers in the warmer rivers. Stripers, of course, must be … [Read more...]

The inshore trout bite has been pretty “speck’tacular”, says TW’s Tackle in Nags Head. Lots of trout - and nice fish at that - are smashing baits back in the sounds along with stripers and puppy drum. As the water begins to warm, it’s about 50 now, there should be no lull in the action if you’re heading that way. Boats nudging up to the Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet are finding some black drum and … [Read more...]

We still have a few more weeks before things start to happen on the fishing scene. In the meantime, there are Sport Shows to whet out outdoor appetites. One of the best is the Western Virginia Sport Show in Fishersville on Feb. 23-25. It’s hard to believe, but this will be the 36th Annual Show. Wow, I remember going to the first one at the Augusta Expo. They always have lots of fun and … [Read more...]

There is not a lot happening on the fishing scene this time of year – too cold! But there are a few decent opportunities available, such as bass and pickerel fishing on the Chickahominy Lake and giant blue catfish action on the lower James. Another possibility that’s a little closer to home for Central Virginians is walleye fishing at Lake Orange. Walleye bite throughout the winter months. … [Read more...]

    Memphis is known for their Blues, but so is the James River, but it’s blues as in catfish, not music. Hauling in a monster blue cat on a cold winter day and hearing the reel scream as the line peels off is music to a sportsman’s ears. Blue catfish, immigrants from the Mississippi are now well established in Virginia. They are in all our major rivers and most lakes, and … [Read more...]

January and February—easily the two worst months of the year, particularly for those of us who like to get outdoors and maybe wet a line. Yes, fishing is generally poor in these months, except on the Chickahominy Lake in Prince Edward County. The Chickahominy Lake is my favorite fishing lake in winter. It’s a very shallow lake, meaning the water is comparatively warmer, with lots of bait … [Read more...]