Watch the dogwood trees in your yard. If they are blooming, the shad have arrived. The lovely trees are just beginning to bud in our yard, and the shad are making their way to Richmond and Fredericksburg. In freshwater, things are starting to happen. Bass are in pre-pawn and hungry, as are the crappie where some whoppers have been landed at Biggs Island, many over 3 pounds. Bluegills are beginning … [Read more...]

The Virginia Trout Slam is a challenge to anglers to catch all three species of trout (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout) all in the same day. Both stocked fish and wild fish of any size count toward the slam, but catching all three in a wild trout stream is the ultimate trifecta. Chasing the slam not only offers a new challenge to anglers, but it also promotes some of our lesser-known … [Read more...]

In fresh water, it’s crappie time. The silver warriors are heading shallow in advance of the spawn and are feeding heavily. The yellow perch bite remains good in tidal rivers and in many lakes. The annual shad run is just getting underway as the schools move up the rivers to spawn. Some nice smallmouth are being caught on the upper James. The water temps in many lakes are well up into the 60’sand … [Read more...]

The sting of winter is petering out, and the fish bite is just getting started on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. If you are headed that way anytime this year and want to catch fish, all you need to know about fishing in and around Nags Head on the Outer Banks is the name of this web site – BeachBumFishing.com. This is the contact information for Capt. Reese Stecher, the best skipper on the … [Read more...]

A saugeye is a cross between a sauger and a walleye. The fingerlings from West Virginia hatcheries were first introduced in Virginia waters in 2013, and they are doing very well in a number of Virgina lakes and rivers.  In fact, saugeyes outperformed walleyes in many locations and are now firmly established in several lakes and rivers across the state. Saugeyes in Virginia are managed like … [Read more...]

Photo by Micaiah Thompson Rather than watching Seattle trash the Patriots in a boring Super Bowl and bypassing a vulgar halftime performance, Iowa fishermen, Micaiah Thompson, and Dan Ginn took a group of church kids fishing instead. It paid off. The group was ice fishing in Lake of Three Fires in an Iowa State Park of the same name. The kids were after panfish, but the adults were hoping … [Read more...]

Now that a good bit of the snow/ice has melted and temperatures have returned to moderate readings, there are a few, good winter fishing options – mostly freshwater. Not much is happening in the ocean and bay unless you want to go offshore and try for bluefin tuna or sea bass on the wrecks. The bay is dead for the most part and surf fishermen will find only skates and dogfish – and who wants … [Read more...]

(Our smallmouth had a 9-inch trout in its stomach) If you live long enough, you’ll see some strange things. One of the strangest things I’ve seen in the outdoors happened about 25 years ago on the Jackson River in the upper Hidden Valley area. I had been invited on a shocking expedition with the Game Department. For several years, I had urged the state to make the … [Read more...]

The big bluefins are dominating the Gulf Stream scene, a handful of pups and specks ae biting in Virginia’s rivers, and tautogs are out there if you can stand the cold. An occasional red drum is caught at Hatteras while a few skates and sharks are biting at Nags Head. Some nice bass are being caught at Lake Anna, and the yellow perch are beginning to make their move in the Rappahannock. Some … [Read more...]

Giant bluefin are now prowling the waters off the Carolina coast and dozens of charter captains are eager to put you on a fish that weighs as much as a Mini Cooper automobile. One such outfit is Phideaux Fishing Charters out of Wanchese. Contact them at 252-473-8051. There were good numbers of winter drum beached at Ocracoke over the holidays along with a few sharks. Speckled trout, puppy drum … [Read more...]