By Capt. Alan Cain   This spring I will be taking my annual trip to the Roanoke River to guide for striped bass. Just as Louisiana is known for redfish the Roanoke River in North Carolina is known for stripers. Every year hundreds of thousands of striped bass migrate up river from the Atlantic Ocean and Albemarle Sound to spawn in the rock rapids at Weldon NC. This is the easiest … [Read more...]

  It’s still winter, but the trout are biting on the South River in Waynesboro. According to Tommy Lawhorne at South River Fly Shop, recent rains have brought the South back to normal levels with lots of nice Rainbows and Browns being caught. Midges are hatching daily and the Early Smoky Sedge Caddis hatch will be starting soon. Rubberlegs Stoneflies, Frenchies, JW Jig Leech, Cinnamon … [Read more...]

  Not much happening, but it won’t be long. Freshwater fish react to the longer days and slight upticks in the water temperatures. Yellow perch are generally the harbingers of spring. When they begin their spawn, things start happening. Below is an update.   Potomac River There are some yellow perch biting behind Roosevelt Island. Capt. Steve Chaconas says the best bass … [Read more...]

  Numerous bass in the 6 and 7 pound class are coming to the scales at Anna Point Marina. Some nice crappie, too. Last month, Tommy Lambert weighed in a slab-size crappie at 2 pounds, 2 ounces. The crappie are deep, 12 to 18 feet, but if you can get a shiner down to them, they’ll bite. Stripers are busting shad from the Rt. 1 Bridge to the Splits. Tommy Lambert 2 Pounds 2 … [Read more...]

The outdoor forecast has turned into the same-old, same-old and will continue for a few weeks, unless we get a sudden surge in temperatures. The diehards on the larger lakes are catching some bass, especially Lake Anna where deep dropping finesse bait will attract an occasional strike. The Chickahominy Lake continues to give up a few bass, but the crappie bite has slowed. It’s still too cold … [Read more...]

  Virginia Saltwater Striper season is closed in the bay and so far, no reports of stripers off Virginia Beach. Some puppy drum were caught at Rudee Inlet. Black sea bass and blueline tilefish are being caught on the deep ocean wrecks off Virginia Beach.   Outer Banks Not much to report at Nags Head. Few are fishing and some boats were iced up in port. At Hatteras, there … [Read more...]

Ice Fishing? Why not? We have lots of solid ice on ponds and lakes now in Virginia and believe it or not, fish will bite even in these frigid temperatures. I had an opportunity to go ice fishing with the late Bob Gooch in a small lake near Manassas a few years back. Bob knew a fellow from Wisconsin who was an avid ice fisherman. He had augers and spikes and shovels and readily made several … [Read more...]

  Forget warm summer evenings as the best time to catch catfish. Now is the time to catch the big ‘uns. The Rappahannock River below Fredericksburg has been giving up lots of 20-pound class fish. On the James, near Hopewell, fishing is hot for blue cats to 50 pounds. The best baits have been cut gizzard shad and cut eel. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers have been producing lots of … [Read more...]