Shad are making their move into Virginia freshwater. The herring, hickory shad, white perch and striped bass are now in the waters above Key Bridge in DC. Shad and herring have also arrived on the Rappahannock River at the U.S. Route 1 Bridge in Fredericksburg, with good concentrations of shad under the bridge and upstream in the rapids. Herring are also present in force. The Mattapponi and … [Read more...]

  Four nor’easters in three weeks? That’s just about killed any action on the saltwater front. There are some ‘togs off the Virginia coast, but it’s been hard to get to them in 10 foot swells. Action on the Outer Banks has been limited to a few keeper pups near The Point and good catches of blackfin tuna out of Oregon Inlet, when the fleet can sail. Give it a week and things should pick … [Read more...]

  Quietly, without a lot of fanfare, Virginia has become an excellent place to catch a walleye, perhaps the best-eating freshwater fish of all. Fisheries biologists have collected adult walleye from the New River, Pigg River, Staunton River and South Holston Reservoir for the production of fingerling walleye to stock in selected lakes and rivers in Virginia. Walleye were spawned or hatched … [Read more...]

  Yellow perch are one of my favorite fish. They are beautifully colored, they are second to none in flavor and they are usually the first fish of spring to spawn and feed. The yellow perch run is now on in the Chickahominy River, the Potomac, the Occoquan, Rappahannock and James. The fish are also becoming active in lakes such as Anna, the Chick, Lake Moomaw and others. Lake Orange, … [Read more...]

Excellent fishing for blue catfish. Many of the big fish are being caught on cut shad and herring baits, fished on the bottom, in the outside bends of the river channel. Some are over 30 pounds. Fair largemouth bass action in the tidal sections on live bait and plastic grubs. Crappie are available around brush piles in the creeks and on the main river. White perch, yellow perch and stripers are … [Read more...]

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...]