FISHING REPORT                          By Charlie Taylor

 

       Potomac River Tide Information                 Twilight

         High Point, Occoquan River                     Hours

  Day       Date     High    Low     High    Low      A.M.    P.M.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday   4/16     0452    1132    1714    2355     0602    2014

Thursday    4/17     0540    1227    1803    - - -    0600    2015

Friday      4/18     0624    1316    1848    0038     0559    2016

Saturday    4/19     0704    1400    1931    0116     0558    2017

Sunday      4/20     0741    1441    2012    0151     0556    2018

Monday      4/21     0815    1519    2052    0222     0555    2020

Tuesday     4/22     0847    1556    2132    0252     0553    2021

Wednesday   4/23     0918    1632    2213    0324     0552    2022

Thursday    4/24     0951    1708    2254    0401     0550    2023

Friday      4/25     1027    1747    2338    0442     0549    2024

Saturday    4/26     1109    1829    - - -   0528     0548    2025

Sunday      4/27     1159    1914    0026    0618     0546    2026 

               

POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. - Bass fishing picked up in the city last week, before

the big slug of cold, muddy water moved down the river. Since this slug is

moving out and the temperatures are coming back up this weekend, look for the

same conditions this weekend. The fish should be roaming around structure and

vegetation in shallow water. Plastic worms, rattling crankbaits and

spinnerbaits are the better choice for baits. Crappie fishing has picked up.

Fletcher's Boathouse area is producing good numbers of fish, when Spring rains

allow boating. Species caught are white perch, catfish, hickory and American

shad, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and lots of striped bass. The perch are

taking bloodworms and nightcrawlers, shad and herring on shad darts, catfish

and stripers on cut herring and bass on rattling crankbaits. The shad run is

the best in many years, with everyone catching Hickory shad and a few American

shad as well.

 

POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE - Fishing should be good in this

area this weekend as the temperatures increase and the water falls and

clears. Bass in this area will be cruising the emerging lily pads, hydrilla

and milfoil beds. Main river milfoil beds have been producing well, as have

gravel and sandy banks with 3-4 feet of water on them. Crankbaits produce

better on high tides, while plastic baits are the better choice for outgoing

tides. Crappie action is red hot, with fish being taken in shallow water and

around submerged brushpiles on live minnows and tiny jigs. Catfish action has

picked up, with fish to 15 pounds being taken on cut bait. Chumming with corn

kernels is producing good sized carp for those who enjoy sportfishing.

Bowhunting for carp is also very productive.

 

POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW ROUTE 301 BRIDGE - Anglers braving the wind are catching

stripers around the Route 301 bridge, mid channel markers, at the mouth of

Monroe Bay, and as far down as the mouth of Nomini Creek. Trolling parachute

rigs and Mojos are producing the best catches, but casters are catching their

share as well.

 

OCCOQUAN RIVER - Bass action should be fair to good on firetiger crankbaits and

plastic worms. The fish are located throughout the river, from the mouth to

the rocks in the back end. Crappie action is best on minnows and tiny jigs

around dock pilings. Catfish are hot in the mouth of the river, around the

islands. Cut herring is the bait of choice.

 

OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR - Bass action is excellent for those anglers who fish a

prespawn pattern. Water temperature ranges from 55-59. Lots of large bass

have been caught, primarily on spinnerbaits in shallow water. Anglers are

catching good sized bass from the pier. Crappie success is slow. Catfish

action is improving. 

 

BURKE LAKE - Bass action is good. Better action is to be had on buzzbaits,

plastic worms, Rat-L-Traps and jig 'n pig. Fish the outside edges of the

weedbeds throughout the lake. With the water level up and clearing, anglers

should be catching bass on jerk baits around the brush and on plastics fished

deep in the brush. Crappie action is fair. Some of the crappie being caught

are the largest seen in years. Catfish are being taken on cut bait, but

patience is required.

 

LAKE BRITTLE - Lots of bullhead catfish and a few bass, 2-5 pounds. An

occasional walleye and some crappie are also being caught off the dam or the

fishing pier.

 

FARM PONDS - Lots of action in these small bodies of water. Bass are taking

crankbaits, topwater lures, plastic baits and live bait. Best action is

centered in the deeper water in front of the dams. Bluegill action is

excellent, on the edges of vegetation and along the shallow banks. Better

baits are nightcrawlers, Beetlespins and flyrod poppers.

 

POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER - As the slug of cold, muddy water clears, fishing is

picking up. Chartreuse crankbaits, plastic grubs and topwater lures should be 

taking large numbers of smallmouth bass. Catfish and carp should be heavily

feeding on the bottom. Bluegills are taking small spinners, tiny Beetlespins

and topwater poppers, around the weedbeds.

 

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER - Herring and shad fishing is excellent. The white perch

run is slow this year, but they are coming on strong. Shad darts are taking

shad and herring, while bloodworms and nightcrawlers are taking the white

perch. Bass, catfish and stripers in the tidal sections are active. Big blue

catfish, to 40 pounds, are taking cut bait, fished on the bottom of the

outside bends of the river channel. Stripers and bass are suckers for any shad

colored crankbait or shad imitation plastic bait. Best action is along the

Southern bank around any wood structure in the water. Above the city,

smallmouth action is excellent on small crankbaits, small topwaters, four inch

plastic worms and live minnows.

 

MOTTS RESERVOIR - Anglers are taking good numbers of large white perch and

bluegills, along with some nice largemouth bass and trophy northern pike.

 

SHENANDOAH RIVER - The river is heavily stained, but dropping and clearing.

Smallmouth bass should respond well to tiny crankbaits, plastic grubs,

spinners and live bait. The key is to fish slow and thoroughly. It may take

six casts to the same piece of cover, but the fish are there. Crappie action

is good on small minnows, and sunfish are taking small spinners,

nightcrawlers, plastic grubs, live crickets and minnows. Flyrodders should try

small poppers adjacent to the weedbeds throughout the river. Catfish, 4-15

pounds, are taking cut bait and nightcrawlers.

 

MATTAPONI/PAMUNKEY RIVERS - Lots of shad and herring are being caught, along

with white and yellow perch, catfish and a few bass and crappie. Catfish are

taking cut herring, perch are taking bloodworms, shad and herring are taking

shad darts and bass are taking rattling crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Stripers

are also thick in the rivers.

 

LAKE ANNA - Big bass are taking crankbaits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and

topwater baits. Secondary points in the creeks are still producing a few good

fish, with the best areas being from the Route 208 Bridge uplake. The fish

are located in 1-3 feet of water, right on the banks. Crappie are biting well

around shallow beaver lodges, submerged brush and boat docks on live minnows,

tiny Hopkins spoons and jigs. Stripers are active around the splits and the

mouth of Contrary Creek. Best time is dawn and dusk on bucktails and noisy

topwater baits.

 

JAMES RIVER - Lots of smallmouth action, although the fish are generally

small, except below Boshers Dam, where a good number in the three pound range

have been caught. Small crankbaits, grubs and small buzzbaits are the

preferred baits. In the city, anglers are catching smallmouth bass on

nightcrawlers and minnows. Bream and catfish are also plentiful. White perch

have slowed. Tidal sections of the river are producing good bass in the gravel

pits on crankbaits and live minnows. Crappie action is superb in the pits,

while 25-55 pound blue catfish and stripers are taking cut herring.

 

LAKE CHESDIN - Crappie are biting well. Small minnows are the better choice

for bait. Largemouth bass, many over six pounds, are taking plastic worms,

buzzbaits and jig 'n pig. Catfish action is excellent, with fish to 25 pounds

being taken on cut bait.

 

CHICKAHOMINY RIVER - Spinnerbaits, topwater baits and plastic worms are taking

large numbers of bass from the edges of the lily pad fields and around cypress

trees. Catfish and crappie are also plentiful. Flyrodders are taking large

numbers of crappie from the base of cypress trees. Cut herring, shrimp and dip

baits are the choices of bait for catfish, to 35 pounds.

 

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE - Anglers working Walker's Dam are catching herring, crappie

and catfish. The lake is yielding some nice bass and pickerel on live minnows,

Slug-Go's, plastic lizards and Power Frogs. Bowfin are also taking minnows,

but the best action is for pickerel. Many anglers are taking 10-20 per day.

Flyrodders are filling creels with bream and crappie. Both species are also

taking small grubs and Beetlespins.

 

LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR - Excellent bass fishing, with most catches being made

on grape and red shad plastic worms or Bomber Flat A crankbaits. Crappie

fishing is excellent, with several over the 2 1/2 pound mark during the past

week. A number of yellow perch citations were also issued this past week.

 

BACK BAY - Lots of white perch and catfish, along with some of the best bass

catches in years. The perch are taking minnows and nightcrawlers, while the

catfish are taking nightcrawlers and chicken livers. The bass are taking

spinnerbaits and topwater baits over grass beds. Action in the creeks is

excellent with bass, crappie, white perch and channel catfish.

 

SUFFOLK LAKES - Largemouth bass action is excellent. Most of the bass were

caught on plastic worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and live minnows.

Shellcrackers are biting well. Best lakes for the big sunfish are Western

Branch and Lake Prince. Some nice stripers are being caught in Lakes Meade,

Prince and Western Branch on white bucktails and live jumbo minnows. Crappie

are biting well in all lakes on live minnows. Walleye are taking broken back

Rebels in Lake Smith.

 

LAKE GASTON - Fishing is getting better, as water temperatures range from 60-

65 in the coves and the low to mid 50s in the main lake. Bass may be taken on

Shad Raps, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and Gitzits in pumpkinseed and electric

grape colors. Devil's Horse topwaters are also producing some good fish. Head

for the back ends of the creeks, where the water is very shallow and fish amid

the stumps. Crappie fishing is excellent around boat docks on small minnows

and jigs. Live shad and bucktails are accounting for good striper catches.

Below the Gaston Dam in Weldon, N.C., striper anglers are cleaning house.

Catches of 20-25 in a day are not unusual.

 

BUGGS ISLAND LAKE - Striper and white bass fishing is good below Kerr Dam.

Bucktails and live shad are the best bait. With the lake level at 304, fishing

bass fishing has picked up. Bass fishing is generally slow, but the water is

falling and clearing and this dictates the success on any given day.

Currently, the larger fish are generally on the windblown points. Fish the

flooded willow bushes adjacent to the creek channel in the back end of the

creeks, when the sun is high. Flip a jig 'n pig or crayfish imitating plastic

into the middle of the bush. Early in the day, cast small spinnerbaits into

the outside edges of the buckbrush, adjacent to creek channels. After the sun

comes up, switch to jig 'n pig, flipped into brush among sweet gum trees

halfway into pockets in the backs of creeks. Main lake points are giving up

some good fish on Carolina-rigged lizards. Crappie action is excellent on

medium minnows over submerged brushpiles and around bridge pilings. Two

pounders are not uncommon.

 

BRIERY CREEK & SANDY RIVER RESERVOIRS - The parade of large bass is continuing

at Briery Creek, with fish weighing from 5-7 pounds having been caught this

past week. Most of the large bass were taken on plastic lizards. Nice bream

are being taken from the lake, with crappie and catfish rounding out the

catches. Sandy River is also beginning to give up some nice bass, as fish in

the 5-7 pound class were taken this past week, along with some nice bream and

a few crappie.

 

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE - Good striper action, to 25 pounds, on Cordell Ripplin'

Redfins and live shad, in the lower end of the lake. Uplake, anglers are

catching largemouth and smallmouth bass, and crappie. Main lake points are the

preferred location for the bass, while crappie are located around submerged

brush and bridge pilings.

 

LEESVILLE RESERVOIR - Good fishing, with anglers catching stripers, white bass

and largemouth bass. Most stripers are being caught early in the morning on

Cordell Redfins, bucktails and live shad. White bass and largemouth are taking

bucktails, live shad and crankbaits. The Staunton River is giving up good

sized walleye.

 

LAKE MOOMAW - Largemouth bass, to six pounds, are being caught on plastic

worms and spinnerbaits, off points in 12-15 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are

taking jig 'n pig and grubs in the upper end of the lake. Crappie, to three

pounds, are taking small minnows, in 10-12 feet of water, at night under a

crappie light. Anglers, using live minnows between dawn and 9 a.m., are

catching some brown trout to nine pounds.

 

PHILPOTT LAKE - Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are feeding heavily, and

crappie action is good in the upper end of the lake. Catfish anglers are

bringing in nice stringers. Trout fishing in the Smith River is excellent.

 

SOUTH HOLSTON RESERVOIR - Stripers and white bass are biting well on live

alewives, rattling crankbaits and bucktails. Smallmouth bass and crappie

anglers are reporting good success on live minnows, particularly around the

bushes. Occasional nice catches of trout are reported. White bass are being

caught in the river.

 

CLAYTOR LAKE - Lots of action is reported, with musky, bass, walleye, crappie,

striped bass, redeye bass and perch being caught. Stripers and white bass are

being taken on alewives in Peak Creek. Crappies are biting well on minnows and

tiny jigs. Largemouth bass fishing is fair with the fish in the pre-spawn

pattern.

 

TROUT STREAMS - Most streams have excellent hatches of caddisflies and

mayflies. Excellent fishing is available in the National Forest and Shenandoah

National Park streams on dry flies and small nymphs. Larger streams in the

valley are producing well on streamers, nymphs and small spinners. Passage

Creek (Shenandoah County) is producing many large rainbow trout. The

Bullpasture River (Highland County) is very productive, using small caddis

imitations. Back Creek (Frederick County) has good may fly hatches in the

upper areas. The Robinson River (Madison County) is producing lots of rainbows

on March Brown nymphs. The lower Rose River is still carrying good water

levels and trout are hitting small spinners and medium size nymphs. Other good

streams are Tinker Creek in Roanoke County, Tye River in Nelson County, Big

Stony Creek in Giles County and Mill Creek in Augusta County.

 

S A L T W A T E R

 

CHINCOTEAGUE - Decent catches of flounder inside Tom's Cove on shiners. Four

Mouths and Queens Sound bridge areas are also giving up flounder to 5-6

pounds. Bluefish have begun to show in the gill nets, along with shad and

trout. Surf anglers are catching and releasing stripers to 47 inches. 

 

WACHAPREAGUE - Flounder anglers are catching limits of fish in Hummocks,

Drawing and Green Channels and Seal Creek, on squid and minnow "sandwiches".

Excellent catches of tautog are coming from a wreck 40 miles from the inlet in

200 feet of water. Individual fish to over nine pounds have been caught. The

wreck was also covered with large bluefish. A few grey trout are being caught

in gill nets, but none have shown on hook and line.

 

ONANCOCK - Lots of croaker were caught this past week, in the shallow feeder

creeks. The phenomenal catches of speckled trout should continue through the

weekend if the warm weather continues. We should also see the first consistent

red drum catches this weekend. Schools of taylor blues are reported by

commercial fishermen on the western side of Tangier Island.

 

QUINBY - A few flounder are being caught just outside the harbor. The #5 buoy,

on a flood tide, is a favorite location. Drifted squid/minnow combinations

work best.

 

CAPE CHARLES - Consistent Tautog catches are coming from the Chesapeake Bay

Bridge Tunnel, where fresh cut crab is the bait of choice. Decent catches of

tog were also made in the protective shadow of the Cement Ships. Flounder are

being caught at the old C-10 buoy. Seaside, lots of large flounder are being

taken from Ship Shoal Inlet.

 

LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA - Tautog, to nine pounds,  continue to be taken by

bottom fishermen using cut crab around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel rock

islands, but bluefish are conspicuous by their absence. Pan trout and taylor

blues are showing in the gill nets off Little Creek. Anglers can expect these

species to begin hitting baited hooks next week if the warm weather

materializes. A few stripers were caught trolling just off Cape Henry this

past week. Gill netters are catching good numbers of croaker to three pounds,

plus decent numbers of grey trout off Sandbridge. Grey trout have been caught

on rod and reel in the warmwater discharge at the AMCO pier on the York River.

Good numbers of trout are showing in local gill nets, but croaker are the only

consistent action on the York River. The spring run of speckled trout is

underway inside Mobjack Bay, with the best catches coming from the southern

portion, near the mouth of the Severn River.

 

MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA - Pound nets are showing flounder, croaker, medium

trout and alewives, but they have yet to start biting. Flounder, 3-5 pounds,

were taken in pound nets located at the mouth of the Little Wicomico River.

Grey trout have also begun to show in the gill nets just outside Locklies

Creek, but the fish are not biting. Just below the Route 3 Bridge on the

Rappahannock River, nice croaker are being taken from the oyster beds and

inside the mouths of most of the creeks. Striped bass season begins in

Maryland waters of the Chesapeake on April 21st. Limit is one fish, 28-35

inches or over 41 inches. The limit also applies to Virginia tributaries of

the Potomac River. Other area Virginia seasons do not open until May 1st.

 

VIRGINIA BEACH - Headboats continue to find sea bass and tautog, with some

ling cod and pollock mixed in the catches. Some speckled trout are still being

caught inside Rudee Inlet by anglers casting rubber tailed jigs. A sprinkling

of puppy drum and flounder also show. Boston mackerel have moved on, but the

large bluefish are beginning to move through the area.

 

OUTER BANKS, N.C. - Frisco anglers were catching a mixture of 10 pound

bluefish, good sized croaker, sea mullet and taylor blues. Inshore boats

fishing the Sound, are catching and releasing striped bass while those boats

who move outside the inlet find chopper blues within 10 miles of the beach.

Offshore, yellowfin tuna fishing continues to be excellent with most of the

charter fleet returning with limit catches of 25-50 pound class fish. Catches

last week also included some dolphin and wahoo. The most consistent

spot this past week was between the 400 Line and the Point.