Friday Fishing Report

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

Wednesday 3/12 2334 0509 1046 1812 0657 1939

Thursday 3/13 - - - 0601 1142 1915 0655 1940

Friday 3/14 0040 0701 1248 2023 0654 1941

Saturday 3/15 0155 0811 1406 2133 0652 1942

Sunday 3/16 0310 0928 1527 2239 0651 1943

Monday 3/17 0415 1042 1636 2338 0649 1944

Tuesday 3/18 0513 1148 1734 - - -     0648 1945

Wednesday 3/19 0603 1245 1825 0029 0646 1946

Thursday 3/20 0649 1335 1911 0114 0644 1947

Friday 3/21 0731 1421 1954 0154 0643 1948

Saturday 3/22 0810 1502 2035 0230 0641 1949

Sunday 3/23 0846 1541 2116 0301 0640 1950

• POTOMAC RIVER - D.C.—As this is written, the river is still rising. Fishing conditions should only improve in the lower tidal sections. The usual warmwater haunts at Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant and The Spoils will produce fish for those brave enough to try for them. The warm weather this week has the fish on the move and even though the weekend forecast calls for wet, cold and cloudy conditions, the fish should still be amenable to a meal. Areas below National Airport should be in good shape for fishing. Live minnows, jig 'n pig, plastic baits and small crankbaits should take the majority of bass.

• POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE—Bass are beginning to actively forage for food, looking to fatten up before the spawn. They will be holding in deeper water adjacent to sand or gravel banks, coming up on the flats to feed in the afternoon sun. As the commercial fishermen remove their nets, bass anglers will be able to access the shallow areas in creeks, as well as the traditional spawning flats on the main river. Lipless, rattling crankbaits;small, tight wiggling crankbaits; small plastic baits and spinnerbaits should take the fish when they begin foraging. Lots of big crappie are available around shallow, submerged cover throughout the creeks. Most of the tributary creeks are seeing the influx of fat yellow perch, which are easily caught on live minnows or tiny jigs if the commercial fishermen have left any at all.

• OCCOQUAN RIVER—The yellow perch bite is peaking, but small white perch aretaking their place. Herring and gizzard shad should be in the river late this week or early next week. Should the weather continue to warm up, the large white perch, hickory and white shad should be appearing by the middle of next week. Bass and crappie catches are on and off. Some anglers are catching good stringers of each, while other fishermen are skunked. Bass are most often being taken from shallow water, while the crappie are taking live minnows near the boat docks.

• OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR—Anglers on the reservoir are reporting up and down success, with lots of fish being caught one day and nothing the next. Spinnerbaits are taking a few fish in the upper end of the lake and in the shallow reaches of the coves. Crappie are generally hanging in 6-8 feet of water over or around submerged cover. Catfish anglers are reporting very few catches.

• BURKE LAKE—Largemouth bass and muskie are staging for the spawn. Bass are being caught with regularity, by anglers fishing crankbaits and spinnerbaits on the edges of the weedbeds, adjacent to the dropoffs. Buzzbaits are also taking some good bass in the back ends of the coves.

• LAKE BRITTLE—A few bass, to five pounds, are being taken from the shallow areas of the lake, along with crappie and channel catfish.

• POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER—The river is high and muddy. Boats should take extra precautions, including WEARING PFDs. Smallmouth bass are on the feed. Check shallow cover along the riverbanks in the mornings and isolated rocks in the afternoons. Most of the fish are being taken on tiny crankbaits and plastic grubs, although there are a few reports of smallmouth hitting small buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Chartreuse is the favored color.

• RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER—Big cats are taking cut bait in the main river channel. Smallmouth bass are taking topwaters and plastic grubs above the I-95 bridge, while largemouth bass are to be found on the marsh drainages, creek mouths and on submerged cover on dropoffs. Herring and white perch are reported in the river, although in small quantities. Shad and stripers cannot be far behind.

• SHENANDOAH RIVER—Anglers are catching smallmouth bass, 2-3 pounds, on live shiners and small jig 'n pig combos. Some fish are also taking slowly-retrieved, wide-wobbling crankbaits. Slower sections of the river, 4-6 feet, have warmer water than the main stream and seem to be concentrating the bass. Sunfish and catfish are active and foraging.

• MATTAPONI & PAMUNKEY RIVERS—The first fish of the annual herring run have arrived in these rivers. By week's end, herring and white perch spawning runs should begin in earnest, with good catches recorded on the full length of the rivers. Along with the perch and herring, should be catches of stripers, crappie, bass, pickerel and yellow perch.

• LAKE FREDERICK—This lake is giving up some beautiful bass, with a number of seven pounders taken over the past couple of weeks. Jerkbaits and suspending crankbaits are taking the better fish.

• LAKE ORANGE—Excellent bass fishing in this small lake. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are responsible for the larger fish. Crappie anglers are taking good numbers of fish to 1.5 pounds, in 12-18 feet of water, on brushpiles.

• LAKE ANNA—Largemouth bass fishing is fair on jig 'n pig, grubs, spinnerbaits and suspending crankbaits. The best locations are main lake points, secondary points, creeks and shallow coves, from Sturgeon Creek to Dike Three. Crappie fishing is good on live minnows and small jigs, fished around docks, beaver lodges, and shallow rock piles. Striper fishing is good early and late in the day on top water lures, such as Cordell Redfins and Zara Spooks. Best areas for the stripers are Sturgeon Creek, Contrary Creek, the Splits and Stubbs Bridge.

• JAMES RIVER—The tidal sections are showing good catches of large blue catfish, to 50 pounds, on cut herring, particularly around the Dutch Gap Power Plant. Largemouth bass are taking small crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jig 'n pig on shallow banks with cover, adjacent to deeper water, and in the barge pits. Creek mouths are giving up good numbers of keeper bass on small plastic grubs and live bait, on a falling tide. Smallmouth bass are feeding heavily above the city, where tiny crankbaits, plastic grubs and some topwaters are the preferred baits.

• CHICKAHOMINY RIVER—Lots of fish stirring. A few herring are in the river, followed by longnose gar. Yellow perch have about completed their spawning, and herring and white perch have started their run. Bass, crappie, pickerel, stripers and catfish complete the picture. The bass are taking small crankbaits, plastic grubs and spinnerbaits, fished in the creek mouths and on small points. Live minnows are the preferred bait for crappie and catfish, with creek mouths being the proper locations.

• CHICKAHOMINY LAKE—Lots of bass being taken on live minnows around points and emerging vegetation. Crappie, pickerel and large yellow perch are also taking live minnows throughout the lake.

• LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR—The lake is 24" below full pool and slightly stained. Water temp in the upper forties. Lots of crappie, to two pounds, are taking minnows, plastic grubs and jigs on the creek channel edges. Bass, to over six pounds, are taking crankbaits,  slow-rolled spinnerbaits and jigs in shallow water in the p.m. Chain pickerel are taking spinnerbaits and minnows in 5-15 feet of water.

• LAKE CHESDIN—Largemouth bass action is excellent on grass lines, points and creeks, using jig 'n pig, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. A number of bass over the five pound mark were taken last week. Crappie fishing is excellent, using live minnows and small jigs. Best location for crappie is wooded structure in creeks, coves and along the main lake. Walleye and stripers are biting in the Appomattox River, above the lake, on pearl colored twister tails.

• SUFFOLK LAKES—Bass and crappie fishing is excellent in Lakes Smith, Whitehurst, Cohoon, Meade, Prince and Burnt Mills. Bass, to seven pounds, are taking spinnerbaits, jig 'n pig, plastic worms and live minnows. Crappie, to two pounds, are taking small minnows and jigs. Lake Smith is giving up good walleyes on crankbaits, while Prince is the scene of some good striper fishing. Lake Cohoon and Lake Prince are giving up nice catches of pickerel.

• LAKE GASTON—Largemouth bass are being caught in shallow coves, back ends of creeks and on boat docks. Better lures are Speed Shads, suspending jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and jig 'n pig. Lots of pickerel are hitting shad imitating crankbaits, fished in a stop and go retrieve near willow grass and docks, uplake. Stripers are being caught in good numbers on the flats behind the Route 85 bridge on live or cut shad. White perch are available below the Gaston Dam and plenty of hickory and white shad are being caught at Weldon, N.C.

• BUGGS ISLAND LAKE—As the water level rises and with the warming temperatures this week, the bass should return to the shallow points, back ends of creeks and coves. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jig 'n pig and plastic grubs are the preferred baits. Crappie fishing is great, around submerged structure in the creeks. Many of the fish are exceeding two pounds. Stripers are still being caught on points in most of the major creeks. Live and cut shad are working well.

• BRIERY CREEK & SANDY RIVER RESERVOIRS—Florida strain largemouth bass are showing up at this lake. A number of bass over the seven pound mark were weighed this past week, with a number of others over the 16 inch mark being caught. Most of the fish were taken on live minnows, from 8-10 feet of water. Crappie anglers are taking good numbers of fish, to two pounds. Sandy River reports lots of crappie and bream being caught, while bass catches are down.

• SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE—Largemouth bass are being caught in 0-6 feet of water on jig 'n pig, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Main lake points and rocky coves are the better places to fish. Stripers, to 15 pounds, are being caught on main lake points and major creeks on live shad, bucktails and Redfins. Crappie anglers are doing well in 5-8 feet of water, near submerged brush.

• PHILPOTT LAKE—Largemouth bass are taking jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits with gusto. Crappie fishing has been excellent on live minnows. Smith River trout anglers are catching limits of trout on Berkley Power Baits.

• CLAYTOR LAKE—Fishing has been good overall. Bass catches are good, along with white bass, flathead catfish, some stripers and walleye. Crappie fishing is good, using live minnows.

• NEW RIVER—Smallmouth bass fishing is said to be good on small plastics and Roostertails, while a few muskie follows are reported.

• LAKE MOOMAW—Smallmouth bass and crappie are the mainstay on the lake, as anglers fishing the upper end of the lake are creeling numbers of fish. Trout anglers are happy, with browns hitting in the lake. Other trout anglers are catching good numbers of large trout in the Smith River, below the dam.

• TROUT STREAMS—Present conditions for trout streams are iffy throughout the state. Some streams are overflowing, while others are just full and some are low. Best action will be found in the headwater streams, using nymphs and flies in sizes 12-16. Spinfishermen will do well in small streams using 1/32 oz. spoons and small spinners. Large streams in valley floors are flooded from recent rains. Anglers will do better here with minnow or sculpin imitating streamers. Small Rapalas and spinners will also take fish here. Better streams this week should be: Floyd County - Goose Creek, Little River; Craig County - Cove Creek; Bland County - Wold Creek; Shenandoah County - Big Stoney Creek, Passage Creek; Patrick County - Poor House Creek, Big Ivy Creek.

SALTWATER

Capt. Jim Brincefield is still loading the boat with limit catches (25 per angler) of black sea bass and blue line tilefish. The Jill

Carrie is running out of Virginia Beach. Contact him at 443-336-8756. Boston mackerel are slow to move in this year. The huge schools are off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, moving slowly north. Headboats are filling all available containers and returning early. These tasty fish will probably continue around this area for about another week and then move into the Virginia Beach area for a week before heading for Ocean City. There, the headboats from both Ocean City and Lewes, Delaware will have a field day for about three more weeks until the huge schools head north for the summer, not to be seen again in these parts until next spring.