Weekly Fishing Report

DAY       DATE   HIGH   LOW   HIGH   LOW   A.M.  P.M.
——————————————————————————————
Wednesday     11/05   2349   0556   1200   1754   0612   1731
Thursday     11/06   - - -  0643   1253   1852   0613   1730
Friday       11/07   0055   0732   1343   1953   0614   1729
Saturday     11/08   0159   0821   1429   2055   0615   1728
Sunday       11/09   0255   0910   1513   2157   0616   1727
Monday       11/10   0346   1000   1557   2255   0618   1726
Tuesday       11/11   0434   1050   1642   2351   0619   1725
Wednesday     11/12   0521   1140   1728   - - -  0620   1725
Thursday     11/13   0609   1232   1815   0046   0621   1724
Friday       11/14   0657   1326   1905   0139   0622   1723
Saturday     11/15   0749   1421   1957   0232   0623   1722
Sunday       11/16   0843   1518   2052   0326   0624   1722
POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. - Smallmouth and largemouth bass are hungry and taking live bait, fished along the Virginia shoreline, from Key Bridge to Chain Bridge. A few walleye are being taken from the upstream point of Three Sisters Islands, drifting nightcrawlers and live minnows across the bottom. Downstream, bass are orienting around bridge pilings and on dropoffs throughout the city. Washington Channel, Blue Plains, The Spoils and Washington Sailing Marina are the more productive areas. Plastic grubs, crankbaits, jig ‘n pig and live bait are the most productive baits. Large bladed spinnerbaits, slow-rolled down the dropoffs near downed wood or points on moving tides, are producing some large bass for patient anglers. Crappie schools are roaming, but never far from submerged cover or creek channels. Live minnows are the ticket. Trolled broken-back minnow imitating baits are taking good sized stripers in the Washington Channel.
POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE - Largemouth bass are being taken on banks dropping into 12-18 feet of water on plastic grubs and jig ‘n pig.
Water temperature is running from 48-53 degrees. Most of the fish seem to be larger than average, as 2-5 pound bass seem to be more common. When the dropoff is adjacent to rocky or gravel shorelines, with some flat, try a slowly retrieved crankbait or slow-rolled spinnerbait. Baits with a wide wobble seem to be more effective. Some of the better areas are the mouth of
Swan Creek, Belle Haven Cove, Mount Vernon dock area, Pohick Bay, Mattawoman, Aquia and Nanjemoy Creeks. Crappie are schooled in the creeks and will take small minnows fished over submerged brush or around boat docks. Stripers are being caught throughout the area, but most are small and there is no consistency. Catfish anglers are taking good numbers of blue catfish to 60 pounds on cut shad in less than 20 feet of water on outgoing tides.
POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW ROUTE 301 BRIDGE - Stripers have moved into the area in numbers. Lots of keeper sized fish. Pay particular attention to the outflow from the Morgantown Power Plant, Morgantown bridge pilings and humps in front of Colonial Beach. Bucktails, Sassy Shads and Mann’s Stretch baits are taking
most of the fish.
OCCOQUAN RIVER - Bass are located around the grass bed at the mouth of the river on spinnerbaits, topwater baits and Mann’s Baby One Minus crankbaits. Bass are also found on dropoffs adjacent to cover. Best results are to be had in 6-16 feet of water on small plastic worms, small crankbaits, live minnows and jig ‘n pig. A few small stripers are still around, early and late in the day, near the rocks in the back end of the river. Crappie are present around
submerged brush and boat docks. Live minnows are the key.
OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR - Bass are being caught on the main lake points, dropping
into 15-20 feet of water. Plastic grubs, jig ‘n pig and live bait are the key. Downed wood is holding some large bass for anglers slow-rolling large spinnerbaits. Crappie are available around standing timber and beaver lodges. Small, live minnows are the proper bait.
BURKE LAKE - A few bass are being caught on live minnows, fished on the edges of the grassbeds and around beaver lodges. Topwater baits are also taking a few good fish. Crappie are biting well on small jigs near dropoffs.
POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER - Smallmouth bass are biting well on live crayfish, jumbo minnows, and small jig ‘n pig baits. Crappie are visiting the creek mouths from time to time, but results are iffy. Catfish and smallmouth bass are biting aggressively at the outflow from Dickerson Power Plant. Live minnows and small plastic grubs are preferred baits.
SHENANDOAH RIVER - Smallmouth bass are active and taking any slowly-fished bait. Horsehead jigs with spinners are very productive during this season. Fish them very slowly, bumping them on the bottom every foot or so. The 1/8 oz. size, in white, seems to be the best choice.
RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER - A few bass are being caught by knowledgeable anglers, fishing the blowdowns on the South shoreline of the tidal section. Spinnerbaits, tipped with pork chunks, are the most productive bait, but jig ‘n pig and grubs are also taking their share. Crappie are also schooled around wood cover. Blue catfish, to 30 pounds, are still taking cut bait when fished in the outside bends of the main river channel. Some small stripers are being
caught below the Route 301 bridge, but results are iffy.
MATTAPONI/PAMUNKEY RIVERS - Schooled crappie are taking small minnows and Beetlespins. Stripers are taking bloodworms and peeler crab baits, from Aylett to the York, with the best action being around the West Point bridges. White
perch are being taken on bloodworms and small minnows. Bass action is limited, but some fish are being caught on flats adjacent to the river channel. Best baits are small crankbaits, plastic grubs and jig ‘n pig. Catfish action has slowed.
LAKE ANNA - Stripers are very active early and late, on the surface. During the day, jigging spoons and trolled, deep-diving crankbaits are the better choice. Better areas are the mouth of Contrary Creek, Rose Valley and the area around Jetts Island, at the Splits. Bass are orienting to steep dropping banks and points. Early and late, they move up into the shallows to feed, then drop back down into the deeper water to hold. Large plastic grubs and jig ‘n pig baits are the chief lures, but jumbo minnows will out-produce them. Crappie are schooled tight, with the larger fish suspending over creek channels in the backs of the creeks. Beaver lodges are holding lots of crappie, as well.
CHICKAHOMINY RIVER - Bass are holding on dropoffs on the main river, as well as the creeks. Diascund Creek is producing well on bottom-fished lures, near wood cover, in deeper water. Mann’s Stingray grubs are producing well for bass, but small crankbaits, jig ‘n pig and live minnows are taking more fish. Yellow perch and crappie fishing is excellent throughout the river. Live minnows and grubs are the better choice for bait. Stripers are available for those who are fishing for them, particularly around the Route 5 bridge. Jumbo minnows, Sassy Shads and Rat-l-Traps are the more productive baits.
CHICKAHOMINY LAKE - Pickerel, bowfin, bass and crappie are all being caught on
live bait around the submerged brushpiles and shoreline points. Some of the bass and crappie are of trophy size. Some catfish and stripers are also being caught in the lake. Stripers are running 6-10 pounds and are taking Cordell Red Fins.
LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR - The water level is down 69 inches. Yellow perch are
the big take here, with some citation fish being caught. Lots of crappie are being caught, along with pickerel and largemouth bass. Live minnows are taking most of the fish, but spinnerbaits and plastic worms are accounting for some trophy bass.
JAMES RIVER -Tidal areas are not producing well, as most of the creeks are very shallow. When steep dropoffs are found in the creeks, however, bass are normally stacked up in the holes. Jig ‘n pig, plastic grubs and small, deep-diving crankbaits are the ticket for these fish. Yellow perch are taking small
spinnerbaits, grubs and horsehead jigs, fished on the bottom around wood structure. The barge pits are producing lots of crappie and bass. Just below the city, lots of smallmouth bass are being taken, along with a number of largemouth bass. Most of the fish are coming from the steep banks on the North side of the river. Small spinnerbaits, plastic grubs, jig ‘n pig and live bait
are the best choice of bait. Some stripers are being taken from pilings in the Hog Island area and around the power lines downstream from Jordan Point. Blue catfish, to 50+ pounds, are taking large strips of cut shad, fished in the outside bends of the river channel.
LAKE CHESDIN - Stripers, largemouth bass and crappie are off and on. The colder temperatures should put them on a more consistent feed. Stripers are hitting topwater lures early and late in the day, while most anglers go after bass and crappie in between. Live minnows are the most productive bait for all species.
BACK BAY - A few white perch are available on small minnows. Some nice crappie and a few largemouth bass are being taken on live minnows, up in the creeks.
SUFFOLK LAKES - Bass action is fair to good, with fish being taken by anglers using live minnows, jig ‘n pig and plastic grubs. Crappie are schooled and taking live minnows. Some large stripers are being taken on jumbo minnows and bucktails. Very few anglers are out.
LAKE GASTON - Striper fishing is excellent. Topwater lures early and late in the day, and live alewives, bucktails and rattling lures after the sun comes up, are best choices for lures. The main river channel downlake is the best area to hunt, paying particular attention to areas with 16-24 feet of water. Bass anglers are doing well on main lake points, adjacent to channels and in the creeks, where the channel bends close to the bank. Any slow-fished lure will take the bass when shad are present in the area. Best bet is a 3/4 oz. spinnerbait, with large gold willowleaf blades, slow-rolled across points and down the dropoff. A number of 6-8 pound bass have been taken by this method in the past 10 days. Crappie are schooled around brush piles and solid structure. White perch are taking 1/4 oz. Hopkins jigging spoons.
BUGGS ISLAND LAKE - Crappie anglers are loading coolers with 1-3 pound fish, using small minnows over brushpiles and around bridge pilings. Bass may be taken in shallow water, holding on rockpiles in backs of pockets. They may also be found holding on points or wood structure in 4-6 feet or water, and on humps, road beds and ledges, in 10-14 feet of water, near dropoffs into river or creek channels. Depending on depth, most productive lures are slowly retrieved crankbaits, plastic grubs or spider jigs, jig ‘n pig and jigging spoons. Stripers are active, hitting Sassy Shads on 1/4 ounce jig heads,
fished under the schools of shad minnows close to the shoreline.
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE - Striper fishing is excellent. Live shad or alewives are
the better bait, fished in submerged standing timber in the coves. Trolling
with bucktails will also produce some fish, as will topwater lures when the
big fish are feeding on shad schools. Bass fishing is good to excellent. Most
of the fish are taking smoke/purple or salt/pepper plastic worms, jig ‘n pig
and plastic grubs in the backs of coves. Crappie are being caught on live
minnows and tiny jigs over brushpiles in 10 feet of water. Trout are biting
well on the Roanoke River.
LEESVILLE RESERVOIR - White bass and striper action has picked up. Live
alewives and crankbaits are taking both species of fish. Some citation rock
bass being caught. The redeyes are taking small minnows and jigs.
LAKE MOOMAW - A few small trout are being caught by anglers fishing live bait.
Smallmouth bass are being taken by anglers fishing jig ‘n pig and spinnerbaits
on points, dropping into 20+ feet of water. Trout fishing is good in the
Jackson River, below the dam.
CLAYTOR LAKE - Fishing overall is slow. Striper action is still good on
topwater lures, early and late in the day. Crappie are biting regularly on
tiny jigs and minnows, fished over brushpiles.
NEW RIVER - Top water lures continue to take many smallmouth bass. Best method
has topwaters fished with no action, and Rapalas twitched quickly under the
surface.
PHILPOTT LAKE - Smallmouth bass to five pounds are being caught on live
minnows and brown plastic grubs in 25-30 feet of water. Largemouth bass are
taking spinnerbaits, jig ‘n pig and plastic worms on points adjacent to creek
channels. Crappie and catfish are still taking live bait. Trout action has
been good on the Smith River.
TROUT STREAMS - Good catches of trout for anglers using nymphs, streamers, and
small spinners in the Tye River. The South Fork of the Holston River in Smyth
County is also providing anglers with nice catches. Rainbow trout are hitting
nymphs fished just under the surface at Silver Lake in Rockingham County.
Another good spot for trout fishermen is the Tomahawk Pond in Shenandoah
County.
S A L T W A T E R -  Stripers are still roaming in large schools on the
Southwest Middlegrounds. Boats from Smith Point and Point Lookout are taking
40+ fish per day, trolling, jigging and chumming. Trolling is producing a few
very large fish at the mouth of the Potomac River. Lots of sea trout are being
caught jigging under schools of breaking stripers in 20+ feet of water. Most
of the trout action is centered near the Summer Gooses, although some good
catches have been made on edges, from the mouth of the Potomac River to Point
No Point. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is producing some large flounder,
red drum, stripers and various assorted other species. Offshore, bluefin tuna
are being caught when the wind allows boats to go offshore.
Charlie Taylor writes about fishing for News and Messenger. He may be reached
at: cetaylor2verizon.net