Bass turning on with cooler weather

FISHING REPORT                             Charlie Taylor 

       Potomac River Tide Information                 Twilight

         High Point, Occoquan River                     Hours

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

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Wednesday   9/01     1228    1854    - - -   0705     0610    2006

Thursday    9/02     1333    1950    0043    0807     0611    2004

Friday      9/03     1446    2056    0147    0915     0612    2003

Saturday    9/04     1554    2210    0300    1022     0612    2001

Sunday      9/05     1653    2321    0410    1122     0613    1959

Monday      9/06     1746    - - -   0512    1216     0614    1958

Tuesday     9/07     1837    0026    0608    1307     0615    1956

Wednesday   9/08     1925    0125    0701    1355     0616    1955

Thursday    9/09     2014    0221    0752    1441     0617    1953

Friday      9/10     2102    0314    0842    1528     0618    1951

Saturday    9/11     2151    0407    0933    1614     0619    1950

Sunday      9/12     2243    0500    1026    1701     0620    1948

POTOMAC RIVER - D.C. - Crappie are beginning to school around the Fletcher's

Cove area with some catches made on small minnows. Catfish are still biting

well on nightcrawlers and clam snouts. Smallmouth bass are taking small

crankbaits, live crayfish and spinnerbaits along the banks, above Fletcher's.

The Virginia shoreline is holding good largemouth bass all the way to National

Airport. Rattling crankbaits are the preferred baits. Main river bridge

pilings are giving up some good fish to patient anglers fishing soft plastic

baits and deep diving crankbaits. Washington Channel sea wall is holding

crappie schools and some bass. Plastic baits, fished slow, are taking the

bass. The cover around Blue Plains and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge are also

producing good bass on topwater baits and plastic worms.

POTOMAC RIVER - BELOW WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE - Bass are holding in the main

river grass beds below Piscataway Creek. Better choice of baits are buzzbaits,

frogs, soft jerk baits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and jig 'n pig. In the

backs of the creeks, crankbaits and plastic worms are producing well around

submerged wood. Plastic worms, tossed into spatterdock fields, are taking lots

of largemouth bass in the creeks. Zoom Horny Toads are taking fish from thick

matted grass beds. Spinnerbaits and Storm Chug Bugs are taking fish from the

marsh grass banks. Crappie are schooling up tight and biting well on small,

live minnows. Catfish are taking cut bait, live minnows, clam snouts and

nightcrawlers.

OCCOQUAN RIVER - Bass have turned on with the coming of the cooler nights.

Lots of bass are being taken on crankbaits around submerged cover. Crappie are

schooling and taking small minnows. Catfish continue to bite well on clam

snouts, nightcrawlers and cut bait. Some stripers are available in the back of

the river on Sassy Shads, bucktails and large minnow imitating lures.

OCCOQUAN RESERVOIR - Bass are hitting crankbaits, plastic worms and jig 'n pig

baits, fished on main lake points and creek channels. Some fish are also being

taken from the rock walls on the lower end of the lake.  Catfish are biting

well on clam snouts, while crappie are schooled and taking live minnows and

tiny jigs, around submerged cover.

BURKE LAKE - Bass beginning to feed actively. Some big fish taking small

crankbaits and plastic worms. Crappie are schooled up and taking live minnows

and tiny jigs.

POTOMAC RIVER - UPPER - Smallmouth action is fair to good, with a few decent

sized fish. Most of the fish are being caught on plastic worms or grubs and

small spinnerbaits. Good action on topwater baits, around and over the flooded

shoreline grassbeds. Catfish are still taking cut bait, nightcrawlers and live

minnows. Crappie beginning to school up around the creek mouths.

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER - Smallmouth action is good above the city on minnows,

crayfish and Baby Chug Bugs. In the tidal sections, largemouth bass are

available above the Route 301 Bridge, taking small crankbaits and plastic

worms around the wood cover in the main river. Some bass are also available at

the tide line around the city. Large catfish, to 30 pounds, are still taking

cut baits in the main channel bends below the city.

SHENANDOAH RIVER - This river is in excellent shape for smallmouth anglers.

Most fish are taken on live minnows, madtoms and crayfish, but nice fish are

also being taken on plastic worms, grubs, spinnerbaits, Tiny Torpedos and

small crankbaits. Sunfish and catfish are biting well.

MATTAPONI/PAMUNKEY RIVERS - Catfish action is excellent. Minnows and

nightcrawlers are producing bream, bass, bowfin, crappie, walleye, pickerel

and stripers in the upper ends of both rivers. Croaker are being taken from

mid river to the mouth.

LAKE ANNA - Bass action is slow to fair. The bass are on the move with the

cooler temperatures. Best action from dawn to about 10 a.m. is near shallow

flats. Topwater lures are the best choice, with crankbaits and plastic worms

also producing. Rocky points are also producing bass on plastic worms and jig

'n pig. Crappie are schooled up around the bridge pilings, where live minnows

and tiny jigs are taking good stringers. Stripers are active around Dike

Three, the Splits, Jetts Island, Rose Valley and Stubbs Bridge. Some topwater

action for stripers is available in the mouths of Sturgeon and Contrary

Creeks, early and late in the day.

JAMES RIVER - Bass are tough to find in the tidal creeks. Best action is on

plastic worms, small crankbaits and spinnerbaits in the back ends of creeks

and the headwaters of the river. The gravel pits are also producing good

numbers of bass and crappie. Above the city, smallmouth bass action is good.

Best lure choices are plastic grubs, small crankbaits and small topwater

lures. Catfish to 50 pounds are biting well throughout the tidal sections.

LAKE CHESDIN - Crappie are biting well, along with bass in the 3-4 pound

class. Spinnerbaits are the better bait for bass, while crappie are taking

small minnows. Catfish action is excellent, with a number of large fish being

caught.

CHICKAHOMINY RIVER - Fair fishing for bass, with crankbaits, minnows, plastic

worms and buzzbaits taking most of the fish. Better action is to be had by

fishing back ends of creeks and lily pad fields in the upper reaches of the

river. Most of the fish are small, but some good fish are being caught. Bream

are also being taken in large numbers. Catfish action is excellent on turtle

livers and peeler crab. Lots of crappie are starting to show on submerged

brush. Big blue catfish are available on cut eel baits.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE - Bass catches are good, with fish to six pounds being

caught. Catfish, bream, pickerel and grindle are also showing in the catches.

Catfish are taking shrimp, peeler crab and clam snouts. Pickerel and bass are

taking jumbo minnows, plastic worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits, while bream

anglers are taking most of the fish on red wigglers and flyrod poppers.

LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR - Some good sized bass and pickerel are mixed in the

creels, along with smaller bass and bream. Topwater and plastic lures are the

best baits for bass, while bream are taking red wigglers, crickets and flyrod

poppers. Stripers are being caught on live herring.

BACK BAY - Small bass, nice bluegill, small crappie and large catfish are

being caught in the upper ends of Hellespoint and West Neck Creeks. The

Sandbridge area is producing catfish to nine pounds, flounder and a few perch.

Crappie and white perch are being caught on small minnows throughout the bay.

SUFFOLK LAKES - Fishing is fair in all the lakes. Shellcrackers are taking red

wigglers and crickets in 9-10 feet of water. Bass are taking spinnerbaits,

plastic worms and crankbaits. Striper action is good on jumbo minnows in

Western Branch and Prince. Bream and gar are biting well in Lake Prince, while

crappie are biting well on live minnows. Lake Whitehurst reports excellent

action for catfish, bream and white perch. A few walleye are being landed on

drifted nightcrawlers.

LAKE GASTON - Largemouth bass are hitting red plastic worms and clear

crankbaits, around boat docks. Topwater baits are accounting from lots of bass

from the uplake grassbeds. Zoom Horny Toads are the better choice for matted

grass, while Baby Chug Bugs and Pop Rs take lots of fish in the milfoil beds.

Crappie are taking live minnows and red and white jigs. Night fishing for

catfish is excellent with almost any kind of bait. Trolling white bucktails

and Cordell Redfins, is the preferred method for catching striped bass. White

perch are taking crappie jigs dropped from Pop R's, on points.

BUGGS ISLAND LAKE - Bass are schooled up on structure and can be consistently

caught on old road beds and points in 4-10 feet of water. Fish are

aggressively hitting lures bumped on structure. Best lures are plastic worms

and grubs in light colors, fished on Carolina rigs. Striped bass are being

caught by trolling with bucktails, Cordell Red Fins and live shad from buoy 5

through buoy 8. Crappie fishing is good all over the lake, around brushpiles

and bridge pilings. The fish are located at the 10 foot level. The mouths of

Grassy and Eastland Creeks are showing good catches of white bass. The fish

are being caught, jigging Little Georges just off the bottom, in 20 feet of

water.

BRIERY CREEK & SANDY RIVER RESERVOIRS - Water level in Briery Creek is down

about 1.5 feet. Lots of slot fish being caught in Briery Creek. Numbers are

caught on plastic baits on shallow flats in the upper end of the main lake.

Bigger fish are taken by dropping 7" Yum dingers or 10" plastic worms through

the branches of standing trees, allowing them to hit each limb. The fish are

taking the baits on the fall and swimming away from the trees. Laydowns on the

shoreline are also holding good fish, but are difficult to pull out of the

thick stuff. A few fish are taken by dragging plastic baits across the dollar

pads and dropping them on the outside edges. Lots of large bluegill are also

being caught. No report on Sandy River.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE - Bass action is picking up, with most of the fish being

caught in 5-8 feet of water, on crankbaits and topwater lures. Some bass are

being caught around boat docks in the Craddock Creek section. Main lake points

in the Roanoke arm are also producing some bass on plastic worms and jig 'n

pig baits. Striper action is excellent in the lower end of the lake on trolled

Red Eye Spoons and live shad. The fish are running 8-11 pounds.

LEESVILLE RESERVOIR - Live minnows and crankbaits are the better choices for

baits to catch largemouth and white bass. Most of the fish are schooled and

are actively feeding. Crappie are taking medium minnows. Stripers, 7-12

pounds, are being taken trolling bucktails and Cordell Redfins.

LAKE MOOMAW - Trout fishing is at a standstill, with only a few 2-3 pound fish

being caught. Most of the action on the lake centers on bass, yellow perch and

channel catfish.

PHILPOTT LAKE - Bass and crappie fishing is fair, with live minnows being the

bait of choice. Trout fishing has just about stopped, while catfishing is

good. Trout fishing in the Smith River is good for small fish.

NEW RIVER - Lots of smallmouth bass are being caught early and late in the

day, in the deeper holes. Best lures are live bait and soft plastic lures in

brown and chartreuse colors. Catfishing is fair.

SOUTH HOLSTON RESERVOIR - Smallmouth bass are biting well on jig 'n pig,

Silver Buddies, crankbaits and live minnows, fished off points in 10-12 feet

of water. Catfish are taking nightcrawlers. Crappie are schooling and taking

small minnows.

CLAYTOR LAKE - White bass are starting to appear in Peak Creek and some

crappie are being caught. Channel catfish are biting well, and stripers are

starting to bust the surface, early and late in the day. Some small bass are

being caught.

TROUT STREAMS - Fair action should be anticipated with the advent of the brook

and brown trout spawn. Casters should have good success on small spinners and

spoons, while flyrodders should make good catches on streamers and nymphs in

sizes 8-10 on larger streams and rivers.

S A L T W A T E R

CHINCOTEAGUE - Large flounder are moving from the inside creeks down to the

mouth of the inlet, in the vicinity of Buoy 20. Catches in this area also

include good numbers of spot, blowfish and sea bass. Some croaker and small

sharks are being caught in the vicinity of the 2TL Buoy. Grey trout, to seven

pounds, are being taken inside the inlet and off Fishing Point. Taylor blues,

spot and a few sea mullet are being caught in the surf. Offshore catches

consist mainly of yellowfin tuna, false albacore and dolphin, along with a few

white marlin.

WACHAPREAGUE - Yellowfin tuna and dolphin are being caught at the 20 Fathom

Finger, while billfish are being caught in Norfolk Canyon. Inside the inlet,

flounder to five pounds are taken from the mouth of the inlet and the deep

channel in front of the Old Coast Guard Station. Bottom fishermen are also

finding a mix of sea mullet, croaker, spot, pigfish and blowfish.

ONANCOCK - Excellent bottom fishing for spot. Sea mullet, pigfish, blowfish,

porgy and sea bass are mixed in with the spot. Croaker action has tailed off,

but those caught are larger fish. Trout are showing in the Beach Rock area.

Flounder are being taken by drifting the channel edges with fresh cut spot for

bait. Several red drum have been caught around the islands outside Onancock.

Peeler crab baits are responsible for some speckled trout.

QUINBY - Good catches of 1-3 pound trout on squid strips. Best action has been

at the Gap, Rebel Island and Eggen Marsh. Bottom anglers are catching sea

mullet, sea bass and spot. Flounder fishing has improved, with many limits

being reported. Offshore trollers report yellowfin tuna, dolphin and false

albacore.

CAPE CHARLES - Good red drum action is reported along the channel edge from

the old C-10 buoy to Pungoteague Creek. Best catches are coming from late

afternoon to just after dark on fresh cut mullet and bunker. Flounder action

remains excellent, with good catches made from the old C-10 Buoy to the Cement

Ships. Large flounder are also taken between the High Rise and the Fourth

Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Bottom fishermen are finding a

mixture of spot, croaker, blowfish, sea mullet, taylor blues, trout and

pigfish. Speckled trout action remains iffy in the bayside creeks.

LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA - Flounder, croaker and spot are hitting at the

Small Boat Channel, located just south of the First Island of the Chesapeake

Bay Bridge Tunnel. Spot catches are excellent along Chicks Beach. Taylor blues

to three pounds are available around the Fourth Island. Lots of cobia are

still on the CBBT and nearby ocean buoys. Tautog activity is improving daily.

Spanish mackerel are plentiful along the tunnel crossing. King mackerel, 8-15

pounds, are being taken by trollers from the CB Buoy line out to the Tower

Reef. Cobia are taking white bucktails trimmed with pork rind on the CB Buoys.

The Fingers are loaded with chicken dolphin and occasional white marlin. Good

catches of croaker, along with some flounder, are coming from the Back River

Reef. Serious flounder fishermen are running across the Bay to the Cell.

Excellent bottom fishing for "yellow-bellied" spot is available at Twin

Stakes, along with a few decent croaker. Drifted cut bait is responsible for

fair numbers of flounder just outside Egg Island Bar. Large sea mullet and

cow-nosed rays are available at the south end of Smith Island. Spot are

schooling with the cooler weather, but croaker catches are dwindling. Large

spot and croaker are hitting off Cheatham Annex at the "Lumps" and at the

mouth of Sarah's Creek. Speckled trout activity continues to improve inside

Mobjack Bay, near the mouth of the North and Ware Rivers.

MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA - Excellent numbers of large spot are available at

Blackberry Hang and at the mouth of Dividing and Indian Creeks. Sea mullet and

trout are found behind Tangier Island. Spanish mackerel are still available

along the eastern side of the Shipping Channel from buoy 62 south. Bluefish,

2-4 pounds, are mixed with the mackerel. The Lumps, located east of Smith

Point Light, in 30 feet of water, and Blackberry Hang are top locations for

excellent bottom fishing. Catches include spot, croaker, sea mullet, sea bass

and flounder. Bluefish are becoming more active in the Point Lookout area and

on the Southwest Middle Grounds. For every bluefish caught, however, two or

more striped bass jump on the baits. Lots of schooling blues and rockfish are

available for light tackle casting. Excellent bottom fishing is also available

around Gwynn Island, Windmill Point, Cornhouse Bar, Cherry Point and Hole-in-

the-Wall. Plenty of 1 1/2 pound croaker and large spot are being caught at

Bowlers Rock and Morattico.

UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA - Bluefish, 1-3 pounds, and rockfish, 1-5 pounds,

are the primary fish being caught from the Bay Bridges South to the Gooses and

Parker's Creek. Trolling small spoons and surgical eels appears to be the best

method for taking these fish. Jumbo spot are being taken in large numbers at

the mouth of the Choptank River on bloodworms and peeler crab. White perch

appear to have moved in larger numbers into the river systems of both shores.

Perch may still be found on the lumps and oyster bars in the main stem of the

bay, but the mouths of the various rivers in the upper bay appear to be more

productive. Bloodworms or grass shrimp are the best bait.

OCEAN CITY - Flounder are taking minnows, frozen shiners and squid in the back

bays. Surf anglers are taking bluefish to three pounds and kingfish on cut

bait. Bottom anglers are catching croaker, spike trout and sea bass, drifting

squid over Fenwick Shoals. Offshore, dolphin and yellowfin tuna can still be

taken at the Canyons and the Hot Dog Lump. Sea bass and tautog are being

caught from the offshore wrecks.

VIRGINIA BEACH - Offshore catches this past week consisted of white and blue

marlin, dolphin, yellowfin tuna, cobia and amberjack. Inshore boats are

finding Spanish mackerel, amberjack, false albacore and some bluefish at the

Tower Reef. Large numbers of porpoises and pilot whales were moving through

the offshore grounds, possibly indicating an abundance of bait. Headboats are

returning with good catches of sea bass. Inside the inlet, a few speckled

trout and flounder are being caught. Surf anglers are taking spot on

bloodworms.

PIERS -

LYNNHAVEN - Good runs of spot and croaker, along with a few flounder and sea

mullet.

VIRGINIA BEACH - Excellent fishing for 1-2 pound croaker and big spot.

SANDBRIDGE - Lots of big spot, with a few Spanish mackerel for casters in the

evenings.

OUTER BANKS, N.C. - Schools of spot are available all along the beach, with

some croaker, puppy drum and taylor blues mixed in. Some Spanish mackerel and

speckled trout are also caught form the piers. Grey trout are being caught

along the both sides of the Oregon Inlet Bridge and several red drum have been

caught by surf anglers at the Inlet. Good numbers of flounder are caught along

Davis Channel. Inshore anglers are finding plenty of Spanish mackerel and

bluefish, while offshore, some of the best billfish action of the season is

available. Dolphin are also plentiful. Best action is 37 miles due east of the

inlet. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna have also returned to the offshore grounds.

Charlie Taylor writes about fishing for the News and Messenger. He may be

reached at: cetaylor2@verizon.net