FISHING REPORT

JAMES RIVER

-- Castaway Sporting Goods (804-706-9100) reports crappie are being caught and minnows seem to be the best bait. Castaway will start taking individual signups for its 2009 tournament fishing season at the Fishing Expo beginning Jan. 16.

Notable catches: Lenny Grubbs/Tommy Cooper , bluecat, 39 pounds; Mellissa Hawkins , bluecat, 38 pounds, 7 ounces; Dennis Willoughby , 2 bluecats, 33-14, 38.5 inches; Thomas Hickman (Richmond) 3 bluecats, 71-6, 39-12, 52-2.

Capt. Mike Ostrander of the James River Fishing School reports the following blue catfish catches: Troy Stephenson and friends (Richmond) caught 13 bluecats including seven weighing 44 pounds, 35, 56, 39, 32, 30 and 40; Scott Williams and his father Richard caught 7 bluecats, including ones weighing 37, 39, 42 and 46; Dave Roberson and son Brandon caught bluecats weighing 31, 48 and 52; Brothers Greg and Doug Wade (Maryland) caught bluecats weighing 51, 52, 50, 44, 42, 41, 39, 35, 36, 32 and 30; Chuck Craft (Springfield) and his son Charlie caught bluecats weighing 60, 51, 47, 36, 32.

Chris from Eberwein's Catfishing (804-449-6134) reports the following catches: Scott Hubbard , bluecat, 83 pounds; DeAnne Hubbard , 3 bluecats, 56, 33, 28; Ryan Painter , 8 bluecats, 33, 34, 39, 38, 51, 57, 64, 66; Trenton Painter , 2 bluecats, 35, 50; Dale Painter , bluecat, 70; CJ Mongood , 3 bluecats, 76, 32, 30; Mike Blosser , 2 bluecats, 34, 43; Aaron Wittig , bluecat, 45; Rob Mayhew , 7 bluecats, 65, 45, 37, 33, 41, 49, 30.

Captain Jerry Thrash of Queen's Creeks Outfitters (804-725-3889) reports surface water temperature remains at 44 degrees in the middle bay and 48 degrees in the lower bay. Stripers to 40-plus inches are in the Rappahannock River and seem to slowly be making their way towards the bay. However, there is more bait in the river than in the bay, so they may stay in the river for the next several weeks. The Potomac and Maryland bay waters continue to hold bait and fish. This is the last fishing report for Queen's Creeks Outfitters, who are closed for the winter and will reopen on April 15th.

Notable catches: Scotty George (Kilmarnock) striper, 52 pounds, 8 ounces, 50 inches; Michael S. Walls (Hudgins) striper, 43, 12, 48.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

Dr. Julie Ball reports the Virginia Beach Fishing Center reports boats are returning to the dock with fish weighing in the 25to 30-pound range, with several fish big enough to qualify for state citations exceeding 40 pounds. Trolling spreads are effective for striped bass, but style ball jigs, umbrella rigs and parachute tandem rigs are working best. Chopper bluefish are patrolling the oceanfront. Most schools of fish are concentrated off Smith Island, Cape Henry, False Cape, and the 4A buoy near the mouth of the bay. Eleven year-old Gus Huddleston (Battleboro, N.C.) caught a near-miss Junior World Record rockfish that tipped the scales at 63 pounds, 2 ounces. Huddleton was trolling with his dad and his crew off Fisherman's Island when the fish fell for a chartreuse-colored G & H Offshore Lure shad.

Keeper flounder are providing a welcome by-catch while trolling for rockfish, with most flatfish surprises coming from the Cape Henry area.

Boats drifting eel are finding fish to 60 pounds. The shoals off Fisherman's Island and Smith Island, and the 4A buoy are the "hot spots" this week. William Moorefield (Virginia Beach) caught a 47-pound, 4-ounce striper while drifting with live eels off Fisherman's Island. Drifters are weeding through dozens of pesky dog fish, so take plenty of eels if you go.

Tautog action is good. Several reports of keeper fish are coming from inshore wrecks and the lower bay. The tubes of the four artificial islands of the CBBT and the Cape Henry wreck are favorite lower bay tautog spots. Captain Craig Paige (Chesapeake) caught an 18-pound, 2-ounce tautog with a piece of blue crab at the CBBT this week.

Speckled trout are coming from inside Rudee Inlet and Chick's Beach. One angler landed specks over seven pounds while casting Mirrolures from the shore of Chick's Beach. The Elizabeth River is yielding keeper speckled trout ranging from 2-9 pounds. Folks are hooking specks while casting Mirrolures and jigs, trolling, live bait fishing, as well as fishing with cut bait. Keith Trewick (Virginia Beach) caught a citation speckled trout using live bait in the Ditch. Puppy drum are providing good action in the Elizabeth and Rudee Inlet.

Offshore and deepwater wrecks are holding seabass for those willing to make a run to deeper water. Expect a mixed bag of bluefish, seabass, tautog, and triggerfish. When the weather provides opportunity, folks are targeting deep water species such as blueline tilefish. Several bluelines to 16 pounds were boated, as were golden tilefish over 50 pounds, blackbellied rosefish, and big grouper.

Ken Penrod reports rockfish are everywhere. Anglers are fishing for them along the oceanfront where the season is open. Bluefish have been caught by anglers trolling for rockfish. Flounder continue to be caught. They have been caught around the wrecks by anglers targeting sea bass and along the oceanfront by anglers trolling for striped bass. The offshore wrecks are holding large sea bass. They are holding triggerfish and bluefish. Tilefish are available on the bottom along the 50 fathom curve. Some grouper, wreck-fish, and golden tilefish have been caught at the Norfolk Canyon.

OTHERS

Mercury Striped Bass 2008 World Championship December Final results: Overall Monthly Leaders: 1. Christian Seay (Cheriton) 65 pounds, 8 ounces; 2. Max King (Chesapeake) 61, 5; 3. Melvin Crutchfield (LaCrosse) 59, 7; 4. Richard Hylton (Rixeyville) 56, 0; 5. Carol Miller (Glen Allen) 43, 7. Chris' Bait and Tackle Surf & Pier Division results: 1. William F. Lewis (Cape Charles) 23 pounds, 3 ounces. Bayside Bait and Tackle's Military Division results: 1. Christian Seay (Cheriton) 65 pounds, 8 ounces; 2. Robert Elford (Seaford) 37, 10; 3. Richard Csuhta (Chesapeake) 35 pounds, 8 ounces, 45 inches; Honorable Mention. William E. Lewis (Cape Charles) 35, 8, 43.5.

Jim Hemby of Lake Anna reports small swim baits like sea shad, sassy shad, bucktail, super fluke and road runner thrown on light line on ¼ to 3/8 oz. heads will catch plenty of fish this month. For explosive action, wake a redfin or walk a spook over shallow humps and points nearby deep water in lowlight conditions to entice larger fish. When stripers are deeper in the water column not aggressively feeding shallow, try jigging ¾ oz Hopkins spoons, blade baits and super flukes on ½ oz heads in their faces.

Stripers can be caught using herring, smaller gizzard shad and minnows 3-6 inches in length. Concentrate efforts wherever gulls are working on the main lake and main lake coves. During warming periods, stripers will move to red clay banks, rip rap and rocky banks where the skinnier water warms quicker attracting the baitfish. Always fish where bait is present.

The pattern that produces the largest bass this month is working a suspending jerk bait down lake on primary and secondary points next to deep water. The bass can see injured bait a great distance in clear water and will chase it down usually attacking it on the pause. Points with stumps , rocks or some structure will hold better bass.

Other patterns to try are jigging a blade bait off the bottom in areas where baitfish are clustered near the bottom. Vertical jigging around bait and arches nearby the bottom will put numbers of bass in the boat quickly along with stripers and white pearch.

Rocky primary point ledges in the 15to 25foot range hold large schools of crappie. Dillards Bridge and the 522 Bridge in the North Anna are sure places to score crappie using small jigs and small minnows.

Notable catches: Jack Wallace (Richmond), 9, caught a 32-pound, 41-inch rockfish out of Rudee Inlet on Dec. 30. Richard Amidon (Durham, N.C.) caught a 78-pound, 51-inch bluecat at Lake Gaston on Dec. 28. It was caught on live bait and took 30 minutes to land. A deer scale had to be used to weigh it. John Forstner caught a 22-pound, 37-inch striper on Chickahominy River near Walker's Dam. Pammy Heath caught a 55-pound, 50-inch bluecat on Dec. 28.