Fishing Report

JAMES RIVER

Castaway Sporting Goods, (804) 706-9100, reports saltwater fishing is picking up. Spots are turning up, and croaker are being caught. The flounder bite remains hot. Bloodworms seem to be the choice of bait for spot, and squid are best for the croaker. The river has slowed down some, but crappie are being caught on small and medium minnows.

Tournament results: 1. Robert La than-Adam Lathan , 18.30 pounds; 2. Craig Creek-William Allen Jr ., 14.25; 3. Charles Crowder-Hunter Crowder , 13.90; 3. John Martinez- Michael Martinez , 13.90; Scott Mo zingo-Ryan Turner , big fish, 6.05. The next tournament will be held at Osborne Landing on Aug. 22.

Notable catches: Bruce Trivatt (Chester) largemouth bass, 24.5 inches; Avery Powelson , yellow perch, 12; Chris Davis (Chesterfield) bluecat, 73.5 pounds.

OTHER

Fish Tales Bait & Tackle Hopewell (804-452-2220) reports the following tournament results from Hopewell Marina: 1. Tom Hamilton-Charles Goodman , 9.35 pounds; 2. Bryan El rod-Michelle Elrod , 8.65; 3. Justin Dodson-Ryan Turner , 8.25; 4. Ryan Amich-Bryan Radcliff , 6.18; Charles Crowder-Bud Mason , big fish, 4.34. The next tournament will be July 28 from 5:30 to 8:30.

Captain Mike Hoke of Life's Revenge Guide Service (804-357-8518) reports water temperatures between 79 and 81 degrees. Stripers are being caught, and fishing is picking up. Daytime continues to be the best time to fish.

Notable catch: Mike Stimpson , bluecat, 41 pounds, 45 inches.

Fin and Skin Bait Shop in Varina (804-795-5917) reports the following notable catches: Tina Henry , bluecat, 20 pounds; Jimmy Henry , bluecat, 28; Brian Wehr , bluecat, 28.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

Dr. Julie Ball reports the summer flounder scene is worth the effort, with larger flatfish becoming more common. The bigger fish are coming from live bait offered along varying bottom structures toward the lower part of the bay. The Cell, Back River Reef, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel structure and inshore wrecks are the best flounder hot-spots lately. Drifters are having good luck with strip baits near buoy 42 and the Thimble Shoal Channel near Cape Henry. Judy Isak (Virginia Beach) caught an 8-pound, 8-ounce flattie while working a live spot along the structure of the CBB-T.

Plenty of 3to 7-pound spadefish are ganging up on suspended clam near the CBB-T islands, with the 4th island providing the largest fish. The Chesapeake Light Tower, Tower Reef area and near shore wrecks are providing similar action. The biggest fish are available at the Cell, but action is slow.

Sheepshead are faring well, with most of these structure-oriented fish coming from the CBB-T proper. Clams and fiddler crabs are the best bait. Tautog and triggerfish will take your offering in the same areas. Triggers are numerous again this year, and they will hit most any bait.

The cobia scene is going strong in lower bay waters. Sight casters are cleaning up, with big fish to 80 pounds. Chummers are finding steady action on the Latimer and the Nine-Foot Shoal areas. Barry Smith (Aylett) caught a 77-pound cobia while chumming on Latimer Shoal using cut bait. Folks are hooking red drum in these same areas. Black drum are continuing to offer results to casters targeting these massive fish around all four islands of the CBB-T.

Croaker are biting around the CBB-T, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the Hampton Bar and the Cell, where hardheads are running more than 2 pounds lately. The back waters of Oyster are giving up daily coolers full of medium-sized croaker. Nice spot are available around the Concrete ships, with smaller spot making a showing in Rudee Inlet. Puppy drum are taking baits within Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets.

Virginia tarpon made their debut on the Eastern Shore, but they have all but vanished the past two weeks. Inshore wrecks are holding decent keeper-sized seabass and triggerfish. Deep droppers are pulling in good numbers of tilefish, rosefish and grouper, along with a smattering of seabass and white hake. Amberjack are ready for action on the local wrecks and at the South Tower. Jigs and live bait work well for these powerful fighters.

Offshore, the billfish bite is heating up. The best action is coming from east of the Cigar area, with some nice gaffer dolphin in the mix. Yellowfin tuna are a little hard to come by, but the bluefin tuna are filling in. Good bluefin action is coming from the inshore lumps, with the Fingers and 26 Mile Hill providing good action, too. Russell Mall (Luray) boated a 135-pounder, helping the crew of the Ocean Pearl secure a second-place finish in the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament.

Captain Percy Blackburn of the Virginia Charter Boat Association (http://www.fishva.com) reports anglers looking for flounder at The Cell/Buoy No.42 have come away with mixed results. The flounder fishing has been hit or miss. July is the prime flounder fishing month, and hopefully, the fishing will get better. Fishing for flatfish in the Rappahannock continues to provide lots of activity. There are good numbers of fish being caught, but it is difficult to get a limit (5) of 19-inch fish.

Hot spots are Mosquito Point, the Pickle Factory, Towles Point and just below the Robert Norris Bridge on the northern side of the river. Anglers stopping by Fish On Bait and Tackle (804-776-0820) in Deltaville indicate Jerk Shad Gulp baits continue to be productive, either attached to a flounder rig or jigged on a bucktail.

The Spanish mackerel should be arriving in the middle bay soon. Isolated catches off Windmill Point bar have been reported, but most of the catch has been bluefish. The schools of Spanish mackerel should arrive in the next couple of weeks as the water continues to warm. Trolling small spoons at 6-7 knots will produce the best results.

The best croaker fishing is in the shallows and creeks in the early morning or late evenings. The focus of charter boats in the middle bay has been on spot, which have increased in numbers and size. There have been reports of good catches of spot at Butler's Hole, the Spike and the mooring buoy just above Mosquito Point. Bloodworms are the favored bait for these fish.

Notable catch: Jake Fletcher , cobia, 38 inches.

Captain Jerry Thrash (804-725-3889) reports bay surface temperatures near the Cell are back down to 76 degrees. This may explain why most Spanish mackerels are staying south. Good weather this weekend put a lot of people on the water. The spadefishing frenzy has slowed, but fish of all sizes are available at the The Cell, Wolf Trap and at other bay structures. Fresh clams fished in a slick of clam chum work best for these fish. Creeks and rivers are producing keeper spot and croaker. Brief bites at the turn of a tide are producing best for flounder. Some keeper flounder are being taken from off Gwynn's Island and near Mosquito Point.

Notable catches: Tracie L. Davis (Chesterfield) flounder, 26.5 inches; Michael A. Zervakis (Chester) flounder, 25.5; Gregory Thayer (Gloucester) flounder, 28; Gus Panos , white marlin, 60.

OUTER BANKS

Leonard Nuchols reports the big news is the inshore boats out of Hatteras Inlet are catching and releasing big citation drum up to 47 inches long with a girth of 29 inches. Surf fishing is slow and scattered along the beaches. The Ramps 43/44 area reports puppy drum, sea mullet, flounder, spots, blues, croakers and Spanish mackerel. Speckled trout and flounder are being caught in the Pamlico Sound, and the Buxton jetties report sea mullet and sheepshead.

The Hatteras Village Beaches report puppy drum, Spanish mackerel, sea mullet, flounder and blues. Ocracoke Island reports a good variety of fish with black drum, blues, croakers, sea mullet, flounder, puppy drum, pompano, spots, gray trout, speckled trout and Spanish mackerel.

The northern beaches report puppy drum, yearling drum, spots, sea mullet, pompano, flounder, Spanish mackerel, croakers and blues. The southern beaches report flounder, sea mullet, puppy drum, pompano, spots and a cobia.

The Hatteras Inlet offshore boats report dolphin, blackfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel and amberjacks, along with releases of sailfish, white marlin and blue marlin. Sara Lovelace (Richmond), Keith Wells (Providence Forge), Carl Parsons (Chester) and Robert Garrison won citations for sailfish releases. Jonathan Jackson (Buxton, N.C.) won a citation for a 35-pound American red snapper. The inshore boats report Spanish mackerel, gray trout, speckled trout, flounder, blues and big drum releases.

The Oregon Inlet offshore boats report yellowfin tuna, dolphin, bonita, amberjacks, trigger fish and blackfin tuna, along with releases of sailfish, white marlin and blue marlin. The inshore boats report Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder, sea mullet, puppy drum, speckled trout, sheepshead, trigger fish and cobia.