Fishing report

JAMES RIVER

Castaway Sporting Goods (804 706-9100) reports the following blue cat catches: Thomas Hickman (Manassas) 55 pounds, 8 ounces, 31-2; Pat Hood (Manassas) 36-12.

The saltwater side is flying high. For the past two weeks, anglers have been catching some big croaker on shrimp and squid. Anglers also are stocking up on spot using bloodworms.

Tomorrow is the 2009 Castaway Tournament Trail Classic. There are 109 boats eligible to fish. The event begins around 6:30 a.m. at Osbourne Landing.

Wednesday night mini-series results at Osbourne Landing: 1. Matt Wood-Joey Deluke 7.19 pounds; 2. Jimmy Arnes-Vickie Arnes 5.52; 3. Carl Johnson-Mike Saunders 5.08; 4. John Conway-Anthony Rustin 4.72, big fish: 3.17.

Chris of Eberwein's Catfishing (804 449-6134) reports the following catch-and-release blue catfish: Alvin Christian 60, 49; Clarence Catlett 41, 49; Tim Catlett 30; Roland Micklem 41; Ronald Wyatt 48, 50; Dustin Wyatt 40, 64; Nat Fox 36, 31, 30, 26.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE

Jill O'Brien-Jones at Eagles Landing (804 966-9094) reports the lake level is normal with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s. The water is fairly clear.

The results of the two-day team Bass Classic on Sept. 12-13: 1. Javier Smith (Charles City)- Richard Sweeney (Providence Force) 10 fish, 23.77 pounds; 2. Jeff Harberts (Yorktown)- Richard Harberts (Newport News), 8 fish, 20.47; 3. John Mancini (Lanexa)- Marcus Chandler (Moseley) 10 fish, 16.58 pounds; 4. Adam Lathan (West Point)- Ray Hogge (West Point) 9, 16.03; big fish: Jeff Harberts , citation length and weight 8.13, 23.25 inches.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

Dr. Julie Ball reports blustery conditions are making it difficult for anglers to get out. When the weather allows, they're targeting cobia and flounder, or heading offshore for the escalating billfish bite.

Inshore, big cobia are lingering on the pilings of the Cheaspeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the buoys near the mouth of the bay. Large schools of cobia are cruising the surface as they gather to exit the area. Many cobia are exceeding 50 pounds, with tossed jigs and live bait doing the trick.

With some winds predicted from the northeast this week, anglers can drift for flounder along the protected bayside Eastern Shore area with little effort. Anglers are finding a few keepers with some fish pushing more than 9 pounds off Kiptopeke. Offshore wreck flounder has slowed, but plenty of keeper seabass and hungry trigger fish will oblige.

The drum bite on the Eastern Shore shoals and the surf along Fisherman's Island are rising. Puppy drum are loose within the shallows, inlets, creeks, the surf off Dam Neck, Sandbridge and the Eastern Shore Barrier islands. Anywhere within Lynnhaven River is a great place for pups. Juvenile reds are favoring cut mullet.

Good numbers of speckled trout are coming from Hungar's Creek, Poquoson Flats and Mobjack Bay. Look for this trend to continue to heat up the next month.

Anglers at Rudee Inlet are crowding the jetties and bulkheads to get in on the two-at-a-time action with bloodworms the bait of choice. Ocean's East 2 reports local piers are great places to get in on the hot spot bite, with the night time hours the best. Horse croaker are lurking along the deeper channels of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and the CBB-T.

Captain Jake Hiles, skipper of the Matador, reports Spanish mackerel are chasing trolled spoons along Sandbridge and Dam Neck in about 20 to 25 feet of water. Schools of false albacore in these same areas will also hit spoons. Small king mackerel are hitting an occasional trolled bait or lure along the CB line, inshore wrecks and out to the Chesapeake Light tower

Amberjack are available on local wrecks, the Chesapeake Light Tower, and will remain on the southern towers through October. Jack Crevelle action is hit or miss.

Deep droppers are having good luck near the Canyon edges. Bryan Werrick (Virginia Beach) earned a state citation for his 10-pound, 13-ounce blueline tile he caught with cut mackerel.

Capt. Jerry Thrash of Queens Creek Outfitters (804 725-3889) reports cobia continue to bite at York Spit and off New Point Light. Menhaden chum combined with live croaker or eels or whole menhaden are the baits of choice.

Creeks and rivers continue to produce keeper spot and a few croaker. No.1 spot are available on the front and back sides of Gwynn Island at Butlers Hole and at the Spike (3R). This week they registered their first spot citation (a release) in three years.

Small gray trout continue to bite in the Piankatank but keeper are few. Speckled trout are biting in the Piankatank as are puppy drum, particularly around any grassy areas.

Citations: Mike Barker (Gloucester), red drum (release), 49.5 inches, York Spit, caught on Sept. 5 on cut bait; Mathew Hill (Cobbs Creek), spot (release), 13.75 inches, 1 pounds, 4 ounces, caught Sept. 8 on bloodworm in Milford Haven.

Kenneth Bowe (Chester) caught a state-record blueline tilefish weighing 20 pounds, 10 ounces bait fishing at Norfolk Canyon.

OUTER BANKS

Leonard Nuchols reports fishing on the Outer Banks continues to improve since conditions have improved with a good old-fashioned blue fish blitz at Cape Point on Tuesday with blues to 5 pounds being landed on bait and lures. The Point area also reports puppy drum, false albacore, blues, pompano, flounder, spots, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel and at least one big drum.

Reports from the Pamlico Sound are keeper flounder on Berkley's Gulp! Shrimp Alive Pearl White Shrimp. The Hatteras Village Beaches report blues, false albacore, spots, croakers, puppy drum, Spanish mackerel, flounder, pompano, black drum and sea mullet.

Ocracoke Island reports blues, croakers, flounder, black drum, big drum, Spanish mackerel, puppy drum and sea mullet.

The northern beaches report puppy drum, blues, spots, croakers, sea mullet, pompano, spots and a few Spanish mackerel. The southern beaches report blues, spots, sea mullet, false albacore, black drum, puppy drum, yearling drum, spots and a few Spanish mackerel.

The offshore boats out of Hatteras Inlet report wahoo, dolphin, blackfin tuna, amberjacks, albacore and yellowfin tuna along with releases of sailfish. The inshore boats report puppy drum, big drum, Spanish mackerel, blues, speckled trout and gray trout.

The offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet report dolphin, big eye tuna, yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna along with releases of white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. The inshore boats report blues, Spanish mackerel, flounder, puppy drum, croakers, amberjacks, speckled trout, albacore and sea mullet.