Virginia Fishing Reports
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    • Aggressive Techniques for Virginia River Smallmouths
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    • 2017 Tidal Bass Outlook
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    • 2017 Top Virginia Bass Fishing Spots
    • Virginia Smallmouth Bass Rivers Overview Report
    • Largemouth Bass Virus in Virginia
    • Virginia Bass Fishing
    • 2017 Annual Virginia Rivers and Smallmouth Bass Fishing Outlook
    • Fishing The Shenandoah River
    • Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in September and October on the Shenandoah River
  • Virginia Striped Bass Fishing Library
    • Striper Mafia Tournament Series Returns
    • Parasites Remain in Smith Mountain Lake Striped Bass
    • Striped Bass Age - Length - Weight Chart
    • Smith Mountain Lake striped bass fishery in decline
    • Big stripers reach 20-year high at Smith Mountain Lake
    • Lake Gaston Striped Bass Fishing
    • Hit Lake Gaston for Winter Stripers
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    • Lake Anna Gains a New Species
    • Striped Bass Fishing Looking Up at Kerr
    • Buggs Island Lake: Top Area Striper Water
    • Stripers Life Begins in Small Hatchery
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    • New Virginia State Record Flathead Catfish
    • 2018 Virginia Catfish Forecast
    • Your Guide To Virginia’s Best Catfish Angling
    • World Record catfish caught at Buggs Island Lake
    • Big flathead catfish on the James River
    • Fishing for Catfish With Stephen Miklandric
    • Virginia's giant catfish are spreading
    • Monster blue catfish finding mixed reception
    • How did a Virginia lake produce a 143-pound catfish?
    • 2017/18 Tidal Blue Catfish Outlook
    • Real cool cats - How to catch Kerr Lake's catfish
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    • Virginia’s best Crappie fishing waters
    • Get to Buggs Island Lake for great crappie fishing
    • Save the Crappies!
    • Kerr is king of Virginia's crappie fishing -- but it's no pushover
    • Kerr Lake Crappie Showing in Large Numbers
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    • Best Bets for Saltwater Fishing In Virginia
    • Spadefish Virginia’s version of an Angel Fish
    • Red Drum and Black Drum on the Chesapeake Bay
    • Virginia Flounder
    • Summer Cobia fishing in Virginia Beach
    • Mahi-Mahi Fishing Off Virginia Beach
    • Chesapeake Bay Spot Fishing
    • Atlantic Swordfish Fishing Off Virginia Beach
    • Fishing Piers in Newport News, Virginia
    • Where Have All the Big Fish Gone?
    • Coastal striped bass a no-show, but that could be changing
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Occoquan River: Fishing Reports

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December 28, 2018....Mixed
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

Lots of bass are located on dropoffs near the mouth of the river. Crappie are schooled up around bridge pilings, submerged brushpiles and boat docks. Yellow perch are showing near the mouth and are taking small grubs and minnows, fished on the bottom in 15-20 feet of water. Most of these fish are bucks, as the females are not showing as well as we would like. Some stripers are working, off and on, near the foot bridge at the back end of the river. Sassy Shads, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Red Fins and jumbo minnows are taking the fish.
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December 13, 2018....Mixed
by Charlie Taylor Fishing
​
Lots of bass are located on dropoffs near the mouth of the river. Crappie are schooled up around the submerged brushpiles and boat docks. Yellow perch are showing near the mouth and are taking small grubs and minnows, fished on the bottom in 10-20 feet of water. Most of the perch are bucks, but more roe perch are moving in daily. Occasional stripers are being taken in the area around Hoffmaster's Marina on Sassy Shads and live jumbo minnows. Bass are also being taken in the back end of the river, jigging Silver Buddies and Hopkins spoons at the base of the dropoffs, under the schools of baitfish.
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December 7, 2018....Mixed
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

The dropoffs around the Route 1 bridge are holding a few bass, as is the rock wall on the North bank of the river. Larger bass are available on the rock points on the southern shore. Jig 'n pig baits will take the larger fish, while numbers of fish will be caught on plastic grubs or rib worms. + Lots of crappie, most of them small, are around the boat docks and brushpiles. Yellow perch are on the increase on the bottom in 15-20 feet of water. Most of these are bucks, but more roe perch are moving in daily. Live minnows or small plastic grubs in yellow, fished on the bottom will take the ring perch. Some anglers are taking yellow perch on small, gold, Silver Buddies, jigged slowly just off the bottom. They are also being regularly surprised by bass on their lines.
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November 30, 2018....Mixed Report
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

Yellow perch are showing up in the river, with only a few large ones at present. More fat females are showing up every day. Bass may be caught on the bottom on small plastic worms and grubs, fished very slowly along the rock wall and around the wood structure. Flipping boat docks with tiny grubs and live minnows will produce livewells full of a wide variety of fish. Patience is the key, along with very slowly fished, small baits. Bass and yellow perch will be found on the bottom and on humps in the middle of the river, while the crappie will be adjacent to cover or suspended in open water over humps, etc. Check your depthfinder for schools of fish suspending on the lip of the dropoff into the river channel. These fish are suckers for Silver Buddies, Shakey Head lures and Drop Shot rigs.
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November 23, 2018....Mixed Report
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

 Yellow perch are to be found on the flat below the Route One Bridge. Largemouth bass are available along the rock wall in 8-15 feet of water, and on the rock points along the southern shore. Hopkins Spoons, Silver Buddies, plastic grubs, jigs, drop shots and live bait are the preferred choices. Plenty of bass are available under the baitfish schools in the mid section of the river. Crappie are taking live minnows and tiny jigs around the boat docks below the Route One Bridge. Stripers are reported, taking Sassy Shads, in the deep water around Hoffmaster's Marina.
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November 18, 2018....Bass Report
​by Bay Bass

Launched at 1pm and pulled out at 4pm.  Wife and mother in law went out for a few hrs with me in the Blue Magic.  Water was super high and debris were scattered everywhere all over the river.  Huge logs, tree stumps, trash, tires, and more.  

Water visibility was 2 INCHES.  
Water temp was ONLY 43.  It had dropped 10 degrees in 10 days. 
Air temp was 47.

We spent 1hr riding around outside of the no wake zone just to run some fuel through the motor, and 2hrs fishing.  We only managed 2 bass largest 15” and chunky.  One caught on a Bitsy Bug 3/8oz jighead with the skirt removed and a black BayBass Bug, fished on 15lb braid and the second on a 4” watermelon senco on a 1/8oz darter head fished on 6lb cxx. 
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November 16, 2018....Mixed
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

Big crappie should be taken by anglers fishing live minnows around boat docks and submerged structure. Some of the crappie exceed one pound, but most are in the 3/4 pound class. Yellow perch are beginning to appear around the mouth of the river. Bass are located on the dropoffs adjacent to vertical structure and to the remnants of grass on flats. The wood pilings and the rock walls are the best cover in the river and most always hold fish. Fish for them with Shaky Heads, plastic worms and small crankbaits. A recent bass tournament had successful anglers using Shakey heads, tipped with Zoom Baby Brush Hogs or Yum Dead Ringers. Work the baits from shallow water into deeper water. Watch the line very carefully, as the hits will be very soft and normally will not be felt. Should the bait feel heavy, or the line move at all, set the hook. Some of the larger fish initially feel very small. If they are not moved away from cover immediately, you stand a good chance of losing them.
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November 14, 2018....Bass Report
by Matt Berrige

​The bass are still biting good...

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November 10, 2018....Bass Report
​by Bay Bass

40-45mph wind gusts. Water temp 53....air temp 37-45.

Had to work for them in 5-9’.  Water clarity like doo doo water. ​

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November 2, 2018....Mixed Report
by Charlie Taylor Fishing

Crankbaits, worked along the rock wall, are taking a few bass in this river. Most of the bass, however, are being caught in deeper water, on dropoffs. Better baits include live minnows, Shaky Heads, drop shot rigs and Silver Buddies. Crankbaits that root the bottom in 15 feet or more of water will occasionally turn a good fish or two. The rock wall along the North shore, rocky points and submerged pilings are some of the better areas to fish. Crappie and bluegill are taking small minnows around the boat docks, where the occasional good bass will also hit. Catfish are being caught by crappie fishermen on minnows, but there are few anglers fishing for them. When fishing this river, always take the time to investigate the rocks in the back of the river. This area is constantly being flushed by the overflow from the Occoquan Reservoir and will hold some good schools of fish at various times. One never knows what species of fish are feeding here at any given time. Lots of stripers are normally feeding there at this time of year.
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  • Home
  • Lake Fishing Reports
    • Back Bay
    • Briery Creek & Sandy River Reservoirs
    • Buggs Island Lake
    • Burke Lake
    • Chickahominy Lake
    • Claytor Lake
    • Diascund Reservoir
    • Farm Ponds
    • Lake Anna
    • Lake Chesdin
    • Lake Frederick
    • Lake Gaston
    • Leesville Lake
    • Lake Moomaw
    • Little Creek Reservoir
    • Occoquan Reservoir
    • Philpott Lake
    • Smith Mountain Lake
    • South Holsten Reservoir
    • Suffolk Lakes
    • Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Reports
    • Mixed Freshwater Reports
    • Miscellaneous Lake Reports
  • River Fishing Reports
    • Chickahominy River
    • Holsten River, South Fork
    • Jackson River
    • James River
    • Mattaponi / Pamunkey Rivers
    • Mossy Creek
    • New River
    • Occoquan River
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    • Rappahannock River
    • Rivanna River
    • Shenandoah River
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  • Upcoming Tournaments
    • Buggs Island Lake Tournaments
    • Chickahominy River Tournaments
    • Lake Gaston Tournaments
    • Smith Mountain Lake Tournaments
    • Miscellaneous Tournaments
    • Saltwater Tournaments
  • VDGIF Reports
    • 2017 Virginia Rivers and Smallmouth Bass Report
    • 2017/18 Tidal Bass Report
    • Virginia Reservoirs Ranked for Largemouth Bass Report
    • 2017/18 Tidal Blue Catfish Report
  • Virginia Fish
  • Where to Fish - Virginia Lakes
  • Where to Fish - Virginia Rivers & Streams
  • Virginia's Trophy Fish
  • Virginia State Record Fish
  • Virginia Fisherman Identification Program (FIP)
  • Virginia General Fishing Library
    • Virginia Fish Consumption advisories
    • Northern Snakehead Information
    • World Record Snakehead
    • Virginia’s Best Freshwater Fall Fishing
    • Virginia’s Top Lakes
    • 13 Local Fishing Spots in Virginia's Blue Ridge
    • 2018 Virginia Fishing Calendar
    • Didymo (Invasive Freshwater Algae) in Virginia
    • 2017 Virginia Impoundment Report
    • 16 Amazing Spots to Fish in Virginia
    • Virginia's Baitfish
    • Virginia Trophy Size Fish Chart
  • Virginia Bass Fishing Library
    • 2018 Virginia Largemouth Bass Fishing Forecast
    • The best smallmouth bass streams in Virginia
    • 2017 Top Places for Bass Fishing in Virginia
    • Aggressive Techniques for Virginia River Smallmouths
    • Virginia Reservoirs Ranked for Largemouth Bass Fishing
    • 2017 Tidal Bass Outlook
    • Where to Catch Virginia's Trophy Largemouth Bass
    • 2017 Top Virginia Bass Fishing Spots
    • Virginia Smallmouth Bass Rivers Overview Report
    • Largemouth Bass Virus in Virginia
    • Virginia Bass Fishing
    • 2017 Annual Virginia Rivers and Smallmouth Bass Fishing Outlook
    • Fishing The Shenandoah River
    • Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in September and October on the Shenandoah River
  • Virginia Striped Bass Fishing Library
    • Striper Mafia Tournament Series Returns
    • Parasites Remain in Smith Mountain Lake Striped Bass
    • Striped Bass Age - Length - Weight Chart
    • Smith Mountain Lake striped bass fishery in decline
    • Big stripers reach 20-year high at Smith Mountain Lake
    • Lake Gaston Striped Bass Fishing
    • Hit Lake Gaston for Winter Stripers
    • Lake Anna Striped Bass Fishing
    • Lake Anna Gains a New Species
    • Striped Bass Fishing Looking Up at Kerr
    • Buggs Island Lake: Top Area Striper Water
    • Stripers Life Begins in Small Hatchery
  • Virgiinia Catfishing Library
    • New Virginia State Record Flathead Catfish
    • 2018 Virginia Catfish Forecast
    • Your Guide To Virginia’s Best Catfish Angling
    • World Record catfish caught at Buggs Island Lake
    • Big flathead catfish on the James River
    • Fishing for Catfish With Stephen Miklandric
    • Virginia's giant catfish are spreading
    • Monster blue catfish finding mixed reception
    • How did a Virginia lake produce a 143-pound catfish?
    • 2017/18 Tidal Blue Catfish Outlook
    • Real cool cats - How to catch Kerr Lake's catfish
  • Virginia Crappie Fishing Library
    • Virginia’s Best Crappie Fishing
    • Buggs Island has deep, slab crappie
    • Virginia’s best Crappie fishing waters
    • Get to Buggs Island Lake for great crappie fishing
    • Save the Crappies!
    • Kerr is king of Virginia's crappie fishing -- but it's no pushover
    • Kerr Lake Crappie Showing in Large Numbers
  • Virginia Saltwater Fishing Library
    • Best Bets for Saltwater Fishing In Virginia
    • Spadefish Virginia’s version of an Angel Fish
    • Red Drum and Black Drum on the Chesapeake Bay
    • Virginia Flounder
    • Summer Cobia fishing in Virginia Beach
    • Mahi-Mahi Fishing Off Virginia Beach
    • Chesapeake Bay Spot Fishing
    • Atlantic Swordfish Fishing Off Virginia Beach
    • Fishing Piers in Newport News, Virginia
    • Where Have All the Big Fish Gone?
    • Coastal striped bass a no-show, but that could be changing
  • Links