Fishing Report

SHENANDOAH RIVER: 75-85 miles (..) — (Route 340, Front Royal, Luray and Bentonville areas) Overall catches of bass are down, but it can be done with early morning topwater plugs or fly-fishing poppers. Tubes and streamers can connect as the sun warms the water.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE: 210 miles (…) — (Route 122, east of Roanoke) Topwater catches of large- and smallmouth bass have been good during overcast days or early in the mornings. Lake striper catches are only fair.

UPPER JAMES RIVER: 130 miles (..) — (Route 6, south of Charlottesville, Scottsville) Everyone is praying for rain, but some smallmouths are taken on jigs, tubes and streamers. The river is clear, low and around 81 degrees.

AREA 7: ATLANTIC OCEAN

MARYLAND: 153-175 miles (…) — (Route 50 to Ocean City) Flounder catches are doing well in the backwaters behind Ocean City, but sizes leave a bit to be desired. Mostly throwbacks are hooked. Some croakers and snapper blues are possible near and in the inlet. Offshore boaters connect on fair numbers of tunas, with the canyon waters also turning up blue and white marlin but not in the numbers that used to be common in the 1970s. Wahoo, dolphin (fish) and a few tunas have been taken at Baltimore Canyon.

VIRGINIA: 210 miles to Virginia Beach (…) — Ken Neill of the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman’s Association said, “The waters east of the Cigar produce good numbers of billfish and plenty of dolphin. Yellowfin tuna are not caught in great numbers, but the ones that are caught are weighing in at over 70 pounds. Wahoo are also being brought back to the docks. Closer to shore, amberjack and jack crevalle can be hooked at structures like the Chesapeake Light Tower, the Gulf Hustler, and the Ricks. There is a good amount of menhaden from the mouth of the bay down to Sandbridge. Some of the best king mackerel fishing we have seen in years can be found around this bait. Cobia are also cruising this area making for some good sight casting opportunities.” For additional Virginia saltwater information, go to www.drjball.com. For charters, call the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, 757/491-8000.

• Look for Gene Mueller’s Outdoors column Sunday and Wednesday and his Fishing Report on Thursday, only in The Washington Times. E-mail: gmueller@washingtontimes.com.