Fishing Report

AREA 6: WESTERN VIRGINIA

SHENANDOAH RIVER: 75-85 miles (..) — The Route 340, Front Royal, Luray and Bentonville areas have slowed considerably, but the water has been clear and a few bass will bite.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE: 210 miles (…) — (Route 122, east of Roanoke) Early and late hours are definitely recommended for bass and landlocked stripers. The fishing can be quite good considering the time of year.

UPPER JAMES RIVER: 130 miles (…) — (Route 6, south of Charlottesville, Scottsville) There’ll be some decent smallmouths hooked on white Zoom Flukes, but the water is low and warm, so fish early or after 6 p.m.

AREA 7: ATLANTIC OCEAN

MARYLAND: 153-175 miles (…) — (Route 50 to Ocean City) Surf anglers find some sand sharks, kingfish and experience occasional runs of snapper bluefish. Cut bait is used on all three. Out at the Jackspot and moving on toward the Baltimore and Washington canyons, expect bites from tunas, large sharks, a few billfish and dolphins (the fish, not Flipper). Headboats connect on seabass, with backwater Ocean City boat drifters connecting on mostly throwback flounder, a few small blues and occasional rockfish.

VIRGINIA: 210 miles to Virginia Beach (…) — Ken Neill of the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman’s Association reported, “We had a very good inshore wahoo bite around 30 fathoms, with good numbers of billfish and scattered tuna mixed in.” Neill and friends also got into bigeye tuna on the southeast corner of the Norfolk Canyon. He also got into several billfish, but the white and blue marlin they had on the hooks broke off. For additional Virginia saltwater information, go to www.drjball.com. For charters, call the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, 757/491-8000.

c 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.