CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN
Dr. Ken Neill III reports sea bass fishing will open May 22. A decision at the ASMFC will allow states the option of a longer sea bass season. The proposed new season runs May 22 through Oct. 11, with an additional open period of Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The proposal would keep the size of 12½ inches and bag limit of 25 fish per angler. VMRC will need to adjust the state's regulation to allow Virginians to fish the extended season.

Croaker are biting from the James to the Rappahannock rivers with the occasional fish pushing 3 pounds. Citation-sized speckled trout have been caught in Mobjack Bay. The two-week trophy striped bass season started Saturday. You can keep one rockfish at least 32 inches long per person per day.

Dr. Julie Ball reports black drum have arrived. These docile fish move in large schools as they forage the bottom for clams, mussels and other crustaceans. Most of the fish are being caught in seaside inlets along the Eastern Shore on clams. Larger fish are hitting the bayside shoals near buoy 13.

Anglers are finding red drum along shoals and breakers lining Smith Island and Fisherman's Island, and the 9-foot shoal area. Tuan Vu (Chesapeake) caught a 48-inch red near the CBB-T. Michael Williams (Richmond) released a 48-inch bull on a grub near Fisherman's Island. The best bait is peeler and blue crabs and bunker.

David Cafini (Suffolk) caught a 9.5-pound grey trout near the HRB-T. Gray trout have been scarce for several years. Surf anglers are pulling small spot, sea mullet and medium-sized croaker off Ocean View and Little Creek. The bite is best after dark, with Fish Bite's blood worm variety the top bait.

Croaker are in the lower bay, but the best hauls are coming from the James and York rivers, where squid and crab do the trick. Fish in the 17-inch range are filling coolers near the Coleman Bridge, York River State Park and the oyster beds near the James River Bridge.

Top water action is the most popular method to entice striped bass exceeding the 32-inch minimum size requirement, especially along the pilings and islands of the CBB-T and the HRB-T. Several boats report catches while bottom fishing for drum near Fisherman's Island.

Flounder action around the CBB-T is off, but anglers working lower bay and Eastern Shore inlets and shallower backwaters are finding keepers. Both Rudee Inlet and Lynnhaven River are providing fish, with a few ranging to 5 pounds. Limits of flatties from 3-5 pounds are coming from the seaside inlets of Wachapreague.

Rudee Inlet is hot. Anglers are catching bluefish to 5 pounds and speckled trout to 6 pounds, with any color grub doing the trick. Speckled trout are hitting within the Eastern Shore seaside inlets and the back waters of Oyster, where peeler crabs and Mirrolures are the best baits.

OUTER BANKS
Leonard Nuchols reports charter boats are reporting cobia south of Hatteras Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet. The Cape Point area reports the first Spanish mackerel of the season was caught Saturday, so it looks like early cobia and Spanish mackerel. The Point area also reports sea mullet, blow toads, puppy drum, black drum, spots, sheepshead, flounder, big drum and blues to 36 inches long in the surf.

Some anglers took out their kayaks looking for big drum and were rewarded with good catches. Rob Alderman (Buxton, N.C.) released 11 citation big drum of more than 40 inches Wednesday from his kayak. Last week, Alderman caught a drum estimated to be more than 60 pounds while fishing off Cape Point in his kayak. That drum had a girth of 32 inches and was 54 inches long or more since it is hard to measure a fish in a kayak bobbing in the ocean and Alderman's camera died. Jeff Madre released a 44-inch citation drum while trolling with a Glass Minnow lure from his kayak. Anglers have been catching big drum by cast sighting, drifting bait or trolling with lures such as the white/silver Glass Minnow lure.

Hatteras Village Beaches report blues, sea mullet, spots, puppy drum and blow toads. Ocracoke Island reports sea mullet, blues, flounder and big drum to 49 inches.

Northern beaches report puppy drum, sea mullet, blow toads, spots, blues, croakers and flounder. Southern beaches report blues, sea mullet, blow toads and spots.

Offshore boats out of Hatteras Inlet report dolphin, yellowfin tuna, amberjacks, golden tile fish, groupers, sea bass, king mackerel, albacore and wahoo. A blue marlin was reported released. Inshore boats report big drum, blues, sea mullet, puppy drum and black drum. Several cobia were spotted. Brad Slye (Delray Beach, Fla.) caught a 78-pound citation golden tile fish, and John Munro ( Mechanicsville ) caught a 5-pound citation trigger fish.

Offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet report bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, big eye tuna and dolphin with one sailfish being released.

LAKE ANNA
Jim Hemby of Lake Anna Striper Guide Service (540 967-3313) reports April was a banner month for striper fishing and May should be better. Limits are common with most fish averaging 3-5 pounds for anglers using lures and smaller live bait, and averages of 8-10 pounds are common for anglers using 8 to 12 inch gizzard shad. Striper are spawning, and will move to deeper water after they finish later in the month, when catches should average 20 to 40 fish per day. Some areas to start looking for stripers:

Down lake: Stripers are spawning in and around the current. Anglers have been catching easy limits off the dike and on the nearby flats out of boats. Schools of stripers working this area can be found on a depth finder. Mid lake: The mouths of creeks and the 20-foot flats around the splits are holding stripers. Up lake: Stripers are literally everywhere.

May is a conversion month, when many existing patterns change as water temperatures increase. Work shallow flats early in the day, late in the evenings and in low light conditions. Work main lake points and shallow humps nearby deep water. After the sun gets high in the sky, move to flats in the 20-30 foot range, where baitfish are present. For anglers casting artificial baits, wake Redfins, pop Chuggars and walk Spooks over the shallow points and flats in lowlight conditions.

When fish move deeper, work swimbaits (Sea Shads, Berkley Hollow-Body's, Berkley 5-inch Power Mullets), counting down the bait to the depth fish are holding and using a steady retrieve. Later in the month, trollers will catch fish using deep diving Redfins with a Bucktail tied on a 3-foot leader, drop rigs and umbrella rigs.

Stripers will blow 10to 12-inch gizzard shad out of the water pulled behind Water Bugz planner boards or freelines when the fish are shallow. When they move deep, locate the depth and put blueback herring in their faces using downlines for multiple hookups. You can try jumbo minnows if you can't catch your own bait. Stripers will move from the backs of the creeks and shallowlake areas to the mouths of creeks and deeper main lake waters this month. Fish will school over 25 to 30 foot flats. Downlines can be deployed to entice numerous hook-ups at the same time.

With more anglers fishing for stripers, avoid areas where the fish are constantly harassed. Find less pressured schools, be versatile and enjoy the rewards.

Most largemouth bass have spawned and are hungry. Cover lots of water by using polarized glasses, looking for stumps, beds and bass. Tube baits, Senkos, Carolina rigged Lizards and jerk baits work well.

Baitfish are spawning on windblown rocky and clay banks. Throw a No.8 willowleaf spinnerbait in white or pearl on the bank and try to get your bait back to the boat. You can catch some hogs, especially if these points are near spawning areas. Twitching stick baits and soft plastic jerk baits in clear water will get a rise from a largemouth if worked near boulders or stumps. In the North Anna, they will hit spinnerbaits near the willow grass beds. Midlake, bass will blow up on poppers, chuggars and buzz baits in 4-15 feet of water.

Later this month, larger fish will go to much deeper water to recover from the rigors of the spawn and will gorge on herring. Catch these bass around the splits area along the edge of the channel near points and flats in 30-40 feet of water.

Crappie have moved to water 6-15 feet deep. Slabs are being caught on deeper docks and shallower bridge pilings. Look for rocky dropoffs, points, brush piles on flats and areas where baitfish are plentiful with structure. On cloudy days, crappie will roam the flats looking for fish fry.
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