Fishing Report From Cape Fair Marina

[Outdoor Girl]

Black Bass: If you just enjoy catching bass and you’re not concerned about them measuring 15 inches or more than now is the time to hit the water. Short bass are hitting just about anything thrown up close to the bank. A fourteen inch fish is fighting like a 5 pounder. The bigger bass have move out for the most part to their summer pattern and are suspended at 20 to 30 feet deep over point structure and bluff ends. Rattle traps and swim baits will take them during the days and dragging football jigs over the gravel points will also work. Night time the bass are moving to the banks late and spinner baits and big worms will catch them.

Crappie: The crappie have also moved deep but good stingers are coming in if you know how to fish deep and willing to put up with the heat and direct sun light. Good old crappie minnows will catch some nice size fish and if you have a good graph and pick up those deeper brush piles you will take home some good eating fish.

Catfish: Now these guys are a different story. Channel cats have moved toward some of the better gravel banks and a person fishing from the bank with dough and cut baits and even frozen shrimp will catch some nice 2 to 5 pound cats. Limb lines and trot lines will get you some really nice cats with lots of them running to 20 pounds or better. Flatheads are hitting live small perch and gold fish on limb lines and trot lines and we are getting reports that they are hitting bank fisherman’s lines too.

White Bass: You would have to rate these guys as fair to good and if you are willing to fight the sun and heat and will troll over the long lake points with crank baits and rattle traps you can catch a bunch. Also if you don’t mind just setting out on some of the big flats and just wait for the schools to blow up on top chasing shad you can have a ball with top waters like Pop R’s and chug bugs.

Perch: This is not a laughing matter; we are seeing some monster perch being caught, some weighing up to a pound or more. If you use a small popper around some of the private boat docks and use a good ultra line rod and 2 to 4 pound test line these perch will wear you out. Course, good old night crawlers will catch a mess of some of the best eating going.

Water Temperature and Water Color: The lake is warm especially on the top 4 or 5 feet. Water temps of 90 degrees or more is very common. The thermo cline is setting up at 25 to 26 feet deep and water temperature is closer to 75 degrees. Water color up the James River and Flat creek is kind of a dirty green but further down the lake the color is a nice green with good visibility down to 5 feet or better.

[FishinCricket]

Okay, young lady.. Which guide did you steal this info from?

Thanks for the report!!

[Martin]

Nice report Outdoor Girl.....!! It would seem you'd see some walleyes coming in with all the minnow and crawler fisherman. ?? Have you seen any eyes ??

[Jeremy Rasnick]

Great Report. All of these 14" fish are those from the floods of 08. We are looking at a bunch of keepers in the next couple of years. I was in your marina the other day....you all have one the of the best selections of tackle I I've seen in a while.

[GNSfishing]

A great report, keep up the good work.

[Fishinbluedog]

Awsome!!Doesnt sound like anyone could go wrong.

[techo]

Awesome details. Thanks!

[Mike T]

Good report

[powerdive]

Perch = bluegills, right? You people sure talk funny down here.

Great report, OG. Thanks.

[rps]

She could have said bream as well. Perch and bream make it easier as they are generic - bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish all fit it the category.