JAMES RIVER

Castaway Sporting Goods, (804) 706-9100, reports Arthur Eggleston (Chesterfield) caught a 10-pound, 3-ounce catfish; Pete Jackson (Richmond) caught a 52-8 blue catfish; Russell Reaves caught a 46-pound sea bass; Russell Slusser caught a 48-3 blue cat; Steven Thompson caught a 42-8 blue cat; James Salmon caught a 1-pound rockfish at a private pond in Chester. There's a tournament tomorrow at the Landing.

Mike McCay and Metin Tanir scored on 20-plus inch smallmouth bass. Tanir caught a 20.5-inch bass, and McCay caught 20 inches and a hair over. The upper James River is clear.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE/RIVER

Capt. Art Conway of Conway's River Rat Guide Service, (804) 746-2475, out of Ed Allen's Boats and Bait, reports lake water temperatures in the 80s last weekend and the lake level was about 6 inches below full pool. Small to medium bluegill were scattered over weedbeds and wood cover around the shoreline of the main lake. Crappie, shellcrackers, and yellow perch were scattered in the same areas. Bass were active early in the day around wood cover and weedbeds in the main lake and creek mouths. Wright Bait Co. one and two inch curly tail grubs, small swim baits, flies, and live worms and crickets were the most effective baits for panfish.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Bob Cartwright and his grandsons Devin and Andrue Harrell caught 29 bluegill and one yellow perch. Hollis Pruitt and Malcolm Turnbull caught 93 bluegill, two crappie, one yellow perch and three bass.

Jill O'Brien-Jones at Eagles Landing reports normal pool level, with water somewhat stained with temps in the low to mid 80s. Notable catches include Rich and Sarah McShirter (Mechanicsville) 38 bream on B-moth, and Corey Webb (Mechanicsville) bass to 4.48 pounds, live minnows.

Mid-Week Individual Bass tournament results from July 17: 1. Richard Sweeney , 5 fish, 10.16 pounds; 2. Stephen McMillan , 2 fish, 8.56 and big fish of 4.36; 3. Robert Walton, Jr. , 2 fish, 3.83. TEAM Bass, last Friday: 1. Johnny Fuller-Robet Henicheck , 5 fish, 8.71 and big fish of 3.55; 2. Richard Sweeney-Javier Smith , 5 fish, 8.35; 3. Wes Zabdyr-Paul Kirby , 5 fish, 7.82.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

Dr. Julie Ball reports Virginia tarpon emerged with multiple landings. The best catch was made by Keith Cole of Virginia Beach, a lone boater live-baiting off False Cape. He caught a 78-inch tarpon after a two-hour battle. The fish came to net and was quickly measured and released. At least eight silver kings were landed, most coming near Ship Shoal Inlet using live bait.

Boats are hooking king mackerel around 20 pounds along the coast. Some are over 30 pounds. Mack McDonald of Virginia Beach landed a 60-pound smoker on a live bluefish while fishing from the Little Island fishing pier. Trollers are picking up Spanish mackerel, with a few fish more than 4 pounds in the mix.

Cobia are making a late season comeback. Boats anchored off Fisherman's Island are hooking fish averaging around 40 pounds using eels and fresh bunker in a chum slick. Several big cobia are taking bait from anglers casting at inshore buoys along the beach this week. Large schools of bull reds swimming on the surface are becoming more common in the lower bay, making easy casting targets.

Anglers are picking away at pods of black drum roaming the islands of the CBB-T. Storm lures and buck tails are the lures of choice, with the 3rd and 4th islands producing the best numbers.

Spadefish are more predictable lately, but the run of the larger fish is over. Most boats are tangling with 6to 8-pounders along the structure of the CBB-T, the 3rd and 4th islands, and several inshore wrecks and navigational beacons. Clams and clam-flavored Fishbites are working well.

Croaker range from the HRB-T to the CBB-T. The best hauls are coming from the backwaters of Oyster.

The offshore action is on the upswing, with several boats returning with multiple white marlin releases and big bull dolphin catches. Captain Mike Romeo reports marlin scattered between the 350 and 450 lines, in 40 to 60 fathoms of water.

Capt. Jerry Thrash reports the following citations: Speckled trout, Homer Thomas (North), 26 inches, 5 pounds, July 16, North River, peeler crab; Flounder, Anita Gartner (Gloucester), 27, 9-5, July 13, Buoy 42, squid; Toby Calloway (Gloucester) 26, 7-13, July 13, Cell, cut bait; Dewey Ayers, Jr. (Gloucester) 26.5, 7-11, July 16, Buoy 42, cut bait; David L. Waren (Portsmouth) 28, 9-10, Saturday, Cell, cut bait; Robert M. Dzula (Barnhamsville) 26, 7-12, Saturday, Buoy 42, minnow.

OUTER BANKS

Leonard Nuchols reports surf fishing is on the slow side but fish are being caught. Ramp 44 is open and beach drivers may be able to drive to Cape Point by the end of the month. The Ramp 43 area reports blues, flounder, sea mullet and a few Spanish mackerel. The Hatteras Village Beaches report sea mullet, spots, croakers, blues, puppy drum, flounder and pompano.

The Pamlico Sound still is producing speckled trout, puppy drum and flounder up to 4 pounds with the Berkley's Gulp! Shrimp Alive New Penney for anglers that are fishing from boats and kayaks. Ocracoke Island reports puppy drum, sea mullet, blues, speckled trout, croakers, flounder, pompano and a few Spanish mackerel.

The northern beaches report catches of blues, sea mullet, puppy drum, croakers, spots, pompano and a few Spanish mackerel. The southern beaches report sea mullet, blues and puppy drum where Virginia Luizer caught a 2-pound, 11-ounce citation sea mullet.

Hatteras Inlet boats report dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel and amberjacks along with releases of sailfish where Sheldon Simonovich (Fredericks burg) and Stuart Hughes (Richmond) released citation sailfish. The inshore boats report puppy drum, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, cobia, flounder, blues and gray trout.

The offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet report dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna along with releases of sailfish and white marlin. The inshore boats report blues, amberjacks, cobia, Spanish mackerel, flounder, puppy drum, speckled trout, false albacore and king mackerel where Susan McClanahan (Harbinger, N.C.) caught a 38 pound citation king mackerel that was 48 inches long.

ELSEWHERE . . .

Lindsay at Whippernock Marina at Lake Chesdin, (804) 265-5252, reports Buddy and Andrew Rhodes (Dinwiddie) caught a 1-pound, 14-ounce crappie and a 1-11 crappie. Andrew also caught a largemouth bass, 5-14; Chris Overby (Matoaca) largemouth bass, 4-3, 20 inches long; Jeff Glass (Prince George) largemouth bass, 5-14, citation at 22.5 inches; Sydney Lambert , catfish, 3-12; Aaron Stell , largemouth bass, 4-0; Tyler Travis , catfish, 2-5.

Cactus Worms results: 1. Knuck Crowder-Bryant Lewis 5 fish, 22.04 pounds; 2. Larry Lester-Joe Mitterer 5 fish, 15.74, big fish 7.62; 3. Jim Yopp-Rich Reed 4 fish, 15.61. From June 26: 1. Knuck - Cathy Crowder 16.65, big fish of 6.52; 2. Floyd-Hunter Crowder 14.97; 3. Josh-Jeremy Neville 14.73; 4. Spencer Hale-Ray Graham 14.56; 5. Richard Owen-Greg Rockhart 11.99. July 10: 1. Knuck-Cathy Crowder 16.14; 2. Rick-Chris Smart 9.60; 3. Larry Lester-Bill Dibble 8.92; 4. Carl-Aaron Sadler 6.25; 5. Danny Ashton-Burley Langford , 6.04. Big fish: Wayne-Ryan Drewery 5.31.

Results for Sunday's tournament on the Pamunkey River, 31 boats, 4 fish limit: 1. Jeff Hess-Joe Loving 9.40 pounds, big fish 3.65; 2. Bob Graves-Bobby Piner 9.40; 3. Tom Hicks-Jack Fangan 8.05; 4. Robert Wright- Larry Dunn 7.45; 5. Tripp Mister-Brent Mister 7.43. The next tournament will be held on the Pamunkey River Williams Landing on Aug. 3 from 7 a.m. to noon.

Notable catches for Little Creek Reservoir Park: Paul Robertson (Doswell) striper, 17 pounds, live herring; John Robertson (Richmond) 2 largemouth bass, 6, 7, live herring; Mike Fowler (Williamburg) 11 largemouth bass, live herring; Willie Weber (New Kent) 6 stripers to 10 pounds, 10 largemouth bass to 5 pounds, 8 ounces, live herring; Andrea Gorde , 11 (Newport News) 13 crappie to 12 inches, 5 yel low perch to 11 inches, minnows. Live bait anglers are catching stripers and largemouth off points in 25-plus feet of water. Crappie and yellow perch are holding in structure in 15-20 feet. Minnows and small jigs are the baits of choice. Chain pickerel are biting plastic worms and minnows in 15 to 20 feet. The reservoir is clear and 30 inches below full pool. The surface water temperature is 89 degrees.

Leslie Fountain caught a citation channel catfish June 27 in the Appomattox River, 15 pounds, 6 ounces, 32.5 inches long.