JAMES RIVER

Castaway Sporting Goods, (804) 706-9100, reports continued bass and catfish action, but most attention has shifted to saltwater fishing. Crappie are doing well, and there are still spurts of shad and herring.

Jeff Wilson caught a 42-pound blue catfish. Christina Vaughan caught three sunfish out of a private pond with a total weight of 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Results of the May 2 Friday Morning Invitational Bass Fishing Tournament in Hopewell: 1. Robin Yost-Jimbo Rice 11.45; 2. Lee Allison-Bobby Piner 10.42; 3. James and Vickie Armes 8.90 (big fish); 4. Donnie Bell-Fletcher Bell 4.00.

CHICKAHOMINY LAKE

Small to medium crappie were in the creeks, primarily along the creek channels and on wood cover. Some nice pickerel and small blue and channel catfish were also up the creeks, along with a few bluegill, shellcracker, white perch and yellow perch. Wright Bait Co. oneand two-inch curly tail grubs and live minnows were the most effective baits.

Jill O'Brien-Jones of Eagles Landing, (804) 966-9094, reported the following results of the May 4 Team BASS Eagles Landing Tournament: 1. Richard Sweeney-Javier Smith 18.81 (big fish 4.93); 2. Mike Korth-Walter Shattuck 8.48; 3. Stephen McMillan-Bucky Wickham 7.10. Jones reported limits of blue gills, crappie to 1 lb., pike to 2.7 lbs. and bass to 4.93 lbs.

LAKE CHESDIN

George Allen Sr. of Ed Allen's Boats and Bait, (804) 966-5368, reports the following notable catches: Bobby Garrison , Richmond, seven bass up to 4.4, two pike up to 2.5, three rock bass up to .75; Sam Batten , Richmond, 12 pike, 33 blue gill, 14 shellcracker, two crappie, 10 bass up to 4.5; Jason Steward and Robert Costalow , Richmond, six catfish, six blue gill, 12 ring perch; Kenny Glenn , Greg Law son , Richmond, 12 pike up to 3, 30 blue gill, 10 bass up to 4.5, two crappie, 14 shellcracker; Julie Williams , Newport News, 12 blue gill; Joe Williams , Newport News, bass, 2.5, ring perch, two crappie; Jeremy Williams , Charo Williams , Newport News, pike, 2.75, bass, ring perch, 4 blue gill, 12 crappie; J. Cox , Stuart Jenness , Richmond, two pike, three crappie, ring perch, 11 blue gill; Rick Weldon , Bill Kiniey, Ted Temashchuk , Alexandria, over 200 shellcracker, three bass, 45 crappie, 20 blue gill, 14 ring perch; Mark Davis, Scott Anderson , Richmond, 20 catfish, eight blue gill; Wayne Anderson , Charles City, two blue gill, 14 bass to 7.2; Shelton Freeman, Warren Freeman , S.C., 53 blue gill, catfish; Melvin Gregory , Len Wilkins , Chester, eight blue gill; Chris Anderson, Tony Graham six bow fin, five catfish; Garret George, Steven Salerno 25 bass to 3.5, pike, 3.25, six blue gill; three rock bass, bow fin.

Results of May 3 Ed Allen's Weekend Bass Tournament: 1. Danny and Ryan Grattan 9.81; 2. Paul Shattuck, John Farnster 8.16.

Results of May 6 Ed Allen's Tuesday Tournament: 1. Garret George , Lanera, 8.93; 2. Paul Shattuck , Lanera, 4.25; 3. Brent Woolwine , Richmond, 2.85; 4. David Connor , Lanera, 2.08; 5. Mike Yeatts , Richmond, 1.29. Whippernock Marina, (804) 265-5252, reports the following notable catches: Johnathan Olgers , Dinwiddie, citation largemouth bass, 22 inches, 7 pounds, 14 ounces; Chris Overby , Matoaca, largemouth bass, 4 pounds, 12 ounces and 4 pounds, 10 ounces.

Results of the May 1 Priority Toyota Warren Ford Bass Miniseries: 1. Millis-Collins 18.39; 2. Owen-Lockhart 12.81; 3. Lukumski-MetCalf , 12.46; 4. Ashton-Langford 12.07 (big fish 7.04); 5. Severt-Blankenship 11.07.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

The emerging drum scene is motivat ing anglers to gather peelers and clams and head for the Eastern Shore shoals as the chances of hooking into a trophy drum improve daily. Red drum continue to provide action among the breakers and sloughs near Smith and Fishermans Island, with scattered reports of bulls also coming from the seaside portion of the 9-Foot Shoal area, especially at night.

Flounder is still hit and miss, with the best numbers of keeper fish coming from the Eastern Shore seaside inlets, Oyster, Magothy Bay and Back River Reef. Plenty of undersized 18-inch flatfish are coming from within both Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, with a few keeper fish to 4 pounds biting strip baits and jigged grubs. Tautog are still lurking on lower bay and inshore structures, but they are available only for catch and release until late June.

Croaker are hitting in many areas around the lower bay, with the tributary rivers still providing the largest fish. The best hauls from the rivers are coming from the James and York rivers, where squid and crab are doing the trick with fish to 2.5 pounds. According to Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, the best catches of medium-sized hardheads are coming from the small boat channel at the CBBT, off Ocean View, Little Creek, and Willoughby Bay.

Snapper and Taylor bluefish are all over the lower bay, especially within the inlets, where anglers are experiencing excellent catches of decent blues to five pounds.

Speckled trout anglers are faring well in most all the usual haunts. Both Rudee and Lynnhaven Inlets are producing good numbers of specks ranging 3 to 4 pounds, with a few citations also available up 5.5 pounds caught lately.

Although not stirring much interest, the spring trophy striped bass season is open with nice fish coming from the CBBT area. Todd at Bayside Bait and Tackle reports that rockfish ranging up to 32 inches are coming from the third island of the CBBT, while 42-inch fish are coming from the vicinity of the first island this week.

Jumbo seabass to over 5 pounds are still hitting on offshore and inshore wrecks. Patrick Nelson of Richmond scored a 5 pound, 5 ounce seabass fishing the Triangle wrecks this week. Tilefish are also lurking about the ocean floor in deeper water. Some boats are also finding a few golden tilefish, grouper and blackbelly rosefish. The Jil Carrie, skippered by Capt. Jim Brincefield out of Lynnhaven, returned to port this week after a long range deep dropping trip with a pending IGFA All tackle World Record blackbelly rosefish. The rosey tipped the scales at the local official IGFA weigh station, Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, at 4 pounds, 3 ounces, beating the existing record by 8 ounces. The fish was caught at the Norfolk Canyon by angler William Davis of Forestville, Md.

Capt. Jerry Thrash of Queens Creek Outfitters, (804) 725-3889, reports wind limiting saltwater fishing. Big croakers were caught from docks near New Point this past week, indicating the big fish are entering the creeks and working their way to the bay. Keeper flounder are moving up the Bay and should be biting at Buoy 40 and the Cell by this weekend.

Thrash caught a 4 pound, 12 ounce speckled trout on a private dock. Ware Neck is producing speckled trout but without any citations reported. Ed Poole of Richmond caught two 19-inch fish and a 4 pound, 4 ounce, 23.75-inch one on live minnows under popping corks.

OUTER BANKS

Leonard Nuchols reports big drum, big blue and big cobia from Ocracoke Island to Cape Point.

Karen Roberts from Wilmington, N.C., released a citation drum on Sunday night that was 49.5 inches long at the Point. Cape Point reports big drum caught by the dozens. Over a dozen up to 52 inches long were released every night last weekend, along with big blues, a black drum estimated over 50 pounds, and biter sharks. On Monday, the National Park Service closed the Point because of bird nesting.

Ocracoke Island reported good fishing with good catches of big blues, black drum, puppy drum, sea mullet, big drum, flounder, pompano up to 3 pounds and one 57.5-inch cobia from the surf.

The northern beaches report black drum, sea mullet, blow toads, big blues and flounder and the southern beaches report big blues, keeper flounder, sea mullet, blow toads and puppy drum.

The offshore boats out of Hatteras Inlet report good catches of yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, dolphin, wahoo and amberjacks along with releases of sailfish and blue marlin, while the inshore boats report blues, flounder, puppy drum, speckled trout, amberjacks, one 36-inch cobia and the first Spanish mackerel of the year that was 6 pounds and 7 ounces.

The offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet report good catches of yellowfin tuna, dolphin and wahoo along with releases of blue marlin, while the inshore boats report catches of sea bass, blues and keeper flounder.

Anglers visiting the Outer Banks need to be aware there may be additional beaches closed because of bird nesting, and on Monday the National Park Service closed Cape Point, Oregon Inlet and South Point on Ocracoke Island. The closings can come at any time and you may be told to leave the area or move farther away from the nesting areas.

ELSEWHERE . . .

Todd Long reported results of the May 4 Pamunkey River Mini Series tournament: 1. Bill Petzold-Will Caio 18.15 (big fish 6.24); 2. Bo Boltz-Mickey Anderson 13.55; 3. Scott Mozingo-Jon Dodson 12.53; 4. Tony Long-Daniel Long 12.07; 5. John Seay-Ralph Taylor 10.24.