JAMES RIVER

Castaway Sporting Goods, (804) 706-9100, reports Wallace Presley (Richmond) caught a 38-pound, 2-ounce blue catfish, and Gerald Abbott (Chester) caught a 55-pound blue cat. The next bass tournament is tomorrow at Riverview Park off Route 5. More than 100 boats are expected. On Sunday at Small Boat Harbor, fishermen will take Special Olympics kids fishing from 1-5 p.m. More boats are needed. Call Jimmy Arms at 389-1130 for more information.

Fin and Skin Bait Shop in Varina reports the following blue cats, all catch and release: Greg Furrow (Roanoke) 30, 53, 30; Wayne Furrow (Charlottesville) 45, 33, 39; Larry Crout 78, 30, 37; Kevin Kelts 50, 44.

Friday Morning Invitational Bass Tournament results from June 13 out of Hopewell: 1. Tom McDaniel-Joe Phelps 10.19 (big fish 5.99); 2. Bob McDorman-Catfish Hunter 7.54. Tuesday Night Invitational Bass Tournament results held June 24 out of Hopewell: 1. Trey Goodman-Jeff Hamilton 10.20; 2. Larry Gibbs-Eric Gibbs 9.96; 3. John Terry-Robin Yost 9.15 (big fish 4.47); 4. Carl Johnson-Cliff Abney 8.87; 5. Cavin Young-Jim Young 7.59.

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 water temperatures were in the lowto mid-80s last weekend and the lake level was a foot below full pool. Small to medium crappie were scattered over weed beds in the major creek mouths and in some areas of the main lake with bluegill, shellcrackers, white perch and yellow perch. A few bass were in creeks and over weed beds in the main lake. Wright Bait Co. one and two inch curly tail grubs, Kalin's crappie scrubs, small swim baits and live worms and minnows were the most effective baits. Fishing with Capt. Conway, Ed VanLear , Bob Cartwright and Jason Trueblood caught 27 bluegill, two crappie, one white perch, six yellow perch, one warmouth, two bass and a blue cat. Ted and Stephen DuVal had eight bass to 2 pounds.

Jill O'Brien-Jones at Eagles Landing reports water levels are down 9 inches with temperatures in the lowto mid-90s. The water is stained. Notable catches: Vic Riveras and Gregory Grow a 3.57-pound pike and bass to 5.2 pounds using an artificial lure variety. Robert Walton, Jr. , pike, 3.75.

Results for the mid-week individual bass tournament June 19: 1. Javier Smith 4 fish, 8.51 pounds; 2. Mike Korth 4 fish, 7.92; 3. Kevin Whitehurst 2 fish, 6.32 and big fish of 4.54. Results for the Night team bass tournament Saturday and Sunday: 1. Richard Sweeney-Javier Smith 5 fish, 20.15; 2. Mike Elswick-Jill O'Brien-Jones 5 fish, 14.26; big fish, Javier Smith 5.83. The next night tournament is tomorrow and Sunday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/OCEAN

Dr. Julie Ball reports several big cobia coming from the Eastern Shore side of the bay. According to Chris at Chris' Bait and Tackle, chummers on Latimer Shoals and the Inner Middle Grounds have produced fish of more than 90 pounds. Steve Maupin (Midlothian) scored with a 90-pound, 8-ounce bruiser while fishing near buoy 13. John Staylor (Chesapeake) landed a cobia he tricked with cut bunker at Fisherman's Island. His fish weighed 86-6.

A flounder surge has come from the 1st Island of the CBB-T, where anglers are using strip bait and jigging. Joseph Harris (Norfolk) landed a flatfish weighing 7-5. Good numbers of fish are coming from the Cell, Buoy 42, Back River Reef, Oyster and Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. Mike Kwiatkowski (Virginia Beach) caught a 9-11 flounder on strip bait inside Rudee.

The Spanish mackerel bite along the Virginia Beach oceanfront is impressive, and the trolling crowd is filling its limit with fish ranging from 16 to 24 inches. Small Clark and Drone spoons trolled at 5 to 6 knots are enticing the best response. The Virginia Beach Fishing Center reporting sightings of king mackerel along the oceanfront.

Spadefish are skittish at the Chesapeake Light Tower and near shore wrecks. The best luck on spades is coming from those spear fishing while skin diving.

Scattered black drum catches are coming from the 2nd and 4th islands, with some fish pushing 60 pounds. A few red drum are taking bait along the Eastern Shore shoals, especially the Nine Foot Shoals, and schooling reds near the CBB-T can provide good top water action.

Croaker pushing to 2.5 pounds are lurking around the James River Bridge, Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel and off Ocean View. Amberjack are enticing anglers to make the run to the Southern Towers, where many pups are taking live bait. Deep droppers are going strong with good limits of tilefish, wreckfish, grouper and rosefish, although seabass action has slowed.

Offshore is quite the mixed bag. Although yellowfin tuna are scarce, bluefin tuna action is good with most fish ranging to 100 pounds, but a few fish pushing 200 pounds were boated.

For the latest information, go to www.drjball.com.

Capt. Jerry Thrash reports the following notable citation catches: flounder, Charles Ziegenfus (Harrisonburg) 24½ inches, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, June 20, Buoy 42, cut croaker; Grady Bakert Jr. (Hayes), 25½, 7-0, Saturday, the Cell, cut bait; Charles T. Akins (Cobbs Creek) 28, 8-10, June 20, the Cell, squid. Spadefish, James Hanchey (New Kent) 21¼, 10-5, June 17, the Cell, clam; Christopher Lenhardt (Catonsville) 22, 10-3, June 18, the Cell, clam; Robbie Lapham (Lanexa) 21, 9-12, Saturday, the Cell, clam; John A. Hoekstra (Lancaster) 22, 11-12, Sunday, the Cell, clam; Roy B. Sheppard , 21, 9-2, Sunday, the Cell, clam. Speckled trout, James R. Dixon 25, 5-4, June 17, Piankatank, lure; John L. Kupiec (Mathews) 26½, 5-7, June 18, North River, minnow.

OUTER BANKS

Leonard Nuchols reports catches of citation sea mullet in Avon on Sunday and at least one big cobia on the Outer Banks this week.

Ramp 43 reports sea mullet, blues, pompano, flounder and a few Spanish mackerel along with a 70-pound citation cobia by Chase Peterson with a bait that was carried out by kayak. The Hatteras Village Beaches report blues, flounder, sea mullet, pompano and Spanish mackerel, where Darr Barshis (Williamsburg) had good success with the yellow/pink/green Glass Minnow lure. His best: 10 keepers of Spanish mackerel in one evening.

The Pamlico Sound is producing catches of flounder from boats and kayaks where Doug Clough caught 30 flounder to 21 inches with the Berkley's Gulp! Shrimp Alive white pogy bait. Speckled trout are being caught with the Gulp! Molting Shrimp bait.

Ocracoke Island reports flounder, sea mullet, pompano, blues, Spanish mackerel and speckled trout. Melissa Sutton of Tradewinds Bait & Tackle at Ocracoke released her first citation drum of 47 inches with a girth of 28 inches Sunday.

The northern beaches report blues, citation sea mullet to 2.5 pounds, small black tip sharks, flounder, cobia, Spanish mackerel, spot and big rays. The southern beaches report flounder, citation sea mullet, pompano, puppy drum, blues and a few Spanish mackerel.

The offshore boats out of Hatteras Inlet report dolphin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, cobia, bonita, barracudas and king mackerel along with releases of white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. The inshore boats report cobia, blues and good Spanish mackerel trolling with clark spoons.

The offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet report catches of dolphin, yellowfin tuna, cobia and big eye tuna along with releases of blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. The inshore boats report blues, amberjacks, speckled trout, cobia and excellent catches of Spanish mackerel.

Rob Alderman , host of The Outer Banks Angler TV Show, caught amberjacks to 50 pounds on his trip with a group out of Pirates Cove Marina. Alderman, fishing on the Marauder with Captain Troy Crane, said everyone caught amberjacks on top water plugs. All fish were released.

ELSEWHERE . . .

A 56-pound, 8-ounce golden tilefish, caught June 10 by Aaron Sledd of Virginia Beach, has been certified as the Virginia state record for the species by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. The record-setting tilefish measured 44 inches and the roe-laden female sported a 33¼-inch girth. Sledd was fishing off the Virginia Beach coast near the Norfolk Canyon with Captain Steve Wray aboard the charter vessel Ocean Pearl in approximately 600 feet of water when the record-setting fish was hooked. Squid was used for bait.

Lake Gaston Bass Club tournament results: 1. Ob Yancey-Ross Dufalla 12 pounds, 2 ounces; 2. Mike Diacont-Kevin Brady 11-13; 3. Bobby Barrett-Jim Lewis 11-10, Barrett had big fish at 4-11.

Results for the Pamunkey River Mini Series held Sunday, 27 boats, four-fish limit: 1. Howard Austin-Rick Stott 10.35, big fish of 3.50; 2. Todd Long-Tony Long 8.05; 3. Louis O'Berry-Pete Wreds 7.74; 4. Allan Chenault-Justin Cecil 7.31; 5. Bubba Fox-Scott Bruington 7.31. The next tournament will be on the James River Osborne Landing on July 13 from 7 a.m. to noon.

Walter and Carter Bundy each caught 5¾-pound largemouth bass Monday night in a private pond in Goochland using spinner bait and Pink Bubblegum Yamamato.