Norris fishing

Full pool is 1,020 feet. Lake level is just over 1,013 feet, down a couple of inches from last week. Water temperatures are near 81 degrees over most of the lake and the water is clear. Recent tournaments are taking less than 10 pounds to win. Smallmouth Bass: Improving. The bite did improve over the past week apparently thanks to the full moon Sunday night. Fish are being found late in the afternoon in shallow water with frogs, Zara Spooks and buzz baits over top of rock ledges and logs. The Lost Creek area has been productive. After dark, hair or rubber jigs in ¼ ounce with pork or Zoom chunks have been the most consistent producers. Carolina and Texas rigs and Colorado blade spinner baits are producing a few fish. 45 degree sloping banks fished down to 30 feet deep are good locations to try. Largemouth Bass: Fair. At night, Texas-rigged 10 inch worms are producing numerous fish in submerged wood. Shallow sloping banks and points with rock and wood in the shade are holding fish. Spooks, Pop-R's, buzz baits, Texas-rigs and jigs are finding fish. Crappie: Fair. Fish are 15-20 feet deep. Brush piles, bridge pilings and creek channels are holding fish especially on cloudy days. Tuffy minnows, mini-tube jigs, Trout Magnets, small crank-baits and Slider Grubs are catching fish. Striped Bass: Fair. Early morning catches have improved. Fish are 15-25 feet deep mid-channel and most are being caught on umbrella rigs or planer boards.

Jersey Fishing

The reefs are lighting up with fluke activity, according to Cathy Algard, Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle, Wildwood. “The Wildwood Reef produced many nice fluke with keepers up to five pounds, while the Cape May Reef has started to produce more keeper fish this past week.” John Niewinski of Mullica Hill bagged a 3-pound, 15-ounce flounder caught on a live minnow in the ICW behind Wildwood. Nino Aversa of Washington Township fished with a buddy near the Grassy Sound area behind North Wildwood and boated eight keeper flounder. Schoolie stripers are all the rage along the back bay sodbanks, as anglers are fishing the predawn hours with poppers, plastics, as well as chunking sardines. And for all you crabby people — Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 4 Claws (out of four) this week and says there are some nice size crabs right now, just not in large quantities.

ARKABUTLA LAKE fishing

 - Anglers looking for bass on Arkabutla Lake are finding success hitting largemouth bass on spinner baits or soft plastics on main lake points with bushes, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers weekly fishing report.
The Corps reports most of fish caught are less than a couple of pounds, however.
However, the best fishing luck has been for white bass found schooling off sandy main lake points where they will bite small, shad-imitating lures, such as jigs, tail spinners, or small crank baits.
The Corps reports that crappie fishing has been improving, somewhat. Anglers are spider rigging jigs and/or minnows and fishing about 8-10 feet deep in about 10-18 feet of water, mostly on the south side of the main lake. Some have been pole fishing around the green bushes in similar depths.
The best reports for catfish recently have been using stink baits or night crawlers in inflowing water in the river and creeks.
Fishermen will find the best luck in the outlet channel will be for white bass or catfish in the faster water. 

TOLEDO BEND

TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 79-83 degrees; 0.89 feet low. Black bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are good on Li'l Fishies and silver spoons. Crappie are good on minnows over baited holes in 15-20 feet. Bream are good on nightcrawlers. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait and stinkbait in 30 feet. Yellow catfish are slow..

SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA fishing

Bluewater action is starting to heat up, but anglers likely will have to wait until well into the weekend, if not early next week, to take advantage because of the pending arrival of Arthur.
Yellowfin tuna and dolphin had been showing in better numbers to the southeast of Rudee Inlet, well within reach of the Virginia fleet.

Captains also are reporting more and more billfish sightings, meaning that offshore catches are about to take off.Meanwhile, many captains are doing well with shark fishing, especially those working within sight of the beach.Blacktips are showing up around chum bags about as fast as mates can get them in the water. Occasionally a big sand tiger will show up to investigate. Also along the beach are plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish.

Cobia and flounder clearly have taken their place as the lead candidates inshore, with fish showing at all their usual summer haunts. Look for cobia around Bluefish Rock, the Inner Middle Grounds, Latimer Shoal and roaming throughout the lower Bay.The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is the favorite flatfish location, but look for flounder around the Hampton Bar and many other bottom features throughout the Bay.Action also has been fantastic inside Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets, and in the Wachapreague and Oyster areas of the lower Eastern Shore.But a powerful showing by Arthur could dirty the water and mess u flounder action for a while.Big red drum still are available around shoals at the mouth of the Bay, and along Eastern Shore barrier island breakers. Black drum typically can be found around the islands of the CBBT.Look for tarpon and lots of big shark in the backwater areas of Oyster.

Bass can ambush bait fish

 Large mouth bass fishing is a great past time. Fishing is fun for the whole family. Many times bass will stay along the shore lines to feed. Largemouth bass will stay in the shallows in the spring. Here are some tips on catching bass along the shore.
  The first thing fishermen need to do is locate structure along the shore. You need to look for cover that the bass will use and it should be near a drop off.  Largemouth bass like to stay in the shade since they don't have any eye lids. Bass can ambush bait fish from cover. Look for trees the have falling into the water. Large mouth bass will hide along side the shady side of the tree. make sure to fish along ant rocks or gravel beds that are near the shore.
  A good idea is to get a map of the lake or river this will show you how deep the water is and if there are any old roads that have been covered over. You should fish the areas that have been filled in near the dam with rocks and gravel. large mouth bass will look for craw fish that hide in the rocks. Bass will follow bait fish into the cover along the shore lines. If you are fishing from a boat make sure to be quiet as you approach these shallow areas. large mouth bass are very sensitive to sound.
  Try and use baits that look like what the bass are feeding on. Spinner baits are good to use near falling trees. Make sure to tip them with some kind of worm. In the gravel areas jerk baits and artificial baits that resemble cray fish will produce bass. If you are fishing grass beds try using baits that look like frogs.  Texas rigged plastic worm works well near shore lines especially near a drop off. Your fishing gear shoud be a spinning or spincast rod and real with eight pound test line depending on the type of cover you are fishing for large mouth bass.
  Try different color combinations with your bait. The closer you come to what the bass are feeding on the better. Make sure to vary your retrieves. Try a slow retrieve and use a jerking stop and start to simulate a injured bait fish. There are many different combinations a fisherman can use to catch large mouth bass.

Barnett Reservoir

Bass are schooling on the main lake and some areas upriver. Topwater and crankbaits have been producing south of Oil Well Woods through mid-morning. Fish are being caught early just south of Safe Harbor on topwater, but that bite has been shutting down when the sun tops the trees. Some bass are holding on shallow ledges as well.
In Pelahatchie Bay, the pattern is similar. Bass are being caught early in shallow water and moving to ledges along the creek channel when the sun hits the water.
Upriver, a few patterns are working. Cuts are producing some bass action. Working a Shaky Head in cuts with structure should generate strikes. Frogs have been productive as well. Fishing the pads early seems to be the best bet, but some fish are being caught throughout the day.
Crappie are being a little finicky this week. Good-sized fish were being caught in some of the old lakes such as Three Prong earlier this week anywhere from 6 to 10 feet deep near structure, but multiple reports indicated the fishing dried up by Wednesday. But, as one angler noted, it could turn around tomorrow.

Lake Conroe fishing

Catfish are fair to good. Liver is working well for channel and blue catfish with the catch running from 1 to 5 pounds. James said he has had success on main lake points from 28 to 30 feet deep. Liver dipped in Stick It has been working well as bait.
Hybrids are good and some are deep with the catfish. James told me liver or live shad are good baits for hybrids right now and the sizes run 14 to 26 inches long. He said they are plentiful on main lake humps.
Bream are showing up around the rock at the dam from 15 to 28 feet deep on worms. Large hand size bream are filling stringers.