Lake Orange, Lake Curtis, Motts Run and Hunting Run anglers will have to switch over to deeper crankbaits, live bait and plastics to catch bass. Topwater is good early in the morning or late in the evening.  Bream action will be hot this month in all lakes. Crickets and red wigglers will take some nice fish. Crappie will be hitting well on small minnows. Anglers should be successful using these same tactics in ponds.

The upper Potomac River and Rappahannock River will be prime for a float trip. Smallies will take jerkbaits, spinners and live bait with gusto. Try live bait such as crayfish and hellagramites for both sunfish and smallmouth. Some redeye can also be caught. Fish log jams and eddies behind rocks.

On the middle Potomac and tidal Rappahannock the catfishing is going to be touch and go. I would say mostly a go but some fish will begin spawning this month. If you are after a trophy use fresh caught bait and be patient. The smaller eating size fish are easy to pick up on live bait.

Largemouth bass are up and coming on the lower Rapp. Fish the tidal tribs and the mouths of these with crankbaits and spinnerbaits.  Look out for Mr. Bowfin too! RW’s (804-529-5634) reports that generally in May the largemouth bass respond well to buzz baits and crappie should respond well to beetle spins or small minnows in the ponds.

Surfside Bait and Tackle (804-730-2238) on the James River reported that May 1st will be the start of the trophy striper fishing and they can be caught on bloodworms on the James and Pamunkey Rivers.  The largemouth bass will be hitting really well on large minnows and top water baits. The crappie will be off the beds and be biting. The best way to catch crappie is to first find them using small minnows, Silver Buddies and jigs. The big catfish will be biting well using herring, shad or eels.

The smallmouth will be biting well if the water stays up on the river. They will hit well on deep diving crank baits like the Bandit 300 or Bandit 200 in the perch color or the crawfish pattern. The fishing in May usually follows this pattern. Sometimes during these spring transition months it hard to predict because so much of the fishing depends on the weather, water temps and depths of the river. If anglers have any questions Surfside Bait and Tackle welcomes their calls.

Mike at Riverside Camp Grounds (804-966-5536) on the Chickahominy reports the largemouth bass will be moving off the beds and should be biting well on artificial worms, night crawlers and small minnows. They like structures like duck blinds, cypress roots, brush piles and the lily pads. The bream and bluegill will be hitting really well on night crawlers. Pan size catfish in the 2lb – 5lb range will hit well on night crawlers. The crappie will be doing well on small minnows and small grubs.

In the Virginia Beach area the chain pickerel will be biting well on minnows, spinner baits and soft plastic type baits in the back coves early in the month and moving out to the points as the water temperature goes up. The Largemouth will start to hit on top water lures such as, crank baits and plastic worms. 

Water temperatures and the lowpressure systems passing through the area effect how the fish respond.  As the water temps warm up the fish become more active, if a cold spell falls on us then they may slow down. The full moon in May generally marks the beginning of the best shellcracker fishing. Anglers are successful using nightcrawlers, red wigglers and can catch fish in excess of a pound. It is nothing to catch 25 citation shellcracker fish in a half days worth of fishing.

Buggs Island the largemouth bass will be moving to the shallows. They will be biting well on spinner baits, plastic worms and grubs. The crappie will be in the shallows on brush piles and will respond well to small minnows. The blue catfish will be biting well on cut bait and the flatheads will hit live bait. Striper will be returning from spawning up river and will be biting well at the upper part of the lake on live shad, buck tales, Red Fin lures and plugs work well.

Marvin from The Tackle Box (434-239-1710) at Smith Mountain Lake reported the walleye and stripers usually go up Stanton River when the dogwoods bloom. Largemouth is biting well on jigs; Hopkins spoons, jerk baits and deep diving crank baits. The bass will be in the shallows and generally go on their beds for spawning towards the end of May. When the water temps  get to 50 degrees then a lot will move onto their beds. The crappie should be in the shallows for spawning also when the dogwoods are in bloom.

Stripers will be biting well on Hopkins spoons, lead heads with flukes and crank or jerk baits. Bluegill as it warms will be moving up into shallower waters and will be easier to catch on small spinner baits and night crawlers.

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