Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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Bill Cochran's Outdoors

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• Drum fishing on Virginia’s Coast comes in two colors
• Elk advocate finally gets his day
• Turkeys are plentiful, so why are hunting regulations so tight fisted?
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• Trout stocking schedule

Approximately 102,000 largemouth bass were released in the Chickahominy River in good shape, according to Bob Greenlee, a fishery biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The fish were about 2-inches long and came from Dunn’s Fish Farm in Arkansas. They were purchased by a new angling group called Concerned Bass Anglers of Virginia, said Greenlee.

The fish were delivered to the state’s Front Royal Hatchery where they were chemically marked so the future assessment of stocking success can be monitored. Mortality during the marking was low, Greenlee said.

About two-thirds of the fish were delivered to Chickahominy Riverfront Park and the remainder were taken to a site near Walkers Dam From there they were stocked in a number of sites of the river and its tributaries. About 20 volunteer anglers used a flotilla of bass boats to assist in the stocking.

“Release locations were vegetated flats or shoreline habitat where young of the year largemouths are typically found in July on the tidal Chickahominy,” said Greenlee.

UPDATE ON THE SHENANDOAH

Sportsmen are beginning to lash out in frustration over the major die-off of largemouth bass and sunfish in the Shenandoah River drainage. In a letter that can be found in this week’s Cochran’s Mailbag, Gary Collins charges that it took state officials and the media a long time to jump on the problem.

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries dispatched a news release Monday saying that 80 percent of the smallmouth and sunfish have died in over a 100-mile stretch of the South Fork and Mainstream of the Shenandoah. A more precise estimate on the fish loss will be made this fall, the release said.

On the good side, impacts on other fish in the river appear to be minimal and there is a good stock of young smallmouth bass.

Some anglers say they are giving up on the stream. In a letter to a newspaper, Justin Hendrix of Chatham said: “I traveled to Luray for the July Fourth Holiday to fish and enjoy the outdoors, and I never caught as smallmouth bass larger than my hand. In three days my friends and I spent some $3,000 in Luray on lodging, food, drink and other goods. Because of the poor fishing, we won’t return"

Ross Sutton, of Silver Springs, wrote: “I have taken friends and family down the river in canoes for a daily fishing trip for about 12 years now. Originally, it was not unusual for a party of four to catch and release more than 100 smallmouth bass during the 8-mile drift down river. In the past three or four years, we’ve caught one-fifth that number. I have watched with growing alarm as the water quality has been degrading.”

According to the DGIF release, fish began exhibiting bacterial lesions (sores) and dying in late April. “The bacterial lesions were a secondary effect,” the release stated. “The lesions on the fish have been associated with natural bacteria found in the river, but the underlying cause appears to be an unidentified stressor, which compromises the fish’s resistance and makes them susceptible to bacterial infection.”

The DGIF said it was working closely with the Department of Environmental Quality to investigate several scenarios. Excessive nutrients might be the culprit.

SHOOTING IN HIGH STYLE

If you enjoy shooting sports amid luxury, then the Ruffed Grouse Society has a deal for you. It is presenting what it calls its Inaugural Virginia State Sporting Clays Challenge August 13 at the Homestead Shooting Club in Hot Springs. The event will be sponsored by Beretta.

Along with five-stand and sporting clays action, there will be raffles, game, auctions and a gourmet lunch. The cost for a single shooter is $275. You will save money if you register with your buddies. The four-man team fee is $1,050. The fees include membership in the grouse society. Shells will be provided and plaques will be awarded.

Michelle Benedic of the Ruffed Grouse Scotty in Coraopolis, Pa. is the contact. He can be reached at michelleb@ruffedgrousesociety.org.

FISHING REPORT

The intense heat has slowed fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, according to Capt. Ferrell McLain of Bayfish Sport Fishing Charters. “The heat is keeping some anglers on shore in the air conditioning and has the fish in the slow bite mode,” he said. “Bottom fishermen are catching croaker and a few trout and flounder. Trolling is producing bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel, which are slowly coming into the area. Chumming is producing bluefish. “To beat the heat, try fishing in the early morning and late afternoon or evening,” McLain advised.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

>Woo Daves, Virginia’s popular professional bass fisherman, is recovering from prostate surgery. He assures his fans that he soon will return to the tournament trail; however he does not plan to make an appearance at the upcoming Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburgh. A blood test during a physical examine alerted his doctor to the possibility of prostate cancer.

>The National Shooting Sports Foundation has a camera crew at the Boy Scouts Jamboree at Fort AP Hill this week to film three-time Olympian and two time gold medal shooter Kim Rhode. The NSSF is hosting a pellet gun range. The jamboree is expected to attract 40,000 campers and 100,000-day visitors.

>A number of gun and hunting organization are urging sportsmen to contact their senators in support of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (S. 397). The legislation is scheduled to be considered by the senate before its summer break. The measure is designed to end reckless lawsuits aimed a putting manufacturers of firearms out of business.

SALTWATER TOURNAMENT

Here are the standings in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament:

BLACK DRUM: 93 pounds, Keith Harlan, Virginia Beach, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

COBIA: 88 pounds, 6 ounces, Fern Kuhn, Parkersburg, W. Va., lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

CROAKER: 4-pounds, 8 ounces, Elliott Souldourian, Virginia Beach, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.

DOLPHIN: 31 pounds, Jeremy Creason, Buena Vista, off Virginia Beach.

FLOUNDER: 17 pounds, 2 ounces, Hopie Firth, Poquoson, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.

GRAY TROUT: 12 pounds, 14 ounces, William Flipin, Hayes, upper eastern Chesapeake Bay.

KING MACKEREL, 35 pounds, Robert Pillote, Jr., Bethesda, Md., off Eastern Shore.

KINGFISH: 1 pound, 12 ounces, Damon Moore, Sterling, off Virginia Beach.

SEA BASS: 6 pounds, 14 ounces, Chad Stoker, Chesapeake, caught off Virginia Beach.

SHEEPSHEAD: 14 pounds, 2 ounces, Bryan Noel, Virginia Beach, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

SPADEFISH: 12 pounds, 5 ounces, Todd Hawk, Maidens, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.

SPANISH MACKEREL: 7 pounds, David Turner, Chesapeake, ocean off Virginia Beach.

SPECKLED TROUT: 11 pounds, 3 ounces, Brain Pomije, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.

SPOT: 1 pound, 4 ounces, Robert Richardson, Richmond, Elizabeth River.

STRIPED BASS: 63 pounds, 8 ounces, state record, Paul Leckner, Greenbackville, Bradford Bay.

TAUTOG: 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Larry Larue, Virginia Beach, ocean off Virginia Beach.

TUNA (BLUEFIN) 111 pounds, 2 ounces, Terri Smot, Pasadena, Md. ocean off Eastern Shore.

TUNA: 90 pounds, 8 ounces, John Mackey, Virginia Beach, ocean off Virginia Beach.

MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS

Meeting of the Board of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 9 a.m. July 28 at DGIF headquarters, 4000 W. Board St., Richmond.

New River Valley Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation banquet, July 30, Custom Catering, Blacksburg, single tickets $45, couples $60. Ticket purchase and information from Chris Kaknis, 540-552-8230.

Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show/Virginia Deer Classic, Aug. 12-14, Showplace, Mechanicsville, contact Denny Quaiff, 804-743-1290.

Inaugural Virginia State Sporting Clays Challenge, presented by Ruffed Grouse Society, Aug. 13, The Homestead Shooting Club, Hot springs, $275 for singles, contact is Michelle Benedict, michelleb@ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Inaugural Highland Drummer Chapter Ruffed Grouse Society banquet, Aug. 27, Brier Inn, Lewisburg, W.Va. $45 pr $65 for couple, ticket information from Todd Spencer, 304-645-7039.

Western Division of Virginia Big Game Contest, Sept. 10 and 11, Rockingham County Fairgrounds near Harrisonburg, see vpsa.org for details.

Urban archery season, Sept. 17-30 and Jan. 9-25.

Eastern Division and state finals of Virginia Big Game Contest, Sept. 24 and 25, Southampton County Fairgrounds, Franklin, see vpsa.org for details.

Bowhunting/crossbow season, Oct. 1-Nov. 18 and Dec. 5-Jan. 7.

Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 15, Salem Civic Center, $30 single, $50 couple, lots of guns to give away, proceeds go to grants and programs for youth and sports shooting programs, information from Chris Kessler, 884-3259.

Fall turkey hunting season, Oct. 31-Nov. 12; Nov. 24 and Dec. 12-Jan. 7.

Muzzleloading season east of Blue Ridge Mountains, Nov. 5-18.

Muzzleloading season west of Blue Ridge Mountains, Nov. 12-18

Deer hunting season west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Nov. 19-Dec. 3

Deer hunting season east of Blue Ridge Mountains, Nov. 19-Jan. 7

Late muzzleloading season, Dec. 17-Jan. 7.

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