Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.

Recent columns

• Big stripers still a couple weeks away
• Include victims' message in safety class
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Overview

Relatively cool, wet weather continues to impact local fishing action.

The most recent bout of heavy rain blew out many rivers for a couple of days. Even rivers below dams, which can often moderate flows even after major rains, have been running high because the reservoirs above those dams are full.

Blown out rivers -- and with a wet weekend forecast, we could be looking at more of them in the near future -- are only a temporary inconvenience.

Having full reservoirs now is a good thing. And, as those rivers drop after high flows, the fishing action can be outstanding because the fish are as eager to start eating again as anglers are to start fishing again.

Lakes

Last week's full moon prompted some bass and early sunfish spawning, and another wave of those fish should move into the shallows leading up to the new moon at the end of next week.

Striper fishing is fair at Smith Mountain Lake, reports Dewayne Lamb at Captain's Quarters Marina. Live bait on planer boards continues to work OK for morning anglers, but surface plugs after dark are doing better.

At Smith Mountain Lake and other waters with spawning alewives, slow-waked plugs are still taking some nice bass.

Senkos and shaky head worms are working well around docks for bass. Action for channel and flathead catfish is picking up in the backs of creeks

White spinnerbaits are working well for bass in stained water at Claytor Lake, where catfish action is picking up.

Streams

Britt Stoudenmire at New River Smallmouth Adventures in Pembroke reports good action for smallmouths, which are hitting crankbaits, tubes and spinnerbaits, among other things. Due to strong flows, Stoudenmire urged floaters to use caution on the river.

With just a couple of weeks left in trout stocking season, many waters will get their final dose of fish in the coming days.

Saltwater

Red Drum Tackle in Buxton reports excellent surf action for good-sized bluefish along North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Plugs are producing some good striper action around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.