Just about any bait can be used with success. However, it is hard to beat the fun that can be had by drifting bait along the bank with a float. The action really takes off after the spawn in late May and June, too.

Popular launch ramps for boat-anglers include Port Royal Fish House, aka Catfish Central at Port Royal. A daily report on the fishing can be obtained by calling (804) 742-5515. Leedstown Campground at Leedstown offers anglers a direct shot at a myriad of sloughs, creeks and backwaters teeming with feisty blue cats and channels. One does not need to fish out of sight of the dock to load up with catfish here.

Fredericksburg has two ramps. The City Dock on the city side of the river has a great ramp and parking. Smaller boats wanting to avoid the crowds might try Little Falls just off Route 3 in Stafford.

The Mattaponi and Pamunkey are great catfish rivers, too, and both have numbers of channel cats in the upper reaches of the river, with blue cats dominating the scene downriver to West Point. A small boat is the best way to take advantage of these rivers, but if one has access to the riverbank via private land, the fishing is fine, too. Use fresh live or cut bait to catch the largest fish. Worms, chicken liver or shrimp get plenty of attention from the smaller 2- to 5-pound fish.

VDGIF has a ramp at Aylett on the Mattaponi. On the Pamunkey, the VDGIF ramp is Lester Manor off Route 633.

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
The Southern Piedmont is without doubt the home to the second-best trophy cat water in the state. Buggs Island Reservoir is a hit with many Southside cat hunters that want bragging rights to a new state record. Buggs Island has the second-largest blue cat on record with a 92-pound blue catfish caught by William Zost in 2004.

Like the James River, Buggs Island is flush with good forage to keep the monster catfish fat and happy. Gizzard shad are abundant and fairly easy to catch with a cast net. Fresh, live or cut bait is definitely the way to go for big catfish at Buggs Island.

The stretch of lake from Clarksville to the confluence of the Dan and Roanoke rivers is a very popular place to hunt trophy blues at Buggs. Anglers who find consistent success at Buggs look for structure and bait together in water down to 30 feet deep. Old channels, stumps and treetops are good indications to look for on your fish finder.

A center-console boat outfitted with a quality fish finder is standard trophy hunter gear on Buggs, but small boats and bank-anglers will find plenty of good fishing from the banks. Blue cats 3 to 4 pounds and channel catfish weighing a pound are very common and are easily caught in the numerous coves and creeks off the main lake.

Try cut bait and stink bait for channel catfish and fresh cut herring and shad or jumbo minnows for blue cats.

Night-fishing is very popular at Buggs. Many anglers make use of the Hydro Glow fish lights to attract bait and then catfish during the summer. Fish shallow water at night to cash in on Mr. Whiskers.

Some of well-known launches for anglers fishing Buggs include Occeneechee State Park, Bluestone Creek, Staunton View Creek, Nutbush Creek and Hyco Creek.

Trophy catfish anglers should keep in mind two things about blue catfish. First, only one fish measuring more than 32 inches may be kept per day. Second, there is a consumption advisory for large catfish on Buggs Island.

A second possibility for great catfishing in the region would be 740-acre Sandy River Reservoir in Prince Edward County. Dan Michaelson, VDGIF fisheries biologist, reports that it is stocked every year with 10 catfish per acre. There is some natural reproduction at Sandy River, but the biologist plans to continue the stocking program for the near future.