JShrock07

OMG that scarred the ........... outta me!!! I HATE snakes!!!!

I've done fairly well this year...

Ok, I need some assistance. I have a tournament out of Sturgeon Creek on Saturday. I havnt been down there since Early March where we won but I hate that lake. I need some GOOD help to help me locate bass down there for this tournament. If you have been there already this Month and you found something that worked and you are willing to share it PM me or post here which ever you prefer. I will be respectful and anyone who knows me knows Im honest. If you give me a good spot or a good bait I will not tell everyone. I barely fish there. Plus I hate that place haha but I need to stay on top of my club standings for the year. So ANY GOOD help will be appreciated... thanks in advance and I will update on how we did. Joe

Don't give up, right now in most ponds in NoVa the bass are getting on their beds. In fact I have several small ponds I fish (friends houses) where I have pulled decent bass off the beds already. drop shot a senko, I like wacky rigged and polarized glasses. They are there you just have to find them and pound them, dont stop after 10 mins hell dont stop after 30 mins if you see the fish. Just find what she wants. To answer your question I think Sam did an outstanding job as usually. Soft Plastics work for me all year, its all in how you use them. Speed, color and size. Good Luck to you and Ill be looking for your first soft plastic fish pic of the year

Your beds will be located in 4' or less, sometimes as little as 6"

Beds are mostly located on flats. In the backs of creeks or main lakes flats. Its all just in the body water you fish. I have a few nice lakes and the Potomac River to fish. All have main lake/river flats and good shallow areas in the backs of creeks. Get you a good pair of polarized glasses, they will pay divadends for you. There are several types of baits to throw and there are several different threads on here about bed fishing. The one thing you want to remember.... you may find the big girl but she may not want to bite. Just be persistant and give it sometime on the one fish. I wouldn't die there during a tournament, but for learning I would spend a good chunk of a day just learning how to find them and how not to spook them.

Bass should be up in their beds by Mid April in my private lake.... cant wait, been pulling some good 8's already this year I just wanna see the 10+ that are in there!!!

dhami013, To answer your question, there really is no right or wrong color just remember the bass cannot see the top of the bait. Just imagine you are in a swimming pool looking up at a bait, that is all they will see of the bait. I like anything that shines on a bright day and anything dark and dull on a cloudy day.

I hear yah. Yea when the mats get really thick I might go up to a 1.5oz. Most of the time I will take some lubricant/scent and that will help the bait slide through the mats

Welcome from Fauquier County... Where do you fish?

Mid April is the best time to be out throwing traps, to be more specific red eye shad. Once the mats start coming up, after the spawn, just get into a flat, find a small hole and just start throwing a senko or a craw type looking bait. Spend all day just doing this. You will begin to have better luck, it is a confidence type of fishing. No you will not find fish in every pocket just let the wind push you. Stay off your trolling motor since you will most likeley be fishing in 4' or less water, any sound will push the fish away. Once it starts getting warmer and topwater starts to really play a role use that to find your fish and then from where you got your bite start punching mats. Grab a 1oz peg weight with a good craw and just start punching. Find thick mats puch through them, let it sit, pull it up to the top of the canopy bang it against the canopy and then let it fall. You will get most of your bites on the fall. If you ever want help with this tactic just holler at me when you plan on going out and if you need someone to go with you. I will help you as best I can.

Well it sounds to me like you are fishing the same kind of areas I fish. Shenandoah River can get very muddy, then you move on to a very clear lake... Two seperate types of fishing. Muddy water = large and loud Clear water you need something subtle yet something that will catch their eye. This time of year for muddy water I will throw a chartruese jerkbait (smithwick, or SK bleeding bait), chatterbait (3/8 oz or lighter in white to be able to "slow roll best"), SK red eye shad, Spinnerbait (slow rolled), Jig (PB&J 3/8oz or larger, with a good trailer) Depending on the amount of grass you have also try a baby 1-. Just remember water temps under 58-62 big fish are not yet on the flats, bucks may be but the bigs ones are just shy from being there. Fish everything SLOW, You may only get 5 bites a day and that would be considered a good day. Clear water, I will throw a senko (smoke/red flake only when watermelon red doesnt work), jerkbait, jig, deep diving suspending jerkbait, Do yourself a favor go grab a luckycraft pointer 78 or Spro little john.... Those will be good producers for you. Any other questions like if you can be more specific as to where you are fishing, the way the points are and so on PM me and I will do my very best to help you get on some fish.

When I registered with MD it never gave me a number or an option to print... So I just figured that is how MD worked. I know I registered and that should be good enough, as long as you have the VA and your regular license you should be fine. I highly doubt the game warden is out to bust fishermen anyways. I know from experience they mainly are looking for dumb people that shouldn't be driving a boat on the water and looking out for drunk boaters. Game Wardens have a lot of respect for the tournament anglers and they usually never mess with them. The reason I say this, two years ago me and my partner were prefishing for a tournament out of Aquia. We saw the GW and we went over to them and asked them to inspect the boat so we wouldn't be bothered during the tournament and they told us if they can tell we are fishing a tournament they will leave us alone unless they see something that could potentially be dangerous. He also said he wouldn't want to be bothered while he was in the middle of a tournament especially if he paid a good chunk of money to be fishing.

As for the sinking jerkbait.... its a Strike King Bleeding bait, I found them at Gander Mountain in Fredericksburg on the sale shelf. They were only @.49 or so. I forgot the exact color, its a white w/ black back, with a black spot near the gill. I always was throwing a smithwich in blue/silver, but that is a floating bait. As for the soft jerkbait.... I hate throwing them so I stay away from them at all costs. Sam, I think with this last cold front that just hit I'm going to say by Mid April or even closer to the end of April, I'm just thrown off a little bit with weather. I will be at Lake Anna next weekend for a tournament and depending on if the bass are on the beds then will depend on what the Potomac will produce. Of course all April I have a class for work to take so I will be missing out on Lake Anna's good spawn, but hopefully I will be finished in enough time to catch the Potomacs spawn. I will keep you up to date with what i find on April 9 at Lake Anna.