fishva

I'm trying to plan a camping trip with my brother this spring, but we're having a hard time finding a spot that fits what we're looking for. Basically, we only have two requirements: 1. The spot needs to be on the water. 2. We'd prefer a group spot or something with a similar amount of privacy. Campgrounds with tons of people around blasting their music all day isn't really our idea of getting away from things. I've looked at all the VA state parks, and don't really see a good fit for us. Do you know of any other places that might work? We live in Richmond, and are up for a 2-ish hour drive in any direction (which also puts parts of NC in play).

I've bought frozen shad for catfishing many times. You just hook it through the eye with a circle hook, so sometimes they come loose on a cast. Maybe that?

Thanks, Sam -- I really appreciate it. We don't have a boat, but we'll be camping in a spot I've been to before. We have at least a few miles of bank we can walk / hike (sometimes through heavy woods depending on the water level, but you do do what you have to do). I'm hoping the bass have come up enough from their summer hideouts that we can find them easier. We'll see, though. Either way, I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the tips.

I haven't had a chance to fish for the last 4-5 weeks (life got nuts on me), but I'm heading down to Buggs Island this weekend for a 3 day fishing trip. My travel space is limited (sharing a ride with 2 other people + their stuff), so I need to pack light. Just wondering if the bass have transitioned into their post-summer habits yet with a couple weeks of cooler weather under our belts. Thanks!

Same thing happened to me last month. I set the hook and started to fight. When she jumped out of the water, I knew it was the biggest bass I'd ever had on my line. Then, it darted towards a tree in the water. It was trying to go behind it, which I knew would break my line. So I took a gamble and tightened my drag to try and keep it from snapping me off around a tree. It didn't pay off, and my line snapped anyway. It's been eating me up ever since.

They make little binders for storing & organizing soft plastics. I've become a big fan of them. Here's an example: http://m.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Extreme-Worm-Binders-Large/product/1206011118/

I'd love to fish the clear waters in the western US, though not for bass. I'd also love to return to the Gulf of Mexico. Last time I was there, I took out a canoe with my brother and we paddled to a mangrove trail. We fished there for days. The variety of fish we were able to catch in the same spots with the same presentations was simply amazing. One of the best fishing experiences of my life.

Until a few months ago, I'd been a bank angler pretty much all my life. Then I picked up kayak, and I've had to relearn d**n near everything (which isn't a bad thing). The one thing I haven't really gotten comfortable with yet is landing a bass from a kayak. Landing a bass on the bank had become second nature to me, but now I'm struggling. I've lost I don't know how many fish just a couple feet from my kayak, because I just haven't gotten a handle on things yet. When I get a fish up to the boat, I end up with 'tryannasaurus rex arms' -- I'm trying to maintain a tight line with my rod (held in my left hand), while reaching for the fish with my right hand, but keep doing something wrong. Sometimes, I give the fish too much slack and it gets off. Other times, I hold the line too tight and they snap it (this only applies to larger bass). And yet other times, I just straight up fumble the pick up and one of the previously mentioned things happens. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has gone through the same type of thing and some advice. For clarity: I personally don't like netting or lifting the fish onto the boat with my rod -- it just doesn't feel 'sporting' to me for whatever reason. To stay on even terms with the fish, I like to pull them out of the water with my hand.

I have the In-Fisherman 'Largemouth Bass' and 'Smallmouth Bass' books. Both are solid reads. I learned a lot. After you read through them, they make great toilet reading -- open up to any chapter, and you'll either re-learn something or read something that you'd forgotten about entirely.

Also, look for visible signs of life (turtles, birds, frogs, and bait fish).

Use Google Earth (desktop edition, not the web app). You can scroll back in time, which is really cool & helpful. Chances are good that you will find some times where the water levels were really low, revealing some cover & structure that might look promising.

What kind of scent do you use, Sam? I've considered buying some, but can't shake the feeling I'm getting bamboozled. I'd give some a shot on your recommendation.

Used boat for sale, comes with one brown seat...

Buck knife. Every time I don't have my knife I wish I did. Also, a first aid kit. Because you brought a knife with you, and at some point something bad will happen.

My brothers and my son.

A more 'serious' response this time: I usually get 1 day a week to fish, and my job is such that I get to pick my day. In the summer, I always choose the cloudiest, rainiest day in the forecast (not that the forecast always ends up right, of course). A cloudy summer day with a steady rain is bass fishing heaven for me. In late fall, winter, and early spring, I choose the days that are most tolerable to me. Those seem to be the days that it's most tolerable for the fish as well

Here's what I've learned: The minute you think you know something is the minute you know less than you did the minute before.

Nice! Looks like a fun spot to fish.

If you're like me, prepare to lose some nice fish when trying to pick them up. When you're standing in the water, landing a good sized fish is a different game than when you're standing on the bank. It took me awhile to get the hang of it.

Only thing that's consistently worked for me this summer is trying to find the coolest water possible. A difference of a couple degrees can make a huge difference.

Both. I know when I just starting to learn some soft plastics, I'd watch some videos or read some articles for tips. But when I'd get out there, I'd get a hit doing something a little differently. Then I had confidence in that thing that I did differently, and worked on developing that. I'm not saying I fish uniquely from anyone else, just that my own technique was an accidental evolution of someone else's.

Seconded. I just started jig fishing this year, and that thread was all I needed to get out there and have the confidence to start catching fish.

My PB was a complete fluke. It was 11 or so at night. I was fishing for crappie and couldn't see a d**n thing. I let my spinner rest about 3 feet from shore to talk to my friend, and then bam -- the biggest bass I've ever caught. It still feels like cheating, because I didn't have to fight it. I literally bent over and picked it up.

Thanks, papajoe. Sometimes I get too hung up on the things I can easily measure that I don't think about the things I can't measure (but can still observe). Good reminder.

I'd like to see a live bait tournament where they have to use live bait that bass don't usually eat. Hamsters, for example. Ok, I don't really want to see hamsters being hooked and drowned under water. But the idea of trying to fish with a hamster cracks me up.