everythingthatswims

Larjmouf

My friends, my brothers, and myself, have been chasing stripers from 10' pieces of plastic on Lake Anna a couple times this summer, we still haven't had enough time to figure them out, but we have nabbed a few...Some were caught casting to boiling fish one morning when we stumbled upon some serious surface activity, and the last few were caught by trolling deep diving crankbaits. The fishing is basically over by 10am because the lake turns into an ocean of boat wakes (hence the lake's nickname), but hopefully we can get into some this fall when everybody has to leave their summer homes and their pleasure boats to go back to work! Here are some photos... I got the biggest one @28" trolling a 6XD My little brothers got some nice ones one morning when I blanked! They sure are fun fish!

Freshwater-Fishing for 15-20+" small stream browns in the dead of winter (ultralight spinning tackle, fly line will freeze your hands off if it doesn't stick to your guides and freeze up the reel first) when I stay with my grandparents in Abingdon for Christmas, I don't have many quality trout here in Central Va so I have learned to like bass as well haha Saltwater- Just let me fish for any mean salty critter and I'm happy!

Don't use a stringer if it's warm out! If I'm going to eat it, it goes straight on ice.

Lake anna isn't as deep as most lakes with striper, it maxes out at around 60' near the dam and it's uncommon to see more than 35' where I fish. We caught some schooling early on top but didn't catch any on the troll, going tomorrow again to hopefully chase some schooling fish, it's crazy when you paddle up in a kayak and the fish are exploding right next to you!

Any straight tailed, minnow colored jig in the 1-4" range with the proper unpainted jighead according to conditions will outfish spinners and spoons 10-1, no joke (the gulp minnows are killer) and for line I like 6lb nanofil with fluorocarbon leaders if big browns are a possibility. I like to stick with a 6'-6'6" ultralight or light action rod, fast action so that you can stick them with a solid hookset, the fast action also helps when you need to make the jig dance like crazy and still be able to feel when a fish picks it up. Target those browns, they are awesome fish!

My brother was trolling a 2.5" minnow style crank that dives 3' in the middle of lake anna around midday when we were kayak fishing (we always have baits out when we are paddling from spot to spot) something slammed it in about 25' of water...3lb channel cat...suspended near the surface I guess!

Whenever I catch a good fish as my first fish, I might as well pack up and go home because that's it for the day!

Try telling that to guys who troll for stripers in saltwater, sometimes they bump the motor in and out of gear to go suuuuper slow. And with the carbon buildup issue, I'm pretty sure that as long as you run it for a little at full throttle when you finish trolling, you're good.

My brother and I landed the same 22" bass one time each day for three days straight (we were only there for 3 days on vacation) fishing the same colored texas rigged paca craw in the same location (so yes, they can get big by being dumb). I also fish a pond that is full of stunted 8-12" largemouth that will hit over and over again on any bait, you can catch it, release it, and cast to it again before it swims off, most of the time they eat again. Most fish won't immediately bite again after they have felt a hook for more than a few seconds, but you definitely can't catch them if you don't at least try to follow up. Definitely worth going back later in the day if you don't fight the fish for very long when you lose it.

I like learning as many techniques as possible so if I am presented with an opportunity, I can take advantage of it.

Not sure what you mean by spotted bass or white fish since you're in saltwater and the only saltwater spotted bass are spotted bay bass on the west coast...I would suggest finding a pier, 1000X better than surf fishing most of the time.

If I was on an island, I wouldn't be looking for a pond with bass...Plenty of saltwater to work with

How did you turn over/where? Good to hear that no one was injured.

I am really looking forward to my next solo night fishing trip. Plenty of stories to think about while I'm out there listening to critters walking in the woods.

I'm heading to Lake Anna tomorrow in my kayak, mainly to crappie fish but I also plan on getting there at first light to look for schooling bass and striper. After the sun gets up and the fish go deep, I may try trolling some deep diving crankbaits, striper guides say the DD22 is a go-to lure, so I have one of those and some other deep divers to troll. Does anyone have experience trolling cranks for freshwater striper or have any advice about lake anna stripers?

Fish everything. Ponds are nice because you can cover most of the water and figure out a pattern quickly. You also didn't give close to enough information for anyone to give good advice (type of cover, water clarity, bass species, forage, water temp, bass size, etc)

Punch with black/blue for muddy water

Weight?

We have two blue cats in my neighbor's pond, and my little brother witnessed one of them wolf down a gosling!

Definitely one of the prettiest and healthiest bass I have ever seen. Now if we can just figure out how to catch them on a somewhat consistent basis! I have been spending a lot of time at this particular body of water lately, and I'm slowly putting the puzzle pieces together. But the bass will probably have a completely different agenda when I think I have them figured out!

The state record is living there keeping all the little guys away, go get her!

Holy cow 25" on a finesse worm, I bet that was FUN!

If I had a dock, I would probably enjoy finding lures hung on my dock to add to my arsenal. Some people go out of their way to prevent this though! I have people (owners of docks) tell me all sorts of made up laws about having to stay a certain distance away from a dock or you are trespassing.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10511344_689750061079331_5914898557650591247_n.jpg I thought that in a stocked trout reservoir, big trout swimbaits would be the way to go, so I devoted my whole day to big baits...And my little brother goes and sticks this 23", 7lb 9oz HOG on a texas rigged 5" pit boss. I saw some nice fish, but no takers!