cartisdm

Wow, so much great info in this thread! I spoke to the local rangers and an employee at the local canoe livery and both said the section of the river by the James River State park would be deep enough to run my boat (slowly, of course) in about 1.5miles each direction from the ramp. I reserved a campsite and am heading up Friday morning. If I get there and the water level is too low to even make it worth launching my boat, I'll audible to one of the locations mentioned above. I have my eye on the Monacan Park because I really want to catch a few smallmouth. I was in Chicago last week and saw about a 4-pounder sitting at the surface of the harbor and it got me so excited to target those suckers. Big thank you again to everyone's suggestions. I feel much more comfortable having options in case I'm unable to launch and fish directly from the park I'm camping in. I'll report back next week with a fishing updating and pictures!

Hey, Glenn!!! I watch your YouTube videos all the time. You create excellent content!

I went ahead and reserved a campsite at James River State Park. I called and spoke to their rangers this morning and also with a guy at the local Outdoor Adventures canoe livery to get an idea of water levels. They said the river is pretty low and I will have some challenges navigating certain spots with my boat (14' aluminum vhull w/ 25hp). Sounds like I can expect to go about a mile in each direction of the boat launch before needing to make a judgement call if getting out of the boat and walking it around is a viable option or if it'll be too difficult to get back up river on the return trip. My goal is to use the ramp at the park for day fishing then come back and camp in my Jeep at the primitive site I reserved about a mile inland (still inside the park grounds). Any advise is welcome!

Hello! My wife is going on a yoga retreat in Buckingham, VA. More specifically, 108 Yogaville Way. I live down in Charlotte, NC now and I'm considering going with her on the drive then doing my own fishing trip nearby over the weekend. Anyone out there familiar with the area? Couple of key things I'm looking for in order to decide if I pull the trigger and tag along: Boat launch for a 14' aluminum vhull with 25hp motor Within about 30 minutes of 108 Yogaville Way, Buckingham, VA (www.yogaville.org) Nearby campgrounds would be ideal. I can sleep in my Jeep with my dog or pitch a tent - doesn't really matter Good fishing! As long as there is a place to get in and out of the water, I'm mostly just curious about what to expect. Google Earth images leads me to believe the water is plenty open enough for a small aluminum boat. I may not have a way to charge my trolling motor battery so I might just anchor at various spots all weekend. Anything folks would like to share about what I might experience out there? I've never specifically target smallmouth but I imagine that's the best species I should go after? I'm pretty well versed on largemouth just so you have an idea of my experience but I really want to target whatever is most plentiful and branch out from there if I'm successful. Any advice is appreciated - thanks!!

Hello! My name is Daniel and I've been fishing my entire life (I'm nearing 30...). I currently live in Charlotte, NC on Lake Wylie. I've fished countless different styles, locations, and for various species but I've recently taken it upon myself to really hone in on my skills and experiences. I'm looking forward to figuring out different ways to incorporate fishing as an everyday part of my life. I've started taking rods with me on business and family trips so I can expand my knowledge of really finding fish anywhere. I've also learned it can be discouraging to have multiple outings coming up empty handed because you don't know what you're fishing for or if the body of water you're in has any fish in it! I've lurked here for years picking up tips here and there. I decided to join today so I can start making posts in the forums that hold the local knowledge of wherever I'm heading. Hopefully I can pick up some tips before dropping a line in the water and increase my chances at some fish. I'm thinking about heading to VA to do some fishing on the Upper James River at the end of the month. Completely new body of water so I have a ton of questions in order to be as prepared as possible. I'll come back and edit this thread with a link to my other post once I create one. EDIT: Here's my other post about the Upper James River: