Black Bill Dance

Hey Guys...hope everyone is out enjoying this weather we are having and hopefully having some tight lines. A little update...I was scanning through some old topics about some fishing spots in Midlothian/South Richmond, and one really caught my attention that was located in a housing subdivision. So knowing that it was gonna be a scorcher (97 degrees) on Saturday, I told myself I was going to hit this pond right at sunrise before it got too hot. Even though I didn't get off work until 11:30pm and after I put some new treble hooks on my topwater lures it was 1:30am. I got up at 5:30am and hit the water by 6:10am and on the 3rd cast with my Rebel Pop-R....she just crushes it in about 2 feet of water!!! Now you talking about a rush at 6am! But as the morning goes on, only 3 dinks hit my topwater after that. Sqaurebill crank, chatterbait, lipless crank, senko...they didn't want anything else but the Pop-R. But glad I was able to nab big momma here though.

Wow really.....its trees all around the bank, where did you find a clearing to cast out at?

Well guys....I had another hour to waste away before work. So why not try Byrd Park again since I did see some pretty good size fish swimming around last Thursday. Pitched a lipless crankbait 1st this time in some of the clearer water without so much gunk. The wind had blew all the pollen and slime to the corner pockets of the lake. After about 30 minutes.....nothing! Switched out to my Z-Man Candy Craw chatterbait with candy trailer and walked to other side of lake scanning with my glasses. Saw a whole bunch of bluegill beds, so I tossed the Z-Man about 15 yards passed the beds and this baby just crushed it......sorry I couldn't get a better picture (I fish by myself mostly) and didn't measure, but probably around 20 inches

Man that is good, good day!!! Yea you got to love them Z-Man chatters, nice looking toads right there.

Never fished there, but you are exactly right. I get my haircut on Genito, thinking about going tomorrow morning before my appointment at 11am. Let me know if you ever need a fishing buddy

Almost cried today!!!! Had about an hour before I had to head into work, so I decided to drop a line in Fountain Lake at Byrd Park. Grabbed 2 of my reels...1 with square bill sexy shad crankbait and another with Z-Man candy craw chatterbait with craw trailer. After about 25 cast with the sexy shad.....NOTHING!!! Switched to the chatterbait once I saw a few big bass swimming with my polarized glasses. On the 3rd cast...boom....knew I had a good fish on my 6'6 Ugly Stik GX2 spinning combo. About 4 feet from the bank...old Swamp Donkey jumped and threw my lure at my feet. She was a good 6-7 pounder....broke my heart. Not another bite before I had to head into the office. "Just one of those days"

After the fish kill they had in 2014 at Fountain Lake in Byrd Park due to oxygen depletion (bout 200 bluegills), has anyone been bass fishing in any of the 3 lakes? I recently started following this guy on Social Media, and he is pulling straight hogs out of the Byrd Park waters (mainly Fountain Lake). Just wanna see if any of my RVA fishermen has had any success out there as of late. @Tonykoch I think you follow the guy Andrew on IG as well. With my office being downtown, I would love some of that Byrd Park action.

That's for the reply @Marvin Bikelife Banks. I have noticed when the water is low you can skip across the d**n at the pond behind Friday's on Midlothian as well. As I stated before, I am still exploring the waterways in South Richmond. So today I road by Lucks Lane and that is one pretty body of water right there, can't wait to try my "Luck" there. Where do you park your vehicle at if you fish that pond though? @Graham since Lucks Lane has a lot of grass, I'm guessing soft plastics is the way to go. As far as the Arboretum and Moorefield ponds, what time do you recommend (mornings, evenings, weekends) and what is your bait of choice?

Beautiful fish @TOXIC, you did a lot better than me. The big boys just wouldn't take my line Saturday

Man congrats @MassYak85, I caught a few on a spinnerbait. But nothing on the chatterbait. They was mostly hitting the rattletrap and square bill crankbait for me.

Thats what im talking about......did you try your luck this weekend @Sam? I went to private pond on yesterday, bass werent on the beds but was active. I caught 18 bass and 2 rainbow trout. Biggest bass was 2 pounder. "Big Bertha" wouldnt take my bait for nothing

Got skunked at Southlake today before heading into work. Had a few bites on shad swimbait and pumpkin Senko work. Was only out there for 2 hours. Any of you guys having any kind of success today? Will be out bright and early Saturday morning, still debating should I stay local or make a short 45 min driver to private pond in Middlesex at my buddy family pond....some monsters there!!! If they not hitting on nothing the rainbow trout they stock every fall/winter will be fun.

Went to the pond on Southlake Blvd for about 2 hours or so around 10:15am before heading into the office........and I got my a** skunked . Didn't really walk around the entire pond, just mainly fish the tree line and all sides of the peninsula around Century 21. Had 3 rods with me with white Chatterbait, medium shad swim bait, and pumpkin senko. Had hits on all 3 but couldn't land anything. Lost 1 nice bass 2ft from the bank which really ticked me off. But at least I was able to get my line wet before work. Debating should I stay local tomorrow or hit up my buddies private pond in Middlesex right off Hwy 17, bout a 40 min drive. Where are all you guys gonna try your luck at this weekend?

Man that's a "Boss Hawg" right there. Midlothian resident as well, do you always fish from a boat or bank fish too?

Hey Guys, Did any of you fellas get out there today and wet a few lines, and if you did, how did you make out? Imma hit the water for a little while before heading into the office tomorrow, hopefully come back with a decent report and some pictures.

Are we aloud to fish the pond at the University of Richmond? What do you believe is best for the bass out there? I plan on hitting a few spots this weekend as well. Probably the pond on Southlake Blvd and Mid-Lothian Mines Park. With the warm weather next couple days the pond on Southlake should get direct sunlight warming the pond pretty good. My office is downtown on the James River, from my office window it seems like the boats are congregated all on the eastside of the I-95 bridge, so much you can walk across the boats LOL. The best thing for the shad run is 2" swirly tail grub or gold & silver spoons....bloodworms for the white perch, right under the 14th street bridge.

Went by a couple ponds the other day on a bright, sunny day. I didn't see any beds visible as of yet. At the Mid-Lothian Mine Lake I man was fishing from the dock on the left. He was using live minnows and for the most part just catching some perch. If you walk the bank closest to the road where the storm drain is you can catch some nice crappie, but the bass still has *Lockjaw* as of now. @Sam @WdyCrankBait have you ever fished the pond in the Grove? does it produce any nice size fish?

Definitely will. Did some more scouting and checked out the pond at Boulders office park with the apartments on the other side. Wonder if they have any quality fish. @Sam have you or heard of anyone else who has fished the Rock Creek Park Lake not too far from Boulders?

Sam, @Sam I had to run by the DMV today, and since I had little time before heading into the office, so I decided to run by the places you mentioned previously just to check out the area. The pond on Southlake looks very promising, will definitely put that on top of my list for some bass and crappie. I then proceeded down the block to check out the ponds behind Friday's on Midlothian. Has anyone ever pulled anything good out of there? Next on the list were the ponds at Moorefield office park behind the Sheraton Hotel. Those 3 ponds look like they can be accessed pretty easily and look good enough to make a few cast. But the ponds at Arboretum looks real nice! I count 3 of them right when you get on the property, then a 4th down by the Alstom offices which look like it could be the deepest. Really would like to try my luck with these, what size bass have been pulled out of these bad boys? Once again thanks for the insight

Most definitely....but a nice rainstorm suppose to hit at end of week @MassYak85, do you think that's gonna effect anything?

So guys...have the Dogwoods by you all blossomed yet? I work Downtown Richmond and the Dogwoods around my office has yet to blossomed fully. I would love to go out this weekend and wet a few lines, but I will be grilling and smoking up a meat-storm this weekend. But next week most definitely hitting the waters.

Welcome Andrew, I went to college in Petersburg, and use to live in Prince George off River Rd by Fort Lee. As always the Appomattox River is always a good place to start. Especially during the spring up by the little power station off of Grove Ave. You can find the shad, herring and striped bass/rockfish plentiful in the small rapid moving water...crappie, smallmouth and largemouth bass also can be caught from the same general area by the little pedestrian bridge where the water is more calm, there are some deeper pockets. Caught fish for years! Heading down river a little in Old Towne Petersburg behind the Crocker Spot restaurant, you park on the gravel right by the old railroad tracks. Then just follow the path through the trees and come to a wide pipe that you can walk across (only can do this at low-tide)...then you get to a bunch of clear out spots on the bank and you have reached "Catfish Alley) which is on the Appomattox but is like a 50-60 hole....HUGE catfish, bass, bream, gar fish can all be caught. But for some smaller ponds or hidden gems, Dance's Sporting Goods is the place to go. They can point you in the right direction and also more knowledgeable in that area. Good luck buddy!

Man this is some excellent suggestions and advise!!! I cannot wait to check out these recommendations and try to crank out a few quality size bass. What time of day is best for all the aforementioned locations? I work afternoons and evenings during the week so most likely I will be a morning and weekend fisherman.

Moved from the Downtown Richmond to Midlothian/North Chesterfield area. Really want to put my 10 freshwater poles to good use this year. Definitely want to capitalize on some good spawn fishing this spring and nice bank fishing in the summer........especially for BASS and CRAPPIE!!! I do a lot of solo fishing with no boat, so pond and small lakes is what I know best!!! So if you can recommend some good public ponds or even some where I might get chased off of (never run from a challenge) would be greatly appreciated.