Richmond Beginner

[Sam]

Mepps.

 

I like the Rooster Tails better.

[Hanover_Yakker]

Thanks guys!!! I have a hell of a busy weekend ahead of me! I was always worried about just pulling up and whipping a rod out as I thought it'd be frowned upon

Thanks so much!

Hopefully I'll catch some fish this weekend! Oh I learned the fish I caught was a tiny large mouth :-D

 

That would be a Blue Fox Super Vibrax inline spinner - I prefer Mepps, but the Rooster Tail does fine as well.

[Sam]

Thanks Hanover for the correction.

 

It sure looked like a Mepps to me.

[Nitrofreak]

Welcome to the forum Tartan, your making good progress and already sounds like you are learning a lot, nice job guy's helping him out !!!!

[Tartan]

I love to learn and get new skills. The process and art of progression is awesome.

I hope I get confident in a rig soon because I'm swapping lures like every 7 casts or so trying to get a bite but that's because my brain is telling me it's not working rather than thinking "just fish it differently"

Hitting three lakes at about 10 today so anyone is welcome to come up and join me ill be fishing on their designated "Lake #1"

[Nitrofreak]

Thanks for the offer and someday I may take you up on that for sure, as for now just listen to what your brain is telling you and slow down a bit and focus on technique, switching baits around like that will only make you lose confidence in those baits, right now confidence is going to be a number one priority, me personally I like the twin tail hula grub in salt and pepper rigged up on a 1/4 oz black ball head, usually a killer confidence bait, but it all depends on location for any bait to become a confidence bait.

 

Take your time and work the crap out of one lure with different speeds and use small movements right now would be my suggestion, unless you get somewhere that the fish are chasing down a bunch of shad, but start building your confidence with one bait before you start switching around and learn as much as you can from that bait ok.

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Tartan]

Another fishless and bite less day. There are some BIG bass in that lake.

I ran Texas and wacky most of the day working the Texas under the docks I was stood on and into heavy tree cover to no avail. I'm a little disheartened but I know it was a little warm today.

Ahh well! Always Sunday :-D

[Nitrofreak]

Right now the only thing on the fishes mind is love, once the spawn is over you will get some confidence coming your way, just hang in there, I can't wait to see what you pull out of there, just remember to take some pics for us !!!!

[Hanover_Yakker]

I use to fish Three Lakes almost exclusively - there are some good fish there, but they are saavy.  The best spots to catch them are also the most difficult to cast from (sloping banks, overhanging trees, etc).  I 've caught several 3-4lbers and some massive chain pickerel on jig-n-craws.  Once I started kayak fishing though, I left that place in my memory.  The best lake is actually lake #2, but that is strictly no fishing as it is for the nature preserve and science center there.  Lake #3 is a hidden gem but it has even more limited casting areas - a spinning rod is your best friend at that place.  Spool it with 20-30lb braid and top it off with a 10-12lb. flouro leader.  Tie on a shakey head worm in black, orange craw or a watermelon seed variant.  Cast that sucker parallel to the banks underneath overhanging trees on the shady side and hold on.  Use tight enough drag to coax the fish away from cover yet still loose enough to give on strong runs.

 

Check your phone - sent you a text message on my availability to go with you to BPS or Green Top and help you pick out some things or at least familiarize yourself with what things are called.  FWIW - the folks at Green Top are more knowledgeable than the folks at BPS.  BPS employs a number of high school and college kids from the area, while GTSG employs seasoned anglers that know the VA waters from experience.

[Tartan]

Going back to Southlake tomorrow morning around 6am. Its a full moon tonight after a nice warm couple of days so i'm looking forward to try and catch some of the early spawners. 

 

Might try and use texas and the blue fox most of the day maybe throwing a beetle every so often. have a buddy (also new at this) going with me so we're gonna work 2 different baits. 

 

Anyone is welcome to come on down tomorrow morning and drink coffee and fish in the brisk morning weather.

 

Trying to learn bait-casting so i'm almost exclusively using that right now. gotta get better with this backlash stupidity. haha!

 

have a great Friday and hope you all enjoy your weekend!

[Nitrofreak]

Hope you have a great day on the water too Tartan, as for your baitcaster, I would suggest setting your brake at about 8 or 9 to begin with and then setting your spool drag to where the the line stops as soon as the bait touches the ground, these settings may be slightly tight but as you start to get used to the B/C then you can free the spool up a little at a time, the thing with a B/C is you are adjusting to the amount of weight and line diameter for each application you choose, the more you use it the better you will get.

 

The Blue Fox is a spinner bait if I am not mistaken, spinners are better for overcast and windy conditions, you will get their attention but it may end up spooking them as well in calm conditions, I would suggest a more natural approach with baits like HY suggested or Sam may have suggested as well.

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Tartan]

Good news! the baitcaster is starting to get better, was down at southlake for about 5 hours today and only had 3 strategic professional overruns... 

 

i used it exclusively this morning. using a craw-fish thingy lure that i saw somebody using. just trying to mimic the behavior of the craw fish...couple of solid nibbles but only on its wiggly bits at the back.

 

still no fish but its my birthday on sunday so i'm hoping to go up to basspro or greentop then and get some lures and what not. might even find a cheap flyrod and have some fun catching the fly hungry sunfish.

[Tartan]

Steven was absolutely awesome at Green Top, I picked up some Pop-Rs (baby bass), couple of spinners (black and chartreuse), Some Purple and Green 6" Senkos and of course of Wacky and Worm Gamma Hooks. 

 

Picked up a Mojo Bass Medium Ultra-Fast Spinner Rod with a Shimano Spirex 2500RG (Courtesy of my darling wife for my birthday)

 

My new hooks and a lovely texas rigged Purple senko paired with my new rod and reel...and I was taken by surprise. 

 

 

 

17" long, no scale so dont know how much it was....wasn't expecting it....

[Sam]

OUTSTANDING!

 

Congrats. Beautiful bass.

 

What do you mean you were not expecting it? You are to expect it on every cast, with the exception of your first cast of the day.

 

Catching a bass on your first cast of the day is bad luck. So is having a banana with you.

 

Senkos. Think Senkos. Throw Senkos. Watch your line.

 

Have fun.

[Sam]

P.S.  Change avatar photo.

[Tartan]

Avatar changed. Couldn't catch anything else since I was so jittery afterwards. I fell into the trap of talking to my wife while casting and that thing hit it as soon as my lure hit the water. I about passed masonry.

Thanks for commenting I'm off to beaver lake this morning to hopefully catch some early spawners.

[Hanover_Yakker]

Congrats - sorry we haven't been able to mesh our schedules to meet up and shop, but the folks at Green Top will get you setup.  Steve is a good one - Fred is also a good one as well.  Pay attention to their calendar as well - they have classes and seminars from time-to-time that may be of interest.  When in doubt, just head up there on a Saturday morning and mill about with your ears open.  You might be surprised at what you "hear" walking amongst the aisles or hanging out around the counter.

[Nitrofreak]

Congrats on the B-day stuff, you have a good woman there for sure !!!

 

Nice fish and things will only get more complicated from here on out, J/K, remember to ALWAYS keep what you just learned in the back of your mind, do not let go of the most simplest and most basic principles you just learned and you will be a great angler !

 

Looking forward to more pics and seeing some big-uns' from time to time.

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Tartan]

Number 2. 15.6 inches still no scale

[Tartan]

Thanks for the replies and dot worry about the schedule we"ll get to fish soon. You guys need to get down here at SouthLake I wanna see what a good angler can pull outa here.

I'm super excited that I e caught fish on both my spinner and now my baitcaster. While "practicing" my flipping and pitching technique that last guy just latched on and I may have been over eager with the hook set since it took me about 5 minutes to dig it out of his skull I felt bad.

No serious damage done and he swam off all happy and easy so that makes me happier

Thanks for all the help guys I will keep posting my progress and always give open invitations to join me wherever I may be. Fishing with a buddy who can Whitness you land a monster is twice as sweet as doing it alone. It's hard to high five myself haha!!

[Nitrofreak]

It's really good to see your progress and thanx for sharing your photos with us they look amazing, and dont worry too much about your hookset, my hookset assures either a fish or its lips are coming back lol !

 

I am sure you will get the chance to fish with some of us sooner or later, and I am sure some of us will take you up on your offer, I personally would love to come down there and fish with you, and someday I hope we do get the chance to do just that, until then keep up the good work !!!

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[jgc232]

Number 2. 15.6 inches still no scale

Where are you catching these at man?!

[jgc232]

Tartan, PM me your email address.

I am also a Chesterfield resident (like near Swift Creek Reservoir)

 

 

I had a nice long PM typed out to you and hit something wrong and closed out everything!!!

[Tartan]

SouthLake. I'm a catch and release guy so those big boys are still in there getting fatter. :-) I'm in it for the hunt not the eat. Maybe one day ill eat um.

Ill post my haul from SouthLake today in picture form

[Tartan]

4 and a half bass one jumped off my rattletrap hahaha