Anyone Hit The Occoquan Reservoir Lately?

[Rez]

Went out for a couple hours Friday to take the new Jon for a spin. Caught a 3lber but had to go in. Pretty good for about 30 minutes of fishing. The honey hole rarely fails. Especially once it starts warming. Water was at about 59 and this evening around sunset about 62 but I had no luck. Good luck!

[Rez]

Out again today. Skunked...

[quanjig]

Sundays tournament was full on wackage! First place over 29, second over 26, third and fourth over 25! Came in fifth with over 24! Another 7 pounder also weighed! Come one guys, the res is on fire!!!

[pntrafn]

new to the page and new to fishing the area...any recommendations for good shore fishing @ the res?

[quanjig]

Not much shore fishing access on the res. fishing pier at fountainhead is about it unless you feel like hiking around the bull run marina. Look at hemlock park. It's the upper streaches of bull run. Some nice smallmouth can be had from shore there

[pntrafn]

Not much shore fishing access on the res. fishing pier at fountainhead is about it unless you feel like hiking around the bull run marina. Look at hemlock park. It's the upper streaches of bull run. Some nice smallmouth can be had from shore there

 

thanks quanjig I will check out Hemlock Park for sure

[BB*]

I was just down at Hemlock this past weekend. Tried all my usual spots. No bites other than nibbles from Bluegill. I'll probably wait until mid to late May before going back. It was like this last year too. My feeling is they are all hanging in the upper areas of the res doing their thing.

[quanjig]

Hemlock is in my opinion, better later in the year. Spring rains kinda make it a little tougher!

[BB*]

Hemlock is in my opinion, better later in the year. Spring rains kinda make it a little tougher!

Yep, I agree.

[Choporoz]

Spent a good few hours out both days this weekend.  Saturday was a little slow, but I boated a few in the morning, including one good 3+ and then, mid afternoon for about an hour, non-stop short fish.  Like they were switched on and then off again just as fast.

 

Sunday was absolutely beautiful out there.  Little wind, bright sunshine.  My wife and I were out for about four or five hours and we might have had two bites.  I suspect the bitter cold nights had something to do with it.  Sure hope it picks up soon. 

[DJ 6_6]

@Quanjig...

 

What's the best pattern on the Rez?. Might go out this weekend on a john boat.

[Choporoz]

Beautiful weekend.  Was out Sat and Sun.  Now I'm having a bit of a crisis of confidence.  No more than 4 or 5 fish Sat and only one was 2+.  Yesterday was even worse.  7+ hours and one small bass.  Unbelievable.    But the real problem was when I trolled across the mouth of a small bay and watched a couple tourny guys.  They were flipping and catching BIG fish.  I was too far to tell what they were using or get good look at the fish they were culling, but I'm guessing they had a very good day. 

 

I did get to witness maybe the strangest thing I've ever seen on Occoquan; there was a huge carp and a turtle in a fight to the death.  The carp was at least 30+ inches long and the turtle's shell was over 12 inches across....I couldn't tell which was trying to eat the other --- never seen anything like it.   They were thrashing like crazy, but when I got within about ten yards, they took it below the surface and in the soup that is Occoquan, I couldn't see them anymore.   

 

      Anyway, I need to sit down and take stock of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it because I had no answers this weekend.

[Choporoz]

Just looked at the results for the tourny last weekend and I don't feel quite so bad.  Better'n I did, but not what I was afraid I'd see.

 

Only four boats with six fish and top bag didn't go 20.  I REALLY hate to delight in other's misfortune, so please don't take it that way -- I'm just glad that I can feel like I wasn't the only person on the entire lake sucking last weekend.

[nitro557]

The rez is tough right now .It's bedding time .give it two weeks and it's on

[quanjig]

Yea, what nitro said! Last tournament was difficult to say the least. Came in 4th but had a chance to get in the money with a few missed opportunities. This time of year they tend to drag baits away not eat it!! Patience is key and dead sticking works well. My best opportunities have been in the grass but you have to cover a lot of it to try and pin down a pattern within the grass! Not all of it is created equal!!

[Choporoz]

Good day jigging. They're in the grass. Biggest was 5 1/2. Also, carp must be spawning...never seen so many HUGE carp in one day

[Choporoz]

On Sunday there was a boat on the Occoquan Reservoir with a 200HP roaring through between Lake Ridge and Fountainhead.  I never got close enough to confront them or get their boat numbers.  Who's the 'authority'?  One of the counties?  Game warden?  Who do you call, if anyone?  Bugged me a lot more than it probably should, but I'd have liked to have done something about it. 

[Rez]

200?!? Kidding right?

[Choporoz]

It was something of a blur, but I'm fairly certain

[Kyle46N]

Same thing happened a few Sundays ago on Burke lake.   Two guys in a 18 - 20 ft jon boat of some sort with at least a 100 hp on the back.  Full speed up and down the lake putting out serious wake.  Lots of kayakers on the lake that day. I wanted to make a call too, but wasn't sure who would be best to call on a weekend. 

[quanjig]

I saw that boat rip up and down the res as well, kinda stupid to push your luck on a Sunday like that, karma has a funny way of catching up with folks like that!!

To see someone do that at Burke is amazing!! Not sure how that didn't get reported!! Burke is a purely fishing lake only. Pleasure boaters are not allowed on the water. If you see that you can report it to VADGIF. I've thought about doing that myself especially when looky loos cruse between you and the bank and want to talk about what a beautiful day it is!!

[Rez]

So the other day I found this guy a float on the res and he's quite big! Never fished for crappie before and now I'm really interested in getting out and giving it a try. Anyone ever caught crappie in the Occcoquan? Any tips or advise. Going in blind at this point. 

 

 

[Choporoz]

Wow.  15" will earn you a citation here in VA.  That's a monster.

 

I've never caught one, but never fished for them here, either.  Funny, though....because I catch them on lots of other waters while fishing for LMB's.

 

 

Also funny.....while out on Saturday, my wife and I were watching some deer on the Prince William side, and out of the blue, she asked me "Do deer swim?"   I told her "I think so, but never seen it with my own eyes.  But I have seen deer on islands, so they must."  Sure enough, less than an hour later, there was a fawn swimming from PW to Fairfax about a half mile up from Fountainhead. 

[quanjig]

Caught some really nice crappie on the res. standard stuff works. Finding them the right size is the tough part!! Deeper brushy banks with slip bobbers and adjust to the right depth! Probably just missed the best time for size and numbers but you can get back on them in October and November for sure!

As for the swimming deer on the res, I've witnessed it plenty of times, big bucks chasing smaller bucks clean off the bank and I mean these little fellas leaping for their lives from steeper banks! I've also seen doe's trying to loose a frisky buck by swimming a cross the back of cuts and creeks. With the buck in hot pursuit minutes later nose in the air!!

Coolest things I've seen out there are the otters and freaky large turkey!!

[Rez]

Occoquan is definetly a very scenic fish. I've also seen deer cross the back streems and get chased by bucks. I've also managed to see a lot bald eagles both flying and perched in trees. Blue heron and everywhere and the occasional hawk will swoope in from above. The beavers are everywhere and they love slapping their tales when you're close.