Huntrava Posted September 1, 2015 Posted September 1, 2015 Here are a couple of 3 - 4 lbers I pulled out on Saturday during the same outing. Good, healthy looking fish. @marvinlee718: do you have a FF? What have you been using? 2 Quote
marvinlee718 Posted September 1, 2015 Posted September 1, 2015 Yea I have a small hummingbird with traditional and downscan, but no gps or maps. I pretty much try everything when I'm out but mainly soft plastics and jigs with the occasional crankbait. I think my problem is locating the fish. Do you just roam around on your boat till you find structure or a drop off? What do you usually use when you find the fish deep? Quote
Huntrava Posted September 1, 2015 Posted September 1, 2015 Yea I have a small hummingbird with traditional and downscan, but no gps or maps. I pretty much try everything when I'm out but mainly soft plastics and jigs with the occasional crankbait. I think my problem is locating the fish. Do you just roam around on your boat till you find structure or a drop off? What do you usually use when you find the fish deep? The other day when I was at Occoquan, I noticed there were a bunch of other people in the same vicinity who weren't having much luck. We were all in the same general area (about a cast away from each other) but I was pulling fish out and they weren't. That doesn't happen often! We were all sitting above fish, and everyone else was throwing diving lures, umbrella rigs, etc. But Occoquan is deep. I doubt anything went deeper than 15 feet. Occoquan is easily twice that in some areas. Throwing a jig is good, but it needs enough weight to get to the bottom fast, especially if that's where the bass are. I don't think the average 3/8 oz texas rigged worm is going to get to the bottom in an efficient way, but that's just my two cents. 1 Quote
quanjig Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Ryan's dam doesn't really count!! Get a map and cross reference areas where deeper water is close to shallow points and guts!! I keep trying to tell you guys, get a map, anything that's been named is worth a solid look!! When you observe your finder, take notice of where you predominantly find the bait, look for areas where the depth crest of drop off sharply at those depths. It's really not that tough. Finding groups of bigger fish is the big challenge!! 1 Quote
Huntrava Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Ryan's dam doesn't really count!! Was fishing there a few months ago when I met another guy who was into the bass tournament circle. He mentioned Ryan's dam is often off limits during tournaments lol. But, FWIW, the deepest channel I've seen on Occoquan runs from Ryan's dam to Fountainhead, with the south side being slightly steeper (with more docks, structure, etc.). Quote
quanjig Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 It's much deeper down lake towards the actual dam but I understand it tough to cover ground in a kayak like I can in a jon boat. Ryan's dam is only off limits during our classic! It's getting tougher and tougher to keep spots under wraps because the res is getting so popular! That is a testament to how well we as fishermen and women work to keep this a quality fishery. When we hold the tournaments on the reservoir, we places high priority on fish care while in the livewells as we try to minimize mortality during the events. I like to think this fishery will continue to improve. We just have to hope the snakehead population doesn't adversely effect the bass population, only time will tell! Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted September 2, 2015 Super User Posted September 2, 2015 Spent a few hours yakking from Bull Run Marina yesterday. Went down from ramp. Tossed big worms, chatter, jig, crank, fluke, Cut-R....one bite in the first 90 min..... on a mag worm -- set the hook hard enough to throw a bluegill ten yards over the other side of the yak. Desperate times...desperate measures.....Tied on a Ned Rig and proceeded to boat a half dozen LMB - nothing over 2lb, but I did break off two that I'm sure must have been DD's Of note, I also caught the my first Occoquan Res crappie...can't believe its the first one I've boated in nearly five years on there. Talked briefly to three parties at the ramp on the way out; one claimed 'terrible'; one said 'okay''; third one talked of a tremendous day of bunch of fish, including couple over 4 and one over 6. 1 Quote
Huntrava Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Spent a few hours yakking from Bull Run Marina yesterday. Went down from ramp. Tossed big worms, chatter, jig, crank, fluke, Cut-R....one bite in the first 90 min..... on a mag worm -- set the hook hard enough to throw a bluegill ten yards over the other side of the yak. d**n it, I'm cleaning coffee off my screen. That **** is funny. Unless you're a bluegill I suppose The people you talked to are describing basically the same thing I'm hearing on BR...it's either feast or famine, depending on your fishing style.I was slaying at Woodrow Wilson bridge a few weeks ago with a shakey-head grub. Not surprised a ned-rig would work. Quote
rivafishn Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 There are some decent fish being pulled out, which is nice. I got out last saturday morning and ended up fishing shallow as I didn't want to get to far away, the wife came out kayaking with me after awhile. I ended up getting 10, nothing over about 16 inches though. I caught the 16 incher in about a foot of water, kind of funny this time of year. I'm still working on my deep water fishing, but get out to some spots whenever I can. I throw a little bit of everything on the various spots. When I am fishing deeper right now I have been using some type of soft plastic or a jig, lost a couple last time I was out due to line break, but hopefully that won't happen again. Quan - I do have the map for the rez now, but like you mentioned I can't cover a ton of water in my kayak. I typically stay near the area I launch out of. I like hooes run because it doesn't seem to get hit as hard down there. I plan on trying more deep water spots as the weekends go, and hopefully some this weekend. I don't have one over 20" this year, but want to get that changed soon. Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted September 2, 2015 Super User Posted September 2, 2015 .......I can't cover a ton of water in my kayak. I typically stay near the area I launch out of. I like hooes run because it doesn't seem to get hit as hard down there. I've never been down that far. Is there a public spot to launch a kayak south of Lake Ridge? Quote
quanjig Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Riva, do yourself a favor, launch out of lakeridge. Sooooo much more "stuff" to fish within an easy paddle!! The two points where the main lake and lakeridge meet has plenty of fish! These are two prime points that have deep water to get you used to that deep water pattern!! Lots of other areas within eyesight of there to do some damage!! Last Sunday my best 6 fish would have been close to 22lbs!! Two of my better fish were caught in 20+ FOW while the rest were probably in the 16-18 ft range. It's all about looking for the bait, cross reference it with bottom cover around that same depth, getting to an area that has those two things in common. Look for scattered bait in your graph, this signifies feeding fish!! Bait balls are nice and all but it's much tougher to trigger strikes! Chopp has watched me whup them pretty good there!! 1 Quote
rivafishn Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Quan - I think I definitely need to do that. I typically jump in hooes because it is easy. not that lake ridge isn't, at least in the morning. it is nice to come back late in those evenings and not have to worry about the gate being locked. I know some of those points and a few others that have been discussed and will have to get out there and try it out. Maybe know that summer is winding towards and end it won't be as crazy. I do have the launch pass for this year so I don't have to pay. Chop - the launch down south is for lake ridge HOA members, so not a public launch. Since I live in lake ridge I have a key to the gate and ramp. Quote
marvinlee718 Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 How detailed is the GMCO map of the res? I'm mainly interested in the water depths. I'm just wondering what it has so I can decide to buy it or not. Quote
quanjig Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 Detailed enough to get you in good areas without a doubt! Quote
rivafishn Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 Marvin - Unless you have a decent amount of experience or some kind of insight from someone that does I would buy it. I don't think you can find the information that is on there pretty much anywhere else. They are not that expensive and sell them at fountainhead and lake ridge. It has provided me with a lot of information. Quote
The Bream Reaper Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 I 2nd (or 3rd) that. As someone who rents a jon boat and has no electronics on board, the topo map is critical for me. I always have it in my bag when I go out on the rez. A lot of key bottom features and depth changes can help guide you...especially when it's August. Quote
marvinlee718 Posted September 4, 2015 Posted September 4, 2015 Went ahead and bought the map. Any really important things I need to know about it? Quote
quanjig Posted September 4, 2015 Posted September 4, 2015 Like I've said many times before, anything that's been "named" is worth a good going over!! Look at areas that have "stumps" and keep an eye on abrupt depth changes!! Quote
mudkart Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 Caught a bunch of these today. Best six were probably ~ 9 #'s. Like Jon sez: finding the larger fish is the hard part. Almost all fish were caught at or near a "named" spot on the GMCO map. And no, it was not Ryan's. Bass were chasing shad, most hits were in 10-14 fow at a depth of 25-35 feet. That's a swim jig but I was not "swimming" it. Think ice fishing and spoons. I'll try and post a sonar pic of the fish and that might illustrate what I'm talking about. Lots of people out (many tx rigs), almost everyone was catching. Must be a tx this Sunday? One guy was close enough I could see a HDS Gen 3 on his bow. Mmmmm......$$$$$$. 1 Quote
Huntrava Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 Tried to fish the second bite today this afternoon. Was there until 5. Tried some new areas closer to the dam and was totally skunked. Had a hard time figuring out where the bass were. FF was either empty, or showed suspended fish dispersed between 10 - 20 feet. The Occoquan giveth and the Occoquan taketh away Quote
quanjig Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 Nice fish Mike!! The res is such a great place to fish but will humble you at the flip of a coin. I've got 30 years out there and believe me, you have to take every day as a learning experience! Good and bad!! The last 10 years I've concentrated on making good decisions, when to move, when to change baits, what mood are the fish in, weather, wind, season all play a role in making those good decisions. If you are new to the res, I would highly suggest you keep a fish log on catches and location as well as season. A small pocket calendar is sufficient. Just small notes will make a big difference!! Quote
marvinlee718 Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 To add on what Quan was saying, I would like to share this app I just discovered called fishidy. With your smartphone, when you catch a fish, you can hit a button that says "add catch". It lets you record where you are, the exact time, and even the temperature. It also allows you record weight, length, the bait you used, and any other things you want to add. Another good thing is you can share your catches with the public, only friends, or just keep it for yourself. You can mark any structure you find and will all appear on your map. I haven't used this app yet, but it seems like a great way to look back and see what you did last year and try to figure a pattern out. 1 Quote
JStevens Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 Hey Marvinlee, I just signed up yesterday for fishidy. It's a pretty interesting site, especially for free. You can upgrade to premium for added features but it starts costing $ at that point. I wish there were more local catches posted. Quote
quanjig Posted September 8, 2015 Posted September 8, 2015 Tournament yesterday was tough for the first part of the day but opened up as the day progressed. With the water having dropped a few feet and high pressure settling in. It was all about getting the fish you could locate, fired up!! We had an hour in the middle of the day that was spectacular! We caught 15 keepers in an hour from 11:00-12:00, including the big fish for the tournament at 6.15 lbs! We finished in 3rd with 23.09lbs. If you could get the suspended fish fired up and chewing, you could catch several in a short amount of time. We had several other fish hooked up that felt big but came unbuttoned. Could have been a record setting day but that's fishing!! Quote
tim3716 Posted September 8, 2015 Posted September 8, 2015 So what baits do you guys usually use to fish in 25ft deep water? Quote
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