Anyone Hit The Occoquan Reservoir Lately?

[Huntrava]

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!!

 

Do you have any strategies for working the suspended fish?  A couple weeks ago they were hugging the bottom, and that was easy.  When they're suspended (deep, like 15 feet) I haven't got a clue.

[rivafishn]

Nice fish mudkart!

 

I was out saturday and managed 8 fish for the day.  I was trying new areas and strategies.  I did ok until the wind kicked up and started blowing my kayak around.  Also, dodging the crew boats that were running between me and the shore was a little frustrating.  I did get one good 17", but that was it.  Still working on it.  

 

On a side note - how does everybody feel about swimmers in the rez?  I have seen more this year than before.  

[quanjig]

Most of the swimmers I've seen have been the "ooohhhh, I've fallen off my paddle board" variety!! If they allow those things, not sure how they can police the no swimming out there!

They usually go around a couple times a year to cut down the rope swings!

[Choporoz]

It bothers me because it's prohibited...however, I'm not entirely sure why its prohibited and I can't see it ever affecting me personally, so I talk myself out of being bothered most of the time.

[Huntrava]

 

On a side note - how does everybody feel about swimmers in the rez?  I have seen more this year than before.  

 

I saw what looked like a boy scout troop swimming next to a couple canoes.  Can't say it really bothers me, and I doubt it's enforced at all.  They were swimming for about half an hour right around the corner from Fountainhead.  It strikes me as the kind of thing a park might have to prohibit for liability reasons, not necessarily because anyone cares. 

 

That said, I wouldn't go swimming there.  Not because of any park rules, mind you.  Mostly because lake swimming--and the accompanying mud, smell, salt, and sunburns stopped being fun about 20 years ago. 

[mudkart]

Nice Jon.  Did you catch the 6?  You guys are having a good year, right?  IIRC, you won once, at least?

 

Re swimming....I have a difficult time condemning kids for doing something I, 100%, would have been doing myself @ that age.  Those rope swings would have been irresistible.

[quanjig]

Thanks Mike!

We've had a pretty good year. A first, a second, a third and a big fish!! That and the fact we've had 4 bags over 23lbs this year and possibly going over 200lbs for the year. We did have a couple poor showings in the spring but figured a few things out to help in the future!!

Yes , I did catch the 6! I'm sure you can figure out how!!

[rivafishn]

Thanks for the thoughts on swimming guys.  the individuals I have seen swimming this year were not the kids.  I have seen a couple from crew boats down on the south end and one couple with their dogs just outside of lake ridge this past weekend.  I have let them be, but was curious how others felt.  I just don't want it to continue getting worse and then we have some group that is trying to reduce the access to the rez.   

 

Sounds like you are having a really good year Quan, congrats!!  

[Huntrava]

Still producing.  Friday was a grand slam...had crappie, bass and cats all taking the same presentation....

 

For the record, this weekend was the first time I went overboard while fishing.  I was standing on my kayak--probably one of the most stable kayaks on the market--and tried to make a fancy cast to the rear.  As everyone knows, on a kayak you need to turn your entire body or you run the risk of going for a swim.  Once I realized I was going down, rather than capsize the kayak I simply bailed and jumped overboard.  Ah well, had to happen sometime.  Completely user error.  

 

 

[PGlaze]

Any tips on fall baits that work during this transition period? I've been really struggling recently... Also was curious if the fish will move up shallow Again any time soon, thanks!

[rivafishn]

Nice fish Huntrava!  

 

I got out for a little bit on saturday morning and was able to catch some.  Only had a few over 15", but I was fishing shallow for the most part.  I caught all of mine on moving baits, so they were definitely active.  I tried a couple of spots in deeper water, but got no hits at all with a variety of baits.  

 

PGlaze - I think they are going to move back up as the water cools to feed on shad and then will head back out for the winter.  I'm not sure how shallow they will get. 

[quanjig]

Got out yesterday and fished a variety of places. Caught a few deep, caught a few shallow. Only had 4 keepers and missed way too many quality fish!!

I did catch a couple hogs!! Both were close to 6!!

I'll try to add pics later!

Pay no attention to the bait in the first picture, nothing to see here, move along!!!

[Choporoz]

Q, we're you out Sat, by chance?

[rivafishn]

Nice job Quan!  On the hogs!

 

I did miss a couple of good ones on saturday, but such is life.  

[quanjig]

I was out Sunday.

[Choporoz]

Spoke briefly with a helpful fisherman Sat who improved my day significantly and I thought it might have been you. If I see him again, I will thank him. He told me he had success with spinnerbaits in flats. Sure enough, I put that info to work successfully and improved upon what had been a pretty slow day.

[quanjig]

These fish should really start to get up on the flats to actively feed. Look for any tiny piece of cover and go to work. I think if I had to do it over again, I would have spent more time looking shallow!!

Was it a dark blue mod v express that gave you the hint??

[Choporoz]

I blame the downpour, but I can't describe the boat well. If I had to guess, I think it was flat bottom with light hull....tiller, I believe

[quanjig]

Gotcha, one of my buddies is always playing the blade, flats deal this time of year!! If it's breezy, all that much better!!!

[mudkart]

d**n Jon, I've never had a multi-six year.  Great job.  Please say this was during a Tx?

 

Shaky head is almost a year-round bait for me out there. Andrew caught one a few weeks ago using that technique.

[quanjig]

No tournament, I didn't even get out there until around 10am!!

On a side note, should be interesting to see what happens with the weather the next few days!!

[The Bream Reaper]

yea I think with rain runoff and the lower temps the shad schools will be way back in there by the weekend.  I'm trynig to get out Sunday morning before the 1pm games start to see if I can chase some bait around.  I don't plan on going too far from FH either.  Quan, yall have a tourney this coming sunday?

[rivafishn]

The better fish I caught on saturday were with a spinnerbait on a shallow flat area.  The wind of course was up and it was cloudy, pretty perfect for it.  

 

I was hoping to get out and chase some more this weekend, but that wind and rain in my kayak would be tough.  We'll see what it looks like as it gets closer. 

 

Really nice fish Quan!  I need to work on fishing a shaky head more, i know so many people that have a ton of success with them. 

[quanjig]

Like mudkart said, it's become a bait I catch fish on year round out there!!  Riva, thanks, It's all about time out there.  Mike will tell you I have spent quite a good portion of time out there and once you figure a few things out, the easier it is to adjust to what the fish are doing!!

 

Bream, no more tournaments till our two day classic the 17&18 of October!!  Might do a couple big fish tournaments in November if you guys are interested!!

[mudkart]

My take, on the rez, find a laydown in, or close to, "deep" water = shaky head (or, whatever you like to pitch at wood targets, e.g. a brush hog).  I don't care what bait you use on a shaky head, as long as it is some type of straight tail or ribbed worm.  Be sneaky. Make long casts. If you spook the fish - no bites.  Fish will locate not only close to the trunk of a laydown, but in front of it, i.e. the small branches at the "top" of the tree that are submerged and you cannot see. If you pitch to the trunk first, you spook any fish that might be under the branches. If I have to generalize, "branches" in, e.g., 15 fow with a trunk leading to shore should always be targeted.

Points that lead into deep water are another great place to throw a shaky.  A shaky presentation will work much deeper than you might think (same for a split shot).  At times, none of these presentations work, that is the nature of the rez.  My take is then to use your sonar and try to find bass busting schools of shad (another topic, but Wayne lays most of it all out here http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/161576-finding-active-fish-with-electronics/).