Anyone Hit The Occoquan Reservoir Lately?

[quanjig]

We had another big fish tournament Sunday. 1st was 5.89 and 2nd was 4.45. A lot of guys struggled. I was able to put a few in the boat. Jig and jerkbait did the trick for me. All on main lake, just can't find them very well in creeks. The bait is very scattered but when you find them, you can usually catch a couple. Bigger trees that hang over deeper water seem to hold good fish, getting them to eat is the issue!!

[marvinlee718]

Any info on the bite lately? Are the bass out deep?

[quanjig]

They are so in between right now with all the rain we have had and the fluctuating temps. I would think with the heat moving in and post spawn wrapping up for the most part, they will be out deep very quickly!! There were a few guys that still found some spawners during the tournament this past Sunday!!!

[quanjig]

Any of you guys wanting to learn to fish deep during the summer on the res, now is the time!! Buddy caught one close to 8 and we have been steady whooping them deep on points and deeper breaks!! Go get you some!!!! DM for some advice!!

[Choporoz]

Thanks for the update!  I got my first couple deep ones finally...dragging shaky head real slow a few weeks ago.   Been too busy to get out much this summer.... lot of work on the house.   I have vowed to get my first deep crig hog from the rez this summer and still hope to see it happen.   I have spent a little time dragging smokin rooster with that rig, but aside from one good hit, no joy....yet

[RichF]

I think I might head there this saturday.  Unfortunately, I'll be renting a boat and don't have any electronics so it'll be difficult.  I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to try draggin the ball and chain around since I never do it.  Not catching is still better than not fishing!

[Choporoz]

Sounds like a plan.  I am scheduling the honey-dos for Saturday, since I think the weather will be better Sunday.   Going to be challenging without electronics, but the long smooth, favored deep points are easy to spot... there's always a boat on them

[RichF]

14 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Sounds like a plan.  I am scheduling the honey-dos for Saturday, since I think the weather will be better Sunday.   Going to be challenging without electronics, but the long smooth, favored deep points are easy to spot... there's always a boat on them

 

I think you're right. Supposed to rain Saturday I think.  Should be less busy, which I like. 

[bigbasshunter]

Tournament going out Sunday

[Choporoz]

Had good day out there today...up until around 1PM, when they pretty much shut down.  Jigs in shallow cover early, then I moved deeper.  Was a bit of a challenge because they were up off the bottom.  Had good luck pumping deep spinnerbaits.  The bass were suspended around 13 feet, but active.  Later in the morning, I found them on bottom with shaky head...anywhere from 8 to 18 feet.  Largest was just shy of 5.

[Ed Dunn]

I would love some advice fishing Occoquan.  Me and my buddy have been fishing Occoquan for over 15 years but never seem to pull in anything bigger than 4 pounds (on a good day) and we never get skunked.  We want to up our game.  We can catch 1-2lbers all day. 

 

Our weakness is fishing the deep water, mostly we hit the rocks walls and covered shorelines with carolina or texas rigs and do fairly well but in the summer it's hit or miss. 

 

Thanks

[quanjig]

5 hours ago, Ed Dunn said:

I would love some advice fishing Occoquan.  Me and my buddy have been fishing Occoquan for over 15 years but never seem to pull in anything bigger than 4 pounds (on a good day) and we never get skunked.  We want to up our game.  We can catch 1-2lbers all day. 

 

Our weakness is fishing the deep water, mostly we hit the rocks walls and covered shorelines with carolina or texas rigs and do fairly well but in the summer it's hit or miss. 

 

Thanks

PM sent

[quanjig]

We had an 8 pounder weighed in for yesterday's tournament!! 

[Choporoz]

Put the kayak in at BRM after work on Tuesday.  Exactly one good bite on a shakey head that got off.  Not so much as a dink in the boat.

I went out around 6PM and didn't come off until close to 10.  Sonar battery lasted all of about an hour....so that's my excuse for the day.  And the Monday cold front...and the nearly full moon....That battery had been charged, but I knew that one had been going downhill in recent weeks...just didn't think it'd croak quite so fast.  Well after dark, my headlamp battery died, as well.  Backlash from hell in nothing but moonlight was enough to convince me I was done.  Usually pretty hard to get me off the water if I haven't caught anything, but I'd have enough signs for one night.  Been a long time that I couldn't at least coax a few dinks around BRM....just the rez reminding me to appreciate each one that I do catch out there...tomorrow's another day!

[Choporoz]

Ventured out into the mud and logjams Saturday.  I've been on the reservoir after a lot of storms, but I don't think I've ever seen it quite this bad.  Went down out of Fountainhead.  Fished between there and Lake Ridge for most of the day.  Lots of debris early, but visibility was nearly 18 inches, which actually isn't terrible for there.  Fish were funny, probably because of the churn.  Got a half dozen or so, nothing over 3.5.  Shakey heads and jigs, mostly. 

    Probably around 1PM where I was at (second bend past Jacob's Rock), the crap came in pretty quick.   The mud thickened and the logjams got wider and longer.  Such that I couldn't even fish what had been a fairly exposed main point anymore.  Ran up from there, which wasn't the brightest idea.  By the time I got past Ryan's Dam, the visibility was such that I couldn't see my spinnerbait only 6 inches from surface at boatside.  Tried mudlines and any clearer spots I could find, but no joy.  Went back down again and with extreme patience, was able to land some jig fish.  Took a dozen casts to some wood....had to drop it on their heads, but they did hit hard when they found it.  Good learning day.

[Ed Dunn]

Any one have an available map with all the site names on it like they have up at the Fountain Head marina?  I'd love to have a copy on the boat with me.

 

Thanks

[Choporoz]

They used to sell them at the Fountainhead marina.  They may still. 

 

Here's where I got mine....also got tidal Potomac, Anna, SML, and others:

http://www.gmcomaps.com/product/occoquan-reservoir-pro-series/

[Ed Dunn]

Perfect!  Thank you

[RichF]

Went outta Fountainhead Sunday.  Man, it's tough fishing that place without a depthfinder.  Not to mention the fact that it's very much a southern type reservoir, which this northerner is just not used to.  I had the intention to practice dragging the bottom with a carolina rig...since it's a southern type reservoir and it's late summer.  It's something i just never do.  In fact, this might be the second time I've ever even rigged one up.  I stayed off the shore, dropping it in front of the boat to check depths.  I'm guessing I was fishing in 12 to 20ft most of the day.  Never got bit with that or a football jig.  Tried flipping the funky willow grass to no avail. Flipped wood...nada.  I finally got a 13 incher on a squarebill after I saw the little fella busting shad.  I kept seeing shad popping in the main channel and every now and again a bigger fish busting (not even sure those were bass).  I decided to finish the day counting down a swimbait and slow rolling it in.  Of course I only had 2 under 4 inches long with me.  I got a 2lb cat out in the main channel then got a 4 pound largie a little closer in to shore.  Fished from 645am to 4pm and that was it. 

[Choporoz]

No sonar...in summer ....on the rez even with some familiarity makes for a long day.

 

I took the yak out of BRM last night from 6-9.  One short fish....lots of misses...pretty sure most were bass...some bluegills, no doubt...but setting the hook and dragging water continually.   Strange thing was that I wasn't marking fish anywhere....not on drops, shallow, channels, brush, etc....strange night

[RichF]

15 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

No sonar...in summer ....on the rez even with some familiarity makes for a long day.

 

I took the yak out of BRM last night from 6-9.  One short fish....lots of misses...pretty sure most were bass...some bluegills, no doubt...but setting the hook and dragging water continually.   Strange thing was that I wasn't marking fish anywhere....not on drops, shallow, channels, brush, etc....strange night

 

Is it worth the extra $$ to go outta Bull Run?  It looks like there are more options up that way (creeks, etc).

[Choporoz]

For me, it depends on time of day as much as anything.  If I want to launch at 4AM....or stay out past sunset, then I go to BRM.  It can be a little easier to deal with wind up there, also.  Most of what I want to fish from my kayak around Fountainhead and Lake Ridge is pretty exposed.   As far as the fishing...it depends   I feel like I know the area between Lake Ridge and Fountainhead somewhat better than I know Bull Run and Occoquan River....but I can't say that the fishing is generally any better in any one area of the rez...from my limited experience

[quanjig]

You guys are killing me!! Went out Sunday and ran mostly community spots and caught 10 good fish with 2 over 5 lbs!! It is difficult to play in the summer deep without electronics for sure. If for no other reason that it will help you eliminate water more than anything!! If you are fishing where there are no fish, tough to catch them!! Not saying your graph will "see" every fish available but summertime out there usually means groups of fish feeding on the large schools of shad. The upper stretches of the reservoir can and will produce fish but in the summer there are more deep water opportunities down lake. If you like throwing to targets then the top end is great for sure!!

[RichF]

I probably saw you at some point lol.  Eventually, I'll get rigged properly to fish it a little better.  I wish I had my Tracker down here...although I don't even think I'd be able to launch it there.  I'm so not used to fishing the shad deal.  The lakes I grew up fishing don't have those stupid things:)  They're all natural lakes with tons of submergent vegetation.  The bass eat mainly bullhead, bluegill, crappie, and crayfish.  

 

I don't expect a whole lot puttering around in a rental boat and a trolling motor haha.  I should probably stop spending so much time going back to NY to fish and learn the water down here!

[quanjig]

I've got 25+ years on that body of water, it was bound to payoff and start to make sense at some point!!!