Va Guys -- Are Bass In Fall Patterns Yet?

[fishva]

I haven't had a chance to fish for the last 4-5 weeks (life got nuts on me), but I'm heading down to Buggs Island this weekend for a 3 day fishing trip. My travel space is limited (sharing a ride with 2 other people + their stuff), so I need to pack light. Just wondering if the bass have transitioned into their post-summer habits yet with a couple weeks of cooler weather under our belts.

 

Thanks!

[Sam]

Water level is at 300 so it is normal.

Maybe the rains heading our way this week will get the pool up to 302, 303 or 304 which is which you want.

Surface water temperature is 75*.

Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and some plastics will probably work.

Don't forget the Carolina rig.

Lake is way too big to give you much information. Consider staying within 5 or 6 miles from the ramp unless you want to run around and pay the exorbitant gas prices.

Hit rocks, docks and any wood you can find plus the bushes if the water level is 302 or higher.

Watch the wind as the water can turn ugly in a New York second.

Have fun and PM me with the details of your Buggs Island adventure.

I am heading to Buggs on October 4th so any input from you will be greatly appreciated.

[fishva]

Thanks, Sam -- I really appreciate it.

 

We don't have a boat, but we'll be camping in a spot I've been to before. We have at least a few miles of bank we can walk / hike (sometimes through heavy woods depending on the water level, but you do do what you have to do). I'm hoping the bass have come up enough from their summer hideouts that we can find them easier. We'll see, though.

 

Either way, I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the tips.

[WdyCrankbait]

I did catch a couple yesterday on a squarebill.  I am not saying the fall pattern is there yet, watch the water temps.  But, with this cooler weather and shorter days, I am say it is getting very close.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

I don't know yet, I'll let you know what happens after today.  First weekend I have taken off in 7 months and it's too nice to not fish.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

We are starting to get there but it's not quite there...

[Nitrofreak]

Heading over to Anna for breast cancer awareness tournament on Sunday , not sure what to expect right now , I will try and put together a report , the reports that I read say they pretty much are in a fall pattern .

[Nitrofreak]

Well , I don't have much to report for Anna , talk about a goof up LOL !!

Water temps up lake are 67.3 to 68.9

Up lake waters are stained with visibility of about a foot and a half too two feet , Cold air temps to start the day , 37 , calm waters early , winds picked up throughout the day and gusted around 15 mph , a day after a front passing .

Water levels are down approx one foot so be mindful of shallow areas .

Unfortunately I Had no sonar to help aid in my post , going on the fly " I thought " it would be prime for spinners and buzz baits , WRONG !

Although I followed my visuals , ie , birds etc ... My daughter and I were on shad , we had em jumping all around us all day , I felt like we were in the right areas just really never got on a good bite , one mistake I did make was that the first fish I caught was under a dock , while I felt the bite would turn on after the sun warmed the areas we fished , I payed no attention to detail or what actually worked and investigated it further , that fish came on a small crank bait and only had one hook from the rear of the bait , a bite that told me to slow down , critical mistake , thus ending the day with only 3 fish with a 3.85 bag , of which my daughter caught 2 of LOL !!

Listen to your gut when you visit Anna , even though the signs said the bass appeared to be chasing shad , the bite was more predictable around and under docks with smaller , slower action baits .

[BassinCoalMiner]

I live in southwest virginia and been catching them on big rock and big laydowns on a weightless fluke. green pumpkin magic.

[Bassun]

Nitrofreak -- I had about the same results Saturday.  It was a lil chilly and the wind was howling.  I didn't find any baitfish until about noon, and then worked over them with no luck.  I picked up my best bass off a small grub thrown around some laydowns near the back of a cove - no where near any baitfish at the time.  I

 

I did see lots of fish on the graph around 10' deep, but they were not interested in anything I had to offer.  I hit em with Carolina Rigs, Deep Cranks, Grubs but not even a bump.  Admittedly though, there was a couple tournaments going on, and I wasnt fishing for money so I didn't run alot and really work hard to "find" fish.  I went where I wanted, and there was baitfish - so I think the bass were just turned off.  From what I understand, something like 8lbs won the tournament.  2 guys 8 hours... vs me fun fishing for about 5.

 

I did get to watch a small bass, maybe 12 inches, attack a small ball right beside the boat; but that was about the only time I saw any sign of fish feeding on the shad.  I also had a monster blow up about 20 yards behind the boat.  I never saw him, but I can only assume it was a big striper.

 

As for the bite -- IDK but the baitfish ARE definately starting to pile up in the coves so I can only assume the bite will be picking up mid-week, I think the cold front messed with em.  I was told that a group of hybrids pushed bait up on the bank and went into frenzy mode at the mouth of a cove, so that definitely bodes well for the pattern.  Too bad it wasn't where I was lol...

[VAHunter]

The fish are now in the fall stage in SE Virginia.  Find the bait and you find the bass just under them.

[Kyle46N]

They are up shallow on the Potomac.  I was on the flats in the mouth of the Ocaquan  two days ago, and saw many bass in 4 feet of water.  The water is crystal clear by the way....like an aquarium.   They were hunting bait fish in the pockets amongst the thick grass.   Couldn't get them to bite on anything but wacky wormed senko.   Weird.  Seeing how they were cruising, I thought they would be willing to it swimbatis, topwater, etc.   But they wanted a wacky worm....sloooooowwww.   Ended up with 7 around 2-3 lbs.  Stealth also seemed to be the name of the game with clear water...but I had a noisy 5 year old freaking out every time he saw a cruiser....then would bomb the water trying to hit the bass with the lure...lol. 

[Nitrofreak]

Nitrofreak -- I had about the same results Saturday. It was a lil chilly and the wind was howling. I didn't find any baitfish until about noon, and then worked over them with no luck. I picked up my best bass off a small grub thrown around some laydowns near the back of a cove - no where near any baitfish at the time. I

I did see lots of fish on the graph around 10' deep, but they were not interested in anything I had to offer. I hit em with Carolina Rigs, Deep Cranks, Grubs but not even a bump. Admittedly though, there was a couple tournaments going on, and I wasnt fishing for money so I didn't run alot and really work hard to "find" fish. I went where I wanted, and there was baitfish - so I think the bass were just turned off. From what I understand, something like 8lbs won the tournament. 2 guys 8 hours... vs me fun fishing for about 5.

I did get to watch a small bass, maybe 12 inches, attack a small ball right beside the boat; but that was about the only time I saw any sign of fish feeding on the shad. I also had a monster blow up about 20 yards behind the boat. I never saw him, but I can only assume it was a big striper.

As for the bite -- IDK but the baitfish ARE definately starting to pile up in the coves so I can only assume the bite will be picking up mid-week, I think the cold front messed with em. I was told that a group of hybrids pushed bait up on the bank and went into frenzy mode at the mouth of a cove, so that definitely bodes well for the pattern. Too bad it wasn't where I was lol...

Really glad to see yall made it through safely , it was really blowing at the house for sure as I had thought about being happy I wasn't on the water LOL !!

Nice job getting in 5 Bassun !!!

[Nitrofreak]

Just found out I have a lock for November 11th to fish the Veterans Day tournament over at Anna , I MAY have an empty seat , not 100 % sure yet but if anyone is interested let me know !!

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Definitely in Fall now.  I had a nice day last week catching them on dock posts in about 3 feet of water, all on a wacky rig.  Going out today and trying the same pattern.

[Kyle46N]

I'll add another report from today.  On a tributary in the Ocaquan area.   Kanes creek?  It's at the back of Belmont bay.  First time I've been there.   It's really shallow, with not much of a creek channel, but the fish are there and hungry.  Caught about 10 today, best five around 16 lbs.  Couple 4's, couple 3's.   Lost what I guessed to be a 10 lb snake head on a frog early.  He showed me up in the spatterdock.   Cane thumpers did the trick in dingy water, and wacky rigged senko's in the clear water above grass.   I think the bite would have been much better if I had got there before 9 am.  I wasted two hours fishing the flat at the mouth of the Ocoquan first thing.  So, the fish are shallow right now.   That's where I would look until we get a cold snap.  Water temps were 65 to 66 today.  Water is crystal clear in most of that area.  

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Definitely in Fall pattern now.  Getting lucky with my days off and they end up being beautiful.  I am killing it on the the wacky rig.

[everythingthatswims]

They are eating cranks and jerkbaits right now

[Bassun]

Went Tuesday -- Beautiful day, and the day before a big front.  Got out early hoping they would be in full tilt.  Found tons of bait back in a cove, and about a dozen striper fishermen casting for them.  Apparently they turned off the bass in the cove -- only caught a few dinks and they weren't feeding on the bait.

 

Fished around and only had decent luck until early afternoon, mostly dinks on a jerkbait.  Bite picked up a bit, but it was on a very finess presentation.  I lost my biggest fish of the day off a 1" grub.  (I was looking for crappy in a creek arm) that's when I discoved they wanted small and gentle.  Talked to a couple other guys who either did horribly powerfishing, and the other picked up on the finess bite and caught a few keepers.  All in all not the kind of day I was expecting.

 

And on a side note -- I was really put off by 3/4 of the striper guys running up to the back of the cove to toss for bait.  It's a small cove and they just plowed through it waking me to death.  A few were polite and eased up, but the bulk of them just hammered down.  At one point, I was about 2 feet off a rock ledge coaxing a lure out of a limb, and a dude roared by.  I mean seriously... have a little respect for other boaters.