Spotsylvania County

[keeganzpapa]

I have to admit to you that I enlarged the pic to 250% just to see the spinner baits you use that are below the fish. Hope you don't mind. Looks like a trip to Walmart for me.

[Wayne P.]

I rarely use those spinnerbaits and never at Hunting Run. Lures I use are tied on rods laying around on the deck.

A Chatterbait is the only horizontal lure I use there and that is only in March/April.

[keeganzpapa]

I read an article recently that pretty much nailed me but I can't locate it to refer to, however it described most people like me as bank beaters. We boat out no further than we can cast from the shore, and spend our time casting back to the shore, (bank beating) not realizing that we are only catching, if we are lucky, 1/10th of 1% of the bass, with the rest of the bass being behind us. We don't know how, nor do we have the tackle or technique to fish structure and cover such as  is located in Hunting Run Reservoir. I guess we do it because we know that at the bank, we know we are on the bottom, and as we reel back to the boat we pretty much stay along the bottom. How do you do it successfully  facing the other way, with the drastic depth changes and what tackle do you use? How do you get the lure down where the fish are without hanging up every time in tree tops and bottom cover and when do you know you are in the fish's face? In studying the sonar graphs on Navionics it appears all the cover is further out and much deeper than what I have been covering while bank beating.  What must I change and what technique would improve my luck?

[keeganzpapa]

I can see that I am destined to beat the bank. I spent 3 hours today trying to locate bottom cover as shown on Navionics by guesstimation from looking at contour map pics while in a canoe that sways back and forth and no sonar or locator equipment and became very frustrated, while trying to stay in one spot to stay overtop said cover without dropping an anchor in the slightest breeze. Giving up, moving to a lagoon and within 30 minutes beating the bank I had bass in the boat. So, until I can afford the equipment, I will have to be satisfied with that.

[Wayne P.]

 

16 hours ago, keeganzpapa said:

I can see that I am destined to beat the bank. I spent 3 hours today trying to locate bottom cover as shown on Navionics by guesstimation from looking at contour map pics while in a canoe that sways back and forth and no sonar or locator equipment and became very frustrated, while trying to stay in one spot to stay overtop said cover without dropping an anchor in the slightest breeze. Giving up, moving to a lagoon and within 30 minutes beating the bank I had bass in the boat. So, until I can afford the equipment, I will have to be satisfied with that.

I fished there yesterday and it was tough with all the shad schools and bass following them. Only caught 29 bass. When I first got on the water and checked some areas, the shad would come to the surface all around and under my boat so I figured it was going to the tough--they are about 3" long.

A couple of screen shots with the shad schools:

 

Later I caught a few bass that were with some of the schools. Here I was jigging a Ned rig to catch them:

 

 

[keeganzpapa]

Thanks for mentioning the rig you used. Those pics are awesome!

[Wayne P.]

I caught SOME of them with the Ned rig, some with my avatar, and some with a Slider.

[keeganzpapa]

Wayne P. when I look at the sonic pics it shows the depth. It also shows the temp F. Is that the temp at that depth, or surface temp at the time the pic was made?  I never realized, if it is at the depth, that it would be that hot, for a lake as deep as this.  No wonder, if this is the case, that the fish move deep during the summer.

[Wayne P.]

1 hour ago, keeganzpapa said:

Wayne P. when I look at the sonic pics it shows the depth. It also shows the temp F. Is that the temp at that depth, or surface temp at the time the pic was made?  I never realized, if it is at the depth, that it would be that hot, for a lake as deep as this.  No wonder, if this is the case, that the fish move deep during the summer.

The temp sensor is on the transducer and the transducer is attached to the bottom of the trolling motor. The temp is what the water is at that depth--about 1'.

The deepest they are by late summer is about 15'-20'

 

 

[keeganzpapa]

I am so glad I asked that question. My dad used to say the fish are out in the middle on the bottom because of the heat. In fact most said that. To have you verify otherwise makes a difference which should help change how I fish and maybe change my luck, as I would have started bottom fishing the deep knowing what I saw on your pics. Thanks.  

[Wayne P.]

Not all waters stratify and have a thermocline. River system lakes with high flow do not.

Do a site search for THERMOCLINE. It has been discussed several times here.

Do a web search for THERMOCLINE so you understand what it is.

I use it to determine a pattern when it forms. Makes finding and catching a lot easier.

 

 

[Choporoz]

Got back to Hunting Run for first time this year on Sunday.  I'd always rented their boats in the past, but this time, my wife and I were in kayaks.  I have a sonar; wife does not.  While she often out-fishes me, she was skunked, while I had one of my better days there.  Thanks, @Wayne P. for all your help over the years -- I have learned a lot and applied a lot of it this weekend.  I even found a brush pile with my electronics

    The larger fish were a pretty even split: ned rig and cranking.  I never had much luck with hard baits at HR in the past, but the water was calm and it was very easy to find the feeding frenzies -- casting a crank past and through the boils was a blast. 

  The ned fish were much more boring, but fairly reliable.  All those over 2# were at or near the bottom in 11-16 feet of water.  Not one fish from either of us outside those two conditions, however; plastic on the bottom in about 15', or cranking through boils

[EddieT0628]

Looking to reopen this thread. I saw Wayne P. provided some pictures of brush pile locations I believe, but when I click on the link the photobucket URL does not work. 

 

Anyone care to help a young gun find some underwater cover? I only have two spots at Hunting Run and its hit or miss. I've got the Navionics map with the contour lines so I plan to fish some points, but locating some structure is what I'm reallly after.

 

Thanks in advance. 

[gbassman519]

i would like to see  pics myself, i have contour map that shows where they are but not a good depth finder, just one that hangs off side of jon boat. i have caught a few 4 and 5  pounders  from hunting run and 1  - 7 1/2 lb bass.

[BeardedBassCaster]

Anyone fish Hunting Run this past week? Wondering how the temple drop has effected things. I'll be there tomorrow (9/20/20) for the first time. Lake looks beautiful, can't wait to get out there. 

[gbassman519]

good luck.