Shenandoah River (Egypt Bend)

[Nitrofreak]

Spent my growing up years fishing NOVA, Barcroft, Lake Manassas, Lake Jackson and surrounding streams, after my parents moved us from Manassas Park to Luray the Shenandoah River, surrounding public ponds and lakes as well as farm ponds when I could get permission.

 

This place (Egypt Bend) is where I really dug in and spent a lot of my time and still do, in fact I went out this past Wednesday to work on my cold water stuff, I specifically targeted my drop shot work along with some jig presentations but I only took those three setups out of the rod locker.

 

For those who are not familiar with the stretch of river it’s about a mile or so long, at its widest point it is maybe a little more than 100 yards and roughly has an average depth of 10’, it has hidden treasure spots of timber and rock, home to several species of fish like catfish, pike, pan fish, carp, small mouth and largemouth bass.

 

Water temps were 36-38, clarity was roughly 3 feet, I focused on the deeper sections near the dam which is more or less a trench with some deeper pockets of around 18’, I started with some skirted jig presentations which if I had to confess is my #1 confidence bait, I struggled to get anything going for about an hour, picked up my drop shot and struggled some more until I could figure out what they wanted which happened to be a Missile baits Bomb Shot, I went with the mindset of not catching anything since I have always struggled when the water was below 50 degrees but my perseverance and a crap ton of patience paid off, I ended up with three on the day, all LMB, which in turn gives me a whole lot of confidence in being able to accomplish a goal, I am happy with that although looking back on the day I think I probably had at least two more bites that I had not recognized but all in all couldn’t be happier with the days events and the results.

[Jigfishn10]

Awesome Nitro. So glad to hear you got out and enjoyed the day. Your patience was well rewarded. ?

[Choporoz]

Thanks for the report,  Nitro!  I plan to get there this spring with the kayak.  I have been looking for Shenandoah stretches where I don't need to do a float.  Egypt Bend and Riverton seem to be the best bets.  I am happy to see your posts lately.  Hope all is well with you and your family. 

[CountryboyinDC]

I've fished that section, putting in at White House.  Being a river rat, it isn't my favorite part (if you're in a canoe, there's a lot of paddling).  It does offer the opportunity to put in at Massanutten and not do a float, which is good for folks like @Choporoz.  If you do put in at White House, make sure you fish that first mile or so stretch thoroughly, it was pretty good to me.  I've been using that Bombshot in 'Fishalicious' and have a few smaller fish off it in about 3' visibility water too.  Good report OP!

[Nitrofreak]

Thank you @Jigfishn10 that means a lot... I somehow expected a little more from you of a manner in which we best communicate, don’t be afraid to exercise that joking demeanor we share with one another in the future my friend.

 

@Choporoz in the spring the wind and current there can be a good bit on the strong side of things so if you plan a trip there keep an eye on the weather patterns, I still fish it a lot so I will keep adding to this thread for those interested in fishing this stretch of the Shenandoah River, if your going to fish artificial baits, small square bills, spinner baits, jigs, floating worms are best on the current breaks, live bait I would suggest just one, hellgrammites, fish those around the rock ledges and overhanging trees in the upper section of the river.

 

The family is well my friend and thank you for asking, I hope all is well with you and yours also !!

 

@CountryboyinDC yes, there is a boat ramp there on the Bend, it is a little steep so do be careful if you put in there in the warmer days and months it does get quite busy, I would suggest being there pretty early on those days and for those who fish there with yaks and canoes be cautious that we have idiots with big boats there also ?

 

If you want a shot at some bigger bass on that stretch your going to have to fish the deeper grass sections although there are times when you can get a good sized bass up river.

 

If any of you are there and you see a black and silver ProCraft don’t be shy, come and say howdy !!

Sorry, all I have is this IPhone, I need to work on posting pictures so that they are right side up guys, I will work on that.

[Jigfishn10]

I would love to @Nitrofreak but as you well know I’ve had to make some adjustments. 
Best to save that for our other form of communication...

?

[Nitrofreak]

Affirmative !

[Jigfishn10]

Alright just this once:

”By the way. Did you make any decisions on going out fishing today? I know last night you were in the fence? Well if you do - I HOPE YOU STRIKE OUT!.”

 

?

 

Good luck my friend

[Nitrofreak]

1 minute ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Alright just this once:

”By the way. Did you make any decisions on going out fishing today? I know last night you were in the fence? Well if you do - I HOPE YOU STRIKE OUT!.”

 

?

 

Good luck my friend

That would be a no and just as I present my lures to my favorite areas I am going to tell you the same thing I tell the fish... bite me ??

[Nitrofreak]

Headed to the river this Saturday to do some fishing and check over the craft for our Chickahominy River in two weeks, I’m not much on being on the waterways when there is a holiday involved but at least the boat will get a good workout and that’s the whole goal.

 

Anyone else going to Egypt Bend Saturday? If so, I have a black and silver ProCraft feel free to say howdy and I’ll howdy back !!

[Brad Reams]

8 hours ago, Nitrofreak said:

Headed to the river this Saturday to do some fishing and check over the craft for our Chickahominy River in two weeks, I’m not much on being on the waterways when there is a holiday involved but at least the boat will get a good workout and that’s the whole goal.

 

Anyone else going to Egypt Bend Saturday? If so, I have a black and silver ProCraft feel free to say howdy and I’ll howdy back !!

Fished Egypt Bend a few times, thought the fishing was always good to decent.

We'd drive from Winchester to fish Egypt, any day over Riverton.  

ought to be some musky in that stretch too I'd think.  

tight lines  

[Bird]

Live 15 minutes from Egypt bends but can't say I love it. Lol 

Gets pressure and lots of 1 eyed bass from hook sets. 

No large  lakes in the proximity so they drop in Egypt bends.

Big catfish and 5lb bass can be had though. 

[Nitrofreak]

14 hours ago, Brad Reams said:

Fished Egypt Bend a few times, thought the fishing was always good to decent.

We'd drive from Winchester to fish Egypt, any day over Riverton.  

ought to be some musky in that stretch too I'd think.  

tight lines  

There are Musky in there, I have never caught one myself but I have seen some big ones cruising the shallows near the top of that area.

 

The fishing is like you say good to decent but this is where I cut my teeth on a lot of different techniques, a lot of different water conditions and scenarios like how to fish different currents and so on, this place is special to me and I think it always will be.

 

I thought Riverton was like one of the best small mouth stretches of the Shenandoah River, is it not anymore?

 

Thanks for the well wishes Brad, right back at ya !!

[Nitrofreak]

9 hours ago, Bird said:

Live 15 minutes from Egypt bends but can't say I love it. Lol 

Gets pressure and lots of 1 eyed bass from hook sets. 

No large  lakes in the proximity so they drop in Egypt bends.

Big catfish and 5lb bass can be had though. 

Yes there are some good ones in the river for sure, I had just posted to Brad about cutting my teeth on this river, this stretch in particular, since I was 15 years old, long, long time ago, anyway, Egypt Bend for all of its flaws and quirks and pressure is to me an excellent training ground for lots and lots of situations, “pressure“ or angling pressure being one of those in which can build confidence in an individual as you learn to fish behind as well as around others.

 

I am the opposite, I love the place myself, some of the boaters there, meh, not so much but I too am from that area so I understand and will always be a part of me ??

 

Would you by chance have a report on current conditions since last nights rains passed through?

 

Appreciate the reply Bird, good to hear from you all !!!

[Bird]

2 hours ago, Nitrofreak said:

Yes there are some good ones in the river for sure, I had just posted to Brad about cutting my teeth on this river, this stretch in particular, since I was 15 years old, long, long time ago, anyway, Egypt Bend for all of its flaws and quirks and pressure is to me an excellent training ground for lots and lots of situations, “pressure“ or angling pressure being one of those in which can build confidence in an individual as you learn to fish behind as well as around others.

 

I am the opposite, I love the place myself, some of the boaters there, meh, not so much but I too am from that area so I understand and will always be a part of me ??

 

Would you by chance have a report on current conditions since last nights rains passed through?

 

Appreciate the reply Bird, good to hear from you all !!!

South fork is in great shape and beautiful weather this weekend. Kayakers will be out in groves......4th.

[Nitrofreak]

11 hours ago, Bird said:

South fork is in great shape and beautiful weather this weekend. Kayakers will be out in groves......4th.

Thank you very kindly for that, I’ll be on the trolling motor 99% of the day so the yak’ers have no need to fear me ??

 

Really appreciate the replies guys, hope you guys have a fantastic weekend, a safe and enjoyable Independence Day !!

[Nitrofreak]

Just got back from the river, did some work with the Tokyo Rig (never used one before) I have some confidence with it so I’m going to put it in the rotation at the Chick and see how it goes, I also just got some Hi-Vis line for my dropshot from PowerPro and wanted to see the difference it made, the boat did have an issue but I believe it was a self inflicted event due to the negligence of its owner, the trolling motor quit on us because I forgot to plug the charger in and ran the batteries down to nothing...?

 

There was one thing I had happen to me today that has NEVER EVER happened there, I GOT CHECKED ?????

 

All was good, no tickets, the river was a lot of fun today, my buddy and I caught 15 total bass and 3 or 4 of those pesky gilled bait snatching thingamabobs, all the bass were small ones though, the biggest one on the day might have gone a pound, I know WOOOHHHOOOO RIGHT !!

 

Another weird event happened to us today, oddly enough, everyone on the water was as courteous as could be, coolest thing ever !!

 

Baits used were Berkley Bottom hoppers on the dropshot in Ike’s Magic and Morning Dawn colors, on the Tokyo Rig was Strike King Rage Craw in Green Pumpkin Purple/Gold.

 

Water surface temps were 74-77, visibility was somewhere near the 2-1/2’ range, the winds on the other hand were making it difficult at times but all in all still a fantastic day on the water, hope to see y’all at some point in time over there soon and thanks for reading !!

[Brad Reams]

On 7/3/2021 at 7:45 PM, Nitrofreak said:

There was one thing I had happen to me today that has NEVER EVER happened there, I GOT CHECKED ?????

 

Oddly Egypt is one of the few places that I've EVER been checked. 

AND.. that time they didn't check my license just looked for boating requirement tickets. 

 

nice report, brings back memories, there my favorite bait used to be Yamamoto Hula Grubs.   

[Nitrofreak]

1 hour ago, Brad Reams said:

Oddly Egypt is one of the few places that I've EVER been checked. 

AND.. that time they didn't check my license just looked for boating requirement tickets. 

 

nice report, brings back memories, there my favorite bait used to be Yamamoto Hula Grubs.   

I’ll be 60 in March, I started fishing there “seriously” at 15 but I actually started fishing the banks there at 13, first time for everything I guess ??

 

Ahh yes, the ol’ skirted grub, one of my fav’s too, especially in Salt and Pepper or in that translucent pearl color but I believe that was Berkley or Zoom that may have had that color.

 

Do me a favor and pass along a date if your ever thinking about coming back over, if I am free I will hit the water with ya, shucks, if I have an open seat you can fish from the boat if you would like, it’s not eye candy but it does it’s job pretty well ??

[TOXIC]

I spent a lot of time in this area of the river both in a 2 man pvc boat and wading.  Many weekends camping on the bank.  A lady I knew owned 3 acres of riverfront and once in the river we went a few miles upstream and downstream both by boat and wading.  
 

[Nitrofreak]

2 hours ago, TOXIC said:

I spent a lot of time in this area of the river both in a 2 man pvc boat and wading.  Many weekends camping on the bank.  A lady I knew owned 3 acres of riverfront and once in the river we went a few miles upstream and downstream both by boat and wading.  
 

That is a little further down the road from Egypt Bend, awesome Small Mouth and Musky water or used to be, I have not fished that area for quite some time now but down around Compton also used to be really great as well for some nice smallie fishing which was just down the road a piece from where you had stayed.

[TOXIC]

14 hours ago, Nitrofreak said:

That is a little further down the road from Egypt Bend, awesome Small Mouth and Musky water or used to be, I have not fished that area for quite some time now but down around Compton also used to be really great as well for some nice smallie fishing which was just down the road a piece from where you had stayed.

Compton rapids were a stopping point for me.  The stretch of river I fished easily turned out 75 fish days either spinning or fly fishing.  Lots of tubers and canoeing since it is in the stretch the outfitters like to drop people off.  Fishing went down when the price of fertilizer dropped and all of the poultry farms started dumping chicken litter into the river.  Hopefully they have stopped and the river has rebounded.