Rapidan/Rappahanock

[cax1]

any1 fish either of these rivers? mainly the Rapidan from Culpepper to Fredericksburg and Rappahanock from Remington to Fredericksburg

or the James River in Scottsville?

[cax1]

Really no one on any of this water? Ive seen some many people avatars say Va under them i figured someone had to be in this area

[tboydva]

I can give you my 2c... I've fished these waters with inconsistent results (from unbelievable to underwhelming). The key to the stretches you mention is hitting the water high-enough, but not too high. Too high, and it's brown-out and (for me at least) hard to fish. Too low, and you'll be walking your canoe. I try every year to hit the stretch from Kelly's Ford down to the Rapp River Campground http://www.canoecamp.com/. The campground will let you park a vehicle (at least they have for us) with a fee and a ramp fee. It's all pretty reasonable cost-wise. They will ferry you too.

So, I've caught my biggest SMB on the Rapp (one 22" and a 21" pig). I also ran the Mott's landing run (10 miler) and caught one fish (high-high water).

What I (and friends) do each year is work some possible days in May on the calendar. Watch the weather and water gauge http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lwx&gage=renv2&rssDate=1271718900 and try to hit it around 3.5' at Remington. Above 4' and I've had pretty slow fishing. Below 3' and your walking.

For baits - I like senkos, tubes, swim grubs and Case helgramites/mad toms. If the water's not too high and brown, you can catch lots of fish.

Camping is abundant about 6-7 miles downstream from Kelly's Ford.

If you really get serious about tapping this pretty-magical resource, you can get the waterproof book here http://www.riverfriends.org/Default.aspx?tabid=125

[cax1]

i live withing 10-20 minutes from any of the mentioned points. I wade these river atleast twice a week on average an try to take a float trip every other week if not more. I spend 90% of my time on the Rapidan since it is much less pressured than the Rappahanock.

I prefer lower water i dont mind dragging a little an it makes the fish stack up in the deeper holes making them easier to find    normally around 1.6ft-1ft at the culpepper gauge for the Rapidan

As for you putting in at Motts Run and taking out in the downtown area. From about a mile up river of the 95bridge to about a mile below is excellent fishing

The point of me posting this thread was more to find other to fish with not so much gettin info on the rivers

[bigmike74]

A good trip to take is to put in at Kelly's Ford, which if you are familiar with the Remington are you know where it is, and get out down at Ely's which is located in Chancellor off of Rt. 3. This trip kind of a long one and is better suited for a two day adventure.

[bigmike74]

Please disregard what I said about Kelly's Ford. The place to put in at is the Germana Community College out on Rt. 3 east. You then float down about eight miles to Elys Ford, this is still a two day trip is you want to fish it properly. There are several islands to stop off at to make camp for the night. I have made this trip a couple of time and have caught lots of smallies.

[cax1]

That stretch has gotten consistantly better over the yrs since closing the ramp at Germana. Leaving your only option to haul up over the bridge and down the bank or if your lucky enough to know some1 with river prop in the neighborhood across the steet.

Me and two buddies are floating from the 522bridge down to Germana about 13miles  tmrw hoping it wont be a bad day even tho the river has come up about 6-8 inches in the last few days