Any Va Members Fish Lately?

[osbornj2]

I went out with Peyton yesterday to Smith Mountain Lake...the day started a little cool, but sunny, and it quickly warmed up. The water temps were in the mid-60's, even though we had a LOT of rain over the wkend. The water was still stained (we were at the mouth of Gills Creek), but there wasn't a lot of debris floating around thankfully.

We managed to catch probably a dozen fish or so, mostly on cranks and one on a spinnerbait. However, we did catch several small stripers, incl my very first one on the Alabama rig!

All of the bass came in shallow water, on rock, with the exception of the spinnerbait bass, which was off a laydown in about 12-15 of water. The stripers came in open water, off one side of a point. Peyton caught his on a small crankbait (Bluegill pattern by LiveTarget), and as I mentioned my two were on the 'bama rig (blue pearl swimming Flukes...and I dyed 3 of the paddletails in Chartreuse)

[endless]

Wow Osbornj2. That LM is a fatty. Congrats on your day!

[osbornj2]

Endless - tks for the kind words! That's one of the reasons I love fishing this time of year...you get lots o' fatties

[Nitrofreak]

Yep this lake is a residential lake that I fish. I caught the one in my avatar a 5lb on wacky off a point, a 6.4lb on a buzzbait, and 3.8lb on a crank. Those three are the best I've done there so far. The banks are covered in beaver,fallen branches practically around the whole lake. The deeper side of the lake drops like 10' off bank to 14' and 18' in spots. Usually and lately I've been cranking there. It's the only thing that's been working but I have wacky the banks when I can get pass the fallen branches. Too many times I got hung up. I also buzzbait the shallow areas and dark coves. That's how I landed the 6.4 in a shadow cove near a fallen branch. Maybe in 5'-6' of water on the buzzbait. I also lost a monster in the shallows fishing over an fallen tree with me Rapala Skitterwalk.

I more glad I got setup back than injured lol.

The set up is not as important as your health but I am glad to hear you got it back anyway.

Have you tried spinners in and around those beaver hutts and wood? try it like I suggested, just like your fishing a jig, make sure its got some reds and browns in it too, don't be afraid to let it sit on the wood, give it a few seconds to rest there then raise it up and let it fall again, I like a 3/8oz, 3 willow bladded hawg caller for doing this, it gives the fall some really great action.

Also don't be afraid to make it bump off of things, the more you make it change direction the more reaction you will get.

[Nitrofreak]

Osbornj2,

Really nice job, congrats on your first A-rig fish, hey thanx for the pics by the way !!!

One of these days I hope to get down there and fish SML, the water looks to be in much better condition than at Anna right now lol.

[endless]

I tried a colorado spinner and lost it doing this trying to jig it. I have tried 3/8 hot tip Chartreuse and shimmer blue with no luck still. I even went bigger to a 1/2 Blue Herring with nothing either. Lately wacky worm doesn't even work, just my Bandit! lol.

[endless]

I went out for 2 hours yesterday around noon till 2 and I only landed one bass on a Bandit200 bluegill. I think I must disturbed something in the lilies but it might been a beaver. I heard a big splash and saw this ripple taking off.

[Sam]

I hit local lake by my house for 15 minutes before a thunderstorm chased me away this past Saturday evening and caught one crappie on a Rat-L-Trap.

Once the lightning started to get close I hauled my fanny out of there.

Remember, lightning can strike for up to 5 miles from the storm so don't take any chances.

[hokiebass804]

been fishing a decent amount recently... fished a club tournament two weeks ago on claytor lake... two days of prefishing included a 4.5 lb smallie, a 3.5 largemouth and a number of fish in the 2.5 lb class range. come tournament day it rained all day and the water muddied up.. was throwing hair jigs mainly and this obviously was not the conditions for them... only caught two small keepers during the tournament... a very bad day. Floated the new river yesterday from peppers ferry to whitethorne. Water was really clear for this time of year, it is usually alot more murky ( in my opinion making for alot better fishing) Only caught 5 smallmouth all day with the biggest only going around 14 inches. For a river known to produce 50 fish days and 6 lbers, it didnt live up to its billing that day. My buddy who i floated with went back to where we launched from today and cast a ripple shad into the rapids above it and caught two really nice smallies ( 17-18 inches) just from the bank... funny how one day can change the fishing so much in both the aforementioned cases.

[osbornj2]

Hokie - sounds like you had a decent day. In fact, you were fishing MY favorite stretch of the New!! I can't believe you were able to launch at Pepper's Ferry....how is the bridge work coming along? Is it now re-open to the public?

[hokiebass804]

We parked above the cones, talked to a police officer who said it was fine in his eyes..we just carried the canoe down to the water and left the car up at the top.. easy way to get around that problem lol

[outdoorsman110]

Going out with my girlfriend this weekend, gonna rig up the fishing kayaks. We are gonna try the city docks area around the Rappahanock.

[outdoorsman110]

I hit local lake by my house for 15 minutes before a thunderstorm chased me away this past Saturday evening and caught one crappie on a Rat-L-Trap.

Once the lightning started to get close I hauled my fanny out of there.

Remember, lightning can strike for up to 5 miles from the storm so don't take any chances.

smart man right there.

I'm too stupid to stop fishing, I was out on the Potomac during hurricane Irene hauling in bass left and right in my kayak. I fish rainstorms whenever they pop up. I even have a couple rods with electric tape grips. I've had a couple close calls, but that electric tape on my rod saved me.

[SteveinVA]

smart man right there.

I'm too stupid to stop fishing, I was out on the Potomac during hurricane Irene hauling in bass left and right in my kayak. I fish rainstorms whenever they pop up. I even have a couple rods with electric tape grips. I've had a couple close calls, but that electric tape on my rod saved me.

electric taped grips, thats genius. I Always heard hats made of aluminum foil were the best!!

All joking aside, there is no way electric taped handles are gonna keep you from getting struck by lightning.

[outdoorsman110]

electric taped grips, thats genius. I Always heard hats made of aluminum foil were the best!!

All joking aside, there is no way electric taped handles are gonna keep you from getting struck by lightning.

oh I know, but it comforts me. Hahaha!!!

[SteveinVA]

Going out with my girlfriend this weekend, gonna rig up the fishing kayaks. We are gonna try the city docks area around the Rappahanock.

If I were you I would put in at little falls, or if you're willing to drive a little farther down route 3, hopyard landing. Went out at the city docks 2 weeks ago, lots of shore fishing going on, we caught one bass and about ten pounds of fishing line.

[outdoorsman110]

If I were you I would put in at little falls, or if you're willing to drive a little farther down route 3, hopyard landing. Went out at the city docks 2 weeks ago, lots of shore fishing going on, we caught one bass and about ten pounds of fishing line.

that's what we will probably do, hopyard landing.

[outdoorsman110]

Those catfishermen can be jerks.

[SteveinVA]

They were all right, just got to go across the river to go up or down from the launch. Could of swore atleast 300 yards up or down from the launch was full up with fishing lines

[bigbasshunter]

Got out on occoquan today. Fish down there are killing spinner baits. Boated close to 20 keepers, lost something real big maybe a cat or snakehead. Hopefully the reservoir will be like this tomorrow.

[endless]

I went to caroline pines today from 6:30-10:30. The water temp was 55 to 58 when I left. I manage 5 on a Bandit 300 Tennessee shad. Nothing bigger than a pound. I also landed a 5lb on wacky.My bow mount trolling broke on me so I got off the water and went home.

[Zoff]

Went up to SML yesterday. Blackwater area was a it murky... 3-4 ft vis. Decided to head over to the Dam. Water went from green to blue in the deep. Looked nice. Went into some coves... there were literally hundreds of LM bass schooling. None would bite. Did snag a few smallies with a Chartreuse Black Back. It was just amazing all the bass in these coves. The visibility was about 15 feet, too. WOW!

[Aluma-Bass]

We were also out at SML yesterday fished around Lucky island caught couple decent bass on drop-shot...all around the smaller island we seen large females both smallie and large staging looking for nest spots as they would just circle a 6ft radius, but have not made beds yet from what i could tell. They would not bite either we stayed for a while trying to get one to bite...no interest! We went to dam area water was a clear blue and could easily see 15ft down if not more in some spots, amazing! Then we went back to some back coves near rt 122...nice day on the water...wind picked up on main lake pretty good. We ended up with handful of bass...nothing picture worthy. Didn't get to hang no smallies or stripers. Just awesome to be out on this lake was best part!

[Zoff]

Aluma... we wore out those bass Fri and Sat at Lucky. Put them all back so they probably were a little shy. Did you see all the females schooling near the dam. We found spots were there were hundreds with lockjaw! lol

[Aluma-Bass]

Zoff, no didn't see the schools of bass i was just mainly cruising the dam area. It was my brothers 1st time out on the lake and i wanted to show him dam side bf we headed back in. He was amazed as we just looked down into water at a idle speed as we coasted along the main lake banks near dam. He could not believe how deep/clear it was! We did see some birds crashing the water near rt 122 but as soon as we got with in 100yrds of them the birds stopped. I can see how that lake could be hard to fish when the sun is straight up and water is calm bc its so clear.