By Guide Chris Craft
November has come in unseasonably warm this year and the lake is 8-10 degrees above average. This means we have fish scattered throughout the water column. You can find fish from 2 feet all the way down to 20 feet. The baitfish is still mostly on the main lake and has not even begun to push into the backs of creeks.
BASS-I have found bass up lake on shallow boat docks, grass and rocks while still being on brush piles in the mid lake region. Small pods of schoolers are down lake. On bright sunny days, small creature baits pitched in the willow grass and boat docks will produce fish. You may have to cover a lot of water to catch a few fish, so do not get discouraged. If we have overcast skies, try spinnerbaits, flukes, lip-less crankbaits and top water baits around the grass and docks.
Start looking for cooler water by mid month with a few cold fronts predicted. This will fire up the fall feed in preparation for winter.
Mid lake and down lake, the fish have started to school in small pods. Look for them chasing bait, sometimes all day long. Just remember, they can be in an area one day and then seem to disappear the next. Smaller baits will produce more fish – baits like Super Fluke Jr’s, Pop-r’s & 1/4oz-lipless crankbaits.
STRIPERS- The linesides will start to make their move up into the rivers early this month. Look for them chasing shad and herring early and late in the day. A 4-inch paddle tail swim bait rigged on a ¼-oz. jig head is my bait of choice. Look for birds to give locations of the fish away. Be respectful of other anglers already fishing in an area, do not run all the way into them with the big engine, this will spook the fish and then you will be dealing with an angry angler. Once the heavy feed has ceased, locate them on your electronics and drop a Toothache Spoon down to them.
Towards the end of the month, you should be able to find them around the bridge in Terry’s Run, the S-Turns to Little Florida in Pamunkey and around the 522 Bridge to the mouth of Goldmine Creek over on the North Anna arm of the lake. They should stay put in these areas all the way through mid December or until the water cools down to below 40 degrees or so.
CRAPPIE- The Specks will still be located on bridge pilings, deep boat docks (12-20 feet) and rock piles early in the month. As the water temps drop into the upper 60’s, look for them to make a move to shallow feeding ( 3-8 feet) areas up lake. Try skipping a 2″ Curly Tail Grub on a 1/16-oz. jig head under boat docks in the upper North Anna arm, same with Pamunkey and Terry’s Run. Small minnows rigged on slip bobbers will also produce catches of the best eating fish in Lake Anna.
Current Conditions:
Lake Level- 4″ Low
Water Clarity
Up Lake- Stained
Mid Lake- Clear
Down Lake- Clear
Water Temps
Up Lake- 62-65
Mid Lake- 63-67
Down Lake- 66-70
Dike 3- 75