By Capt. Steve Chaconas
For the first time this season, the water temperature is below 45 degrees. This changes the presentation of lures and location of fish.
Cold water will position fish on drops and slow the food chain. Use electronics to find the warmest water and to find baitfish near fishing locations. Cold week ahead. Daytime highs only in the mid 40s and overnight lows in the mid to upper 20s. A dry week with mostly sunny skies.
The best spots are out of the current areas with steep drops. Silver Buddy lures are the first choice to cover water and to work baits down drops. Silver with sun and clearer water, gold with clouds and stained water. Cast to shallows on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon and allow to drop to the bottom. Gently make short burps and allow to drop on semi slack line. Work and stop down drops.
Punisher hair jigs soaked in garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray should be fished slowly on 6-8 pound test Edge on Quantum EXO spinning reels. Barely lift or slowly drag and stop. Shake and let sit. Watch line for pick-ups, hook sets are more a reel and pull. Mizmo tubes with insert heads should also be worked fished the same way. With the same tackle another winter staple is a 3-inch avocado Mann’s Stingray grub on 1/4-ounce ball head jigs. This rig is fished with a lift, glide and stop presentation.
In the heat of the day in warmed areas with clearer water, Lucky Craft Bevy Shads on 10-pound Edge cranked and paused. It can be twitched and pulled as well. Warm water outflows are good areas.
Capt. Steve Chaconas is a guide on the Potomac River. info@nationalbass.com
Chickahominy Lake
Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that mid-day water temperatures were in the low 40’s in the main lake on Wednesday (1/13/2016). The lake level was a few inches above top of the dam. The water was medium brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the central lower lake, with more murky water in some areas.
Fishing had generally slowed due to the recent cold fronts, but some fish were active in the upper part of the lake. Blue cats and a few bullheads were in channels and winter holes and were hitting live minnows and cut bait. Moderate numbers of crappie were in loose schools in the main lake on deeper flats, along channel edges, and in channels, usually at depths of 7 to 18 feet, sometimes suspended, and frequently in the neighborhood of wood cover. Active crappie were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. curlytail jigs, small tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, small swim baits, jigging spoons, and blade baits. Some small to medium yellow perch were scattered on deeper flats and in channels and were hitting live minnows, small jerk baits, spoons, and small jigs. Most bluegills and shellcrackers had moved to the deep edges of hydrilla flats, to mid-depth wood cover, or into channels and when active were hitting live crickets and worms, small blade baits, tubes, and jigs. Most bass and pickerel were on deeper flats and in channels in the main lake and were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits, jerk baits, and jigs.
Blackwater and Nottoway Rivers
Contributed by River keeper Jeff Turner. “Spirit of Moonpie and I spent the 6th through the 8th on the Nottoway below Round Gut. The water was high at 11 ft. on the Sebrell USGS gauge, fast and 39 degrees. Air temps ranged from 38 to 50 degrees. The fishing on this trip was poor to say the least. I did not try casting as the water was just too messed up. So I tried mostly for yellow perch and only caught 3. I also caught 3 speckles, a blackfish and a 20-pound carp that was a lot of fun. All were caught on a vertically jigged blade bait.”
Middle James
Contributed by local angler Doug Reynolds. The fishing has been pretty good on the upper James with a number of citations being caught over the past couple of months. The middle James water flow has been so high it’s pretty much kept us off the middle river. A lot of fishermen have chosen to move to the upper river, preferring the more manageable flow levels. Spinnerbaits and spinner jigs have been some of the most productive lures. Now that the river temperature has dropped below 45 degrees, the smallmouth will start moving into their winter holes. Look for the deeper holes with smaller amounts of current. Drop-shotting these fish can be very productive along with slow fishing jigs and plastics. Look in the deeper holes in front of dams or large rock ledges to find the smallmouth suspended off the bottom. Patience is a virtue this time of year, and with a little luck, your patience will be rewarded.
James at Lynchburg
Tom Reisdorf at Angler’s Lane says that the James in his area has been too high to fish. The rainbow and brown steams in the Jackson area are seasonably high, clear, slow and in the 40s. Try a Kreelex Streamer, size 4. The mountain brookie streams are high, but fishable. The little guys are biting. Try nymphs. The water is clear and in the 40s.
New River
Shawn Hash at Tangent Outfitters says the smallmouth bite is good on crankbaits. The muskie are hitting tubes. Shawn said they had recently landed a big muskie on a bass sized crankbait. The water is high green, 42 degrees and at a good level.
Upper New River
Contributed by Captain Forest Pressnell, (540) 818-5274. Muskie fishing is very good right now and will remain that way until they spawn late March/early April then will pick up again in late April. Our walleye fishing will be starting up in mid February for the big pre spawn females and remain excellent through March. The forecast for smallmouth in 2016 is excellent, with several years of excellent spawns the river is loaded with smallies and thanks to the slot limit being increased to 22 inches, the shots at true giant 20-inch-plus fish is getting even better!
Top New River
Contributed by local guide Richie Hughes, owner of New River Trips LLC., newrivertrips@gmail.com. The Top New River (Mouth of Wilson to Fries) and incoming creeks are flowing at double the average amount due to all the rain we have had the last 3 months. The trout creeks have little or no ice so far, but that could change with the polar blast coming in this week.
North/South Forks Shenandoah River
According to Harry Murray, fishing in both the North and South forks of the Shenandoah is quite slow. The levels are good, as is the clarity. The temperature is 42 degrees.. The stocked and delayed harvest streams in the Valley are good places to fish, especially in deep pools and below the riffles. The water is clear, at a good level and 48 degrees. The mountain brookie streams are too cold to fish.