Virginia’s dove season is now underway, having opened on Saturday September 5, but many doves were unaware that their presence had been requested and were in parts unknown. Two weeks before the season, there were doves everywhere, perched on telephone lines and dead branches. Then they seemingly disappeared. A recent cooling trend, however, should begin to shuffle migratory birds from the north into Virginia territory and there is still a lot of dove season remaining.
In Virginia, the season is divided into three parts. The first part extends through Oct. 12 with legal hunting hours between noon and sunset. After a short closure, the season resumes on Oct. 20 and extends through Nov. 6 with shooting hours from a half hour before sunrise until sunset. The third segment runs from Dec. 27 through Jan. 8 with legal shooting allowed all day. The limit in any segment is 15 birds daily.
Lake Orange
Contributed by Darrell Kennedy of Angler’s Landing (540.672.3997). The water temperature at Lake Orange is starting to cool down with temperatures now in the upper 70’s. The fish are on the move to shallow water. Largemouth bass are schooling on points, which offer excellent top water action. Crappie are staging in about 10 feet of water where minnows are the bait of choice. Catfishing remains strong with the mid-lake areas being best. Chicken livers and clam snouts are top baits to entice the catfish bite. Mark your Calendars! And, bring the family out for our 16th Annual Youth Fishing Day. Saturday, September 19th from 12-4pm. This is a free event with recognition for the largest fish caught of each species. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m.
Potomac River
Change is in the air.
This is the biggest transition of the season. As hydrilla dies, it creates opportunities to reach fish, and cooler temperatures make them more active. Water temperature started the week around 80.
There are two approaches to the hydrilla die-off. First, try hollow frogs on 60-pound GAMMA Torque braid over grass beds, especially at lower tides. Look for floating, dead grass over living mats. Walk slowly and stop and twitch over holes. The other technique is punching mats on sunny days. Small floating patches near docks or wood cover and close to the edge of thick living grass are good targets.
Otherwise, Lucky Craft BDS 4 big-bodied crankbaits in Shad patterns on 12-pound test GAMMA Edge are great to cover high tide water over grass. Contact the grass, lift and snap. The brief pause will trigger strikes. Use the same lift and pause with chatterjigs. Try different colors, especially craw patterns. Use a
Sharpie to black over the shiny metal blade. At lower tides, Mann’s Baby 1-Minus can cover water.
At low tide and on hard edges, try shaky heads, Mizmo BarbWire 1/8-ounce heads with 5 inch Doodle worms on 10-pound test Edge tied to 20-pound Torque. Drop shot the same areas with the same line and baits. Avoid gin clear water. Stained water makes fish less wary and more likely to fall for an artificial lure.
Capt. Steve Chaconas is a guide on the Potomac River. info@nationalbass.com
Shenandoah River
Good conditions. The river is low but still very enjoyable if you take your time and select shorter trips. The current level is slightly below average for early September, but not by much. Best smallmouth baits include Senko worms, Mepps spinners and Berkley Power worms in green/pumpkin. The river is at 1.2 feet, 70 degrees with a flow at 464 CFS.
James River
The James at Scottsville is low and clear, but smallmouth are biting. Best bets have been top water plugs and Senko worms rigged wacky style. Some big flathead catfish are busting tackle below Scottsville. Cut bait and bream heads have been triggering strikes.
Lake Anna
Stripers are concentrated around the 208 Bridge corridor all the way up past the Splits. Trolling Deep Diving Redfins with Buck Tail Trailers and DD22’s have been producing well for many anglers. Toothache Spoons have been putting numbers of fish in the boat for anglers willing to chase the deeper schools around and vertical jig. For anglers willing to get out of bed really early and get to the lake before daylight breaks, they have been hanging lights around the up-lake bridges and catching live bait in the form of Blue Back Herring and Peanut Gizzard Shad (4 to 5 inches).
Trout Streams
Mountain streams are still low but the levels are much improved with nearly 4 inches of rain last week. Hatchery trucks will resume stocking in October, as conditions allow. Currently, the best bets are spring creeks in the valley as well as the tailwater section of the Jackson River above Lake Moomaw.