Mike Johncox at Riverside Camp says that nice size stripers are tugging on lines in the Chickahominy River. “We are catching plenty of 24-inch fish,” he says. In addition, the catfish bite is still going strong with quite a few 20-30 pounders coming to net. Some even larger than that were also reported.
The bass are being caught by anglers drifting large minnows at the mouths of major feeder creeks. Bass are also found on cypress trees adjacent to drop-offs. Senkos and plastic lizards are the baits of choice. Yellow perch fishing is fair, with fish of citation size being caught from docks. Minnows are the preferred bait. Crappie are biting well on small minnows, around submerged structure.
Chickahominy Lake
Capt. Art Conway reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water temperatures were in the very low 50’s in the lower main lake. The lake level was about even with the top of the dam.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Tom Porter had 2 bluegills, 60 crappie, 1 pickerel, and 1 bass.
Potomac River
Bass are Still Shallow
Days are getting very short and grass is dying very fast, forcing fish to seek hard cover and moving to drops. Water has cooled to upper 40s.
Finding grass will be tough but, once located, spend time fishing it! Suspending Lucky Craft Pointer 78 jerkbaits can be worked over remaining grass, around wood and under docks. Use 10-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line. Also try LV 100 lipless cranks. Lift to snap out of grass and allow slow falls.
Look for fish to be positioned on nearby drops. Shaky head, spilt shot, drop shot and grubs are choices to use from now until late spring. Also use a bait spray like Jack’s Juice garlic to soak into soft plastics. Time to stock up on 3 inch avocado Mann’s Stingray grubs. Use with 1/4-ounce ball head jigs.
Capt. Steve Chaconas is a guide on the Potomac River. info@nationalbass.com
Lake Anna
Stripers, bass, crappie and perch are hitting throughout the lake. Stripers are schooled tight and working the baitfish schools. Follow the birds, is the current advice. When you see the birds diving on the water, a school of stripers is probably working through a school of shad. Approach the school quietly and cast across the school, working the bait slowly through the fish. Best areas are from the 208 Bridge up to Jetts Island, Contrary Creek, Pigeon Creek and the Stubbs Bridge area. Best baits are bucktails, four inch Sassy Shads and white grubs. Should no birds be seen working, head for the Jetts Island area and blind cast across the river channel. Lots of good stripers are taken here. Stripers are also being caught on live shad around the dikes and on top water baits early and late in the day. During the middle part of the day, trolling is producing good numbers of stripers in the 8-12 pound class. Crappie are found around beaver lodges, bridge pilings and brush piles. Small minnows seem to be the best bait, but some crappie fishermen get upset using minnows because bass will not leave them alone. Tiny crappie jigs will take the tasty little fish as well. Bass are taking minnows, shad-colored crankbaits, plastic grubs and worms and jig’n pig.
Smith Mountain
Live shad are working well for the stripers at Smith Mountain Lake. Lots of 10-14 pounders were taken this past weekend. Anglers will find stripers feeding on shad in shallow creeks. Surface plugs or shallow-diving crankbaits at daybreak are working well. After the sun comes up, switch to deep-diving plugs or bucktails. Largemouth bass are also shallow, feeding on shad, but are beginning to move to deeper water. Crappie anglers are being rewarded nicely for their efforts. The fish are very cooperative on live minnows, fished around submerged timber near creek channels.
Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston anglers are catching striped bass as they troll bucktails and shad around the dam. Crappie are holding in 8-10 feet of water over brush piles and around boat docks. Largemouth bass are taking jig’n pig baits, but are also being caught on live shad by striper fishermen. spinnerbaits are also taking a good number of fish.
Buggs Island
Lots of large crappie are being taken from the bridge pilings and submerged brush piles on live minnows and tiny jigs. Bass are being caught in Bluestone and Grassy Creeks. Shallow running crankbaits and Carolina-rigged plastic worms are the more productive baits. Striper anglers are taking fish to 14 pounds, trolling Cordell Redfins and bucktails from Clarksville to the mouth of Bluestone Creek. The area around Goat Island is also producing some good fish.