It’s amazing what 3-inches of rain in one night can do. Trout streams at a trickle are now running strong, lakes with bare mud showing on the banks are full and happy and fall fishing looks promising.
Lake Anna
Huge schools of baitfish are roaming the lake. Schooling bass and stripers have taken notice. Hot spots have been the mouth of Contrary Creek, Rose Valley and the area around Jetts Island, at the Splits. Crappie are schooled tight, with the larger fish suspending over creek channels in the backs of the creeks. Beaver lodges are holding fish as well.
Lake Gaston
Striper fishing is good. The fish are schooled and show up well on electronics. The main river channel, from Eaton Ferry Bridge to the mouth of Pea Hill Creek is the best area. Bass anglers are doing well on main lake points, adjacent to channels and in the creeks, where the channel bends close to the bank. Crappie are schooled around brush piles and solid structure. White perch are taking 1/4 oz. Hopkins jigging spoons.
Buggs Island
Crappie anglers fishing with small shiners over most any structure are scoring well. Bass may be taken in shallow water, holding on rock piles in then backs of pockets. Stripers are active, hitting Sassy Shads on ¼-ounce jig heads, fished under the schools of shad close to the shoreline.
Smith Mountain
Live shad or alewives fished in submerged standing timber in the coves are catching stripers. Trolling with bucktails will also produce some fish, as will topwater lures when the big fish are feeding on shad schools. Bass fishing is good. Boat docks are most productive.
Potomac River
It’s that Time of the Year, says Capt. Steve Chaconas.
Fish are grouping up on remaining grass cover or stacking up on the closest hard cover. Just about everything is working at the right spot and tide.
Water temperature is hanging in the low 60s. Once you find fish, stay on them.
Topwater baits are super. Cast Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers on 8 pound test Gamma Copoly. Make long casts around grass, wood, and rock. Find the right pace. In thicker grass, try hollow frogs on 50-pound Torque braid.
Fish docks with 3/8-ounce jigs with plastic craw trailers and Texas rigged Mizmo tubes. Thread tubes on a 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point Mega Bite hook. Green pumpkin varieties with blue tails are working. Spray soft plastics and jigs with Jack’s Juice. Pitch to pilings starting at the deeper ends at low tide and moving up, as the tides get higher. Also target pad edges and marsh clumps with higher water.
Chickahominy Lake
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Tom Porter had 25 bluegills, 1 flier, 11 crappie, 4 white perch and 1 roach minnow.
Trout Streams
Conditions are near perfect on Virginia trout streams, and just in time for the to complete their spawn. All major trout streams have received at least one fall stocking, so pick up a rod and go fishing!