By Capt. Steve Chaconas
Like clockwork, when my 60-year-old red azaleas bloom, it’s time for the bass spawn.The length of day and warm weather makes these events concurrent…almost.
The water in the Potomac is holding around 60 and rising. Nice weather week ahead, 70s by the weekend.
One issue: muddy water. Surprise torrential downpours in our area and especially in the West Virginia section of the Potomac brought very muddy water to the Tidal Potomac for a week. Water should be clearing this week. Taking into consideration water clarity. Clear water is at least 3 feet of visibility. Very muddy is only 6 inches.
Fish are seeing red. Red lipless cranks and Mann’s Baby 1-Minus on 12-pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon enables depth control and lower stretch for hooksets at the end of long casts. Target inside grass edges at higher tides and outside at lower tides. Move in and out to find areas with fish. Lipless crankbaits work best at higher tides. Crawl and contact grass, pausing momentarily to allow a controlled drop. Faster reels will allow you to catch up to fish when they eat baits on the pause. At lower tides, Mann’s Baby 1-Minus can engage grass, slip through or be snapped free. For chatterbaits, craw or soft plastic jerkbait trailers add life to falling lures.
Lake Orange
Water temperatures are in the mid 60s and the lake is clear. The bass and crappie are hitting the spawning areas. Look for great fishing this coming weekend. Crappie are feeding on small minnows and jigs around shoreline brush. Bass can be caught on topwater in lowlight periods and plastics and live bait during midday. A few walleye have been caught on both nightcrawlers and minnows worked along rocky areas down lake. Catfish are feeding on chicken livers and live bait.
Chickahominy Lake
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Gene and Ellie Kirsch had 8 crappie. Addie Berard and Jesse Kelley had 9 crappie, 1 yellow perch and 1 pickerel. Tom Porter had 1 bluegill, 16 crappie and 1 yellow perch.
Rappahannock
Shad, herring and white perch are still at the Rt. 1 Bridge and stripers are close behind. The river is stained from early week rains.
Buggs Island
Crappie are biting everywhere. Nice fish to 3 pounds are coming to the scales. Stripers are moving upriver to spawn. Bass action is good.
The Rivers
The upper James, New and Shenandoah are recovering form heavy rains on Tuesday. Should be fishable and good smallmouth action by the weekend.
Lake Anna
Crappie are under boat docks and will take a small jig skipped beneath the docks. The striper bite has been good at The Splits. Bass to 5 pounds are plentiful. Most fish are shallow.
Chickahominy River
Everything is biting – crappie, catfish, bass, gars, bluegills and yellow perch. Small crankbaits worked at the mouths of creeks on a falling tide are slaying the largemouth.
Trout Fishing
Trout fishing in Virginia now is as good as it gets. All the streams are running full and clear. Bugs are hatching. The stocked streams are in excellent condition with both freshly stocked trout and lots of holdovers from past high water.
The brookies are taking Wulff patters and small nymphs. Let’s go fishing!