By Capt. Steve Chaconas
If you don’t own any Silver Buddy lures, get some! They allow you to fish any depth with a lot of vibration for little movement. I use ½ ounce and ¾ ounce sizes. Silver is best for days with some sun and moderately clear water. Gold otherwise. Use 10-pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon on a Quantum Vapor casting reel. The rod is a medium action 7’ graphite rod, a bit beefier than most cranking rods. If hooksets aren’t working, change to a stiffer rod. However, once hooked, be ready to allow line to spool off with drag. Cast to areas with steep drops. Start in 3 feet and work down, taking note of the depth of fish and then focus on these areas. The biggest key is to NOT overwork the bait. Gentle lifts of the rod, keeping the bait close to the bottom on every move. Try to imagine you are lifting about 4 inches. This bait will vibrate, and fish will eat on the drop. Sometimes you feel that bite, otherwise the fish is on when you lift again. Be ready for those bites by not overworking the bait and lifting the rod to between 10 and 11 o’clock. The faster reels help to load the softer rods to help set the hook. Keep hooks sharp and replace or sharpen them as needed.
But whatever you do, get a Buddy. A Silver Buddy.
Capt. Steve Chaconas/National Bass Guide Service/SEOPA,
cell: 703-380-7119. info@nationalbass.com
Lake Anna
Largemouth bass are hanging on the main lake points and steep banks. Most of the fish are being taken from 10-14 feet of water and are biting for jig ‘n pig, plastic grubs and live jumbo minnows. The best area appears to be the Dyke 3 area of the lake. Striper fishing is fair to good, with fish averaging 8-14 pounds being taken near the dam and around the mouth of Sturgeon Creek. Live shad and jumbo minnows are the preferred baits, although some success is reported on bucktails, Hopkins and Kastmaster spoons, and Silver Buddies. Small Hopkins spoons jigged over brush piles are also producing good catches of perch and crappie, along with some smaller bass.
Chickahominy River
Crappie and yellow perch are hitting medium minnows around Walkers Dam. Some 1- and 2-pound largemouth bass are being caught on small plastic grubs and worms at the mouths of feeder creeks. Catfish action is good on cut bait.
Buggs Island Lake
Striper fishing is good with live bait and 3/8-ounce bucktails. One of the best areas is the Rudd’s Creek Bridge. Largemouth are favoring the main lake gravel points and may be caught on crankbaits in shad colors, and large spinnerbaits. Crappie are holding above brush piles in 10-15 feet of water.
Smith Mountain Lake
Quite a few stripers in the 10- to 15-pound class, along with an occasional 20 pounder, are being caught by anglers jigging Hopkins spoons and bucktails off the main lake points, in 10-25 feet of water. The best action is in the late afternoon and evening. Some largemouth and smallmouth bass are being caught on jigs, grubs and live bait.