With the temperature breaking 50 in Falls Church today, my mind is 100% in a fishing frame of mind. Run off is making scratching that itch impossible today, but spring rockfish, shad, and largemouth spawning on the Potomac are weeks away.
In the spirit of the season, ask your fishing questions here!
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Does playing music while fishing scare the fishies away?
I think it disrupts the concentration of the angler more than messing with the fish. When we go offshore, sometimes the boats play XM radio most of the time. The serious boats don't do it unless the customers want it because communication between the captain and the mate are vital. On the pier, music is an issue with live baiting and drum fishing because it makes things tougher to hear clickers go off.
With freshwater fishing, I would guess that it depends on water and species. If you and some buddies are fishing for carp and catfish on a pontoon boat and have tunes on, I can't imagine that it makes much difference. If you are flipping worms to bass on their spawning beds or trolling for trout, it may spook them. My preference is no music when I am fishing seriously. If it is just a fun time out where success isn't measured by catching, why not?
I grew up in the 757 and that's where the majority of my fishing experience has taken place.
If you've fished out there, and I assume you have, what's your favorite non-ocean fishing hole? Favorite bait (live, cut, lure)? Primary target?
Because I wanna hear about more than fishing off the pier for spot and croaker. lol
I have not done much fishing down there. Some buddies took me croaker fishing off Colonial Parkway (using bloodworms) but it was pretty slow. My dad used to fish Chickahominy (not sure if that is 757 or 804) for largemouth using big plastic lizards rigged Texas style. I never fished the lake, but shad fishing at Walkers Dam is fun.
Without fishing there regularly, if you told me to find a little honey hole without local help, the first thing I would do is find little tributaries feeding into the James and throw shad darts for shad in early April. My next trick would be to invest in an ocean kayak and fish live spot or eels off of Buckroe for cobia June-August.
In the winter, the hotspot is Elizabeth River for puppy drum and speckled trout. But, it isn't a secret. The cove is always crowded.
Going Wednesday for my third trip of the year. Haven't seen the trout yet this year. We've been concentrating on the drum and doing just fine a fair distance from the cove. No secret, don't want to eat the fish, but still a fun winter's diversion if you are nearby.
favorite fishing movie not named Jaws?
Grumpier Old Men, without a doubt.
My Dad's been crazy about trout fishing in the last year. Do you know of some good trout fishing spots in the 703?
Wow, in the 703? That is tough. With the exception of Accotink Creek just north of Braddock Road (fly fishing barbless only and I don't think they have stocked last year) all the trout spots are ponds. Lake Fairfax in Reston has nice-sized trout, but the fishing is basically power bait under a bobber. Lake Greenbelt has better numbers but it is Maryland and requires out of state licenses.
Yeah, I've been to Lake Fairfax a couple of times, used power bait with a sinker. There were times that the fishing was good but not when I last went in October. The small pond in Franklin Park in Purcellville can be good sometimes as well. I haven't been fishing in MD; a VA license is good enough for me, especially since I don't fish all that much.
My favorite trout spot will always be the "rock steps" on Whitetop Laurel above Damascus, VA. Whitetop Laurel is the prettiest trout stream in the entire world and nobody can tell me otherwise. It was also terrific fishing until VDGIF started stocking 6 inch trout and posting the stocking schedule online. From 10 years old until I was in college, I knew every single inch of that stream like nobody else except for the fly-only water.
It depends on what he's into. 703 is pretty barren in terms of trout. The closest 'blue ribbon' trout stream is the Gunpowder just north of Baltimore, where I guide. Wild browns in a tailwater that (at least theoretically) fishes 12 months a year. I'll be fishing there tomorrow.
The Rapidan and other Shenandoah NP streams are great once the come down a bit from spring rains and snowmelt. Not that far from the 703.
Have you ever gone ice fishing?
Nope. The only winter fishing I have ever done was some January fishing in 2007-08 in Ocean City and Assateague, MD for rockfish. But, it was a warm winter. I fished the beach in waders and a sweatshirt. Sadly the winters have been bad and there hasn't been much of a rockfish run the last few years so I stopped doing it.
French....analysis on the following??????
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0LEVj67ovxUuaUAXiklnIlQ;...
"that's not a knife, THAT'S a knife"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vW54lAtldI
What is an acceptable distance to anchor from a boat that is chumming? Assume that you are quite willing to respect someone's investment, but are in a semi crowded situation and need to anchor down-tide from them.
I am not the most experienced guy with boat fishing. To me, you have to have a couple of options where you know you can find the right structure mixed with the right water temp/care mixed with bait that you can fish on each tide and wind direction. If you are X distance away from a chumming boat and you are off the structure, you need to find somewhere else to go.
With charter captains, the trolling/sight fishing guys are always moving. They have numbers but they don't have the issue of folks running them over. The good bottom fishing charter guys protect their numbers to the death because EVERYBODY has the numbers on the artificial reefs and they are crowded every weekend. Findings a couple of live bottoms can keep you in business, and I have heard stories of people trying to track GPS coordinates and getting their phones sent to the bottom of the Atlantic.
"I have heard stories of people trying to track GPS coordinates and getting their phones sent to the bottom of the Atlantic"
So the charter crew stole their customers' phone(s) and threw it overboard? That's f'd up. I expect the customer was reimbursed?
I have heard it threatened. I have yet to be told that by someone who lost their phone, but given that losing exclusivity to those GPS coordinates could mean being put out of business, I wouldn't be shocked at the truth of it.
You would have to be a real jerk to do that in the first place. If you are on a charter, you are a recreational guy. To steal his/her numbers so you can horn in on a spot is a pretty low move. I don't condone destruction of someone's property, but as Chris Rock said, "I understand."
and, my experience is the Captain does tell you when you book and before the trip not to use your phone to map your location....
Yeah that's fine to include some clauses in the rental/charter agreement and emphasizing up front that phone/gps use isn't allowed at sea and the financial consequences will be X if that part of the contract is violated. If they're really worried about it they should just collect cell phones and lock them up at the boathouse at the start of the trip to avoid the whole situation. Actually destroying someone's property is crossing a line though.
destroying property does cross a line, but stealing the coordinates is stealing his business...shoplifting, video or music piracy...whatever analogy you choose
if i hire an inshore guide, he knows I know where we are fishing, and may in fact be hiring him to learn to fish the area. i may even book him up front for spring, summer, fall, and winter trips just for that purpose. the inshore guide makes his money by knowing where the fish currently are, which phase of the tide we need to fish, hitting on what bait, etc. and he knows enough places to have options if someone is in a spot.
for the offshore guy those few locations are everything...the difference maker in his economic viability.
You hit the nail on the head. When I guided on the New, everyone could see where we were fishing. My local knowlege, my baits and equipment were my selling points, but my main tool was my raft. On a moving river, boat control can be the biggest issue one faces when trying to catch fish reliably, and I provided that with a pretty strong amount of physical effort that most of my clients were incapable of, or unwilling to attempt, not to mention the start up costs for the boat and equipment.
As for the cell phone thing, I discouraged the use of it on the river because it was distracting and disrespectful to me and the other client in the boat. My first year guiding independently, I had a client who was loudly on his cell all morning, annoying both myself and the guy's fishing buddy to the point of distraction. At lunch, the other client asked to use his buddy's cell phone for a moment. He then wound up and threw it as far as he could launch it into about 8' of moving water...gone. While it didn't come to a duke out, there were plenty of angry words. When the cell owner asked who was going to pay for it, the other client said he'd be glad to do so, since it would be worth it not to have to listen to his "buddy" yak on about drivel and ruin the rest of the day as well. I stayed out of it, but must admit to smiling a lot that afternoon.
While the cell thrower turned into a repeat customer, he never came back with the yakker, and when asked, he just said that he preferred a different kind of fishing partner. Cells on the river had their uses, pictures, storm tracking or emergency contacts...wife having baby, sick father, etc., but since I took good fish pictures with my digital camera and had an emergency trac phone, most of my clients either left the cell at the cottage where they were staying or kept them packed safely in a drybox.
Any advice on catching bass in the James a tad upstream of Richmond? Had no problems catching some nice smallies in the New, but the James has gotten the best of me. Most of the fishing I have done is in the summer there.
I am probably the worst smallmouth guy on the block, and all my fishing west of Richmond came on a big farm pond about 20 minutes south of Farmville when I lived there. I didn't need to go to the James because I would take a bag of plastic lizards and catch 40+ largemouths in a few hours. Most were small (12-14 inches) but I put a couple dozen 4-5 pounders in the boat. Unfortunately I tried the same thing when I moved near Burke Lake and it didn't work (maybe 200 casts to catch a bass.)
20 minutes south of Farmville, geez quite a difference living in Nova eh? There is some good farm ponds in that area as well as Briery Creek and Sandy River reservoirs are the best place for big largemouth in the state. Curious as to what you did in that area?
I shared an apartment with a college teammate who taught and coached football and Randolph Henry. I commuted to Petersburg every day to work at Pamplin Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Solider. I had a history degree and was struggling to find something besides teaching to do for a living.
Ah the Statesmen, pretty cool tho. Probably plenty of memories!
Actually very little besides the fishing and work. My roomie was completely swooned by a girl (good thing too since he married her.) I barely saw him and didn't know anyone else in town. I tried to be sociable but any social life came from trips to Richmond or playing tennis is Charlottesville.
Smallmouth bass will bite year round, but the techniques and numbers are totally different in the summer months than what you need to do to catch them in colder times. Jig and Pig was the old go-to when the river is up and discolored with spring run-off. Tubes have pretty much supplanted that bait, though, and I have had great success with a variety of tubes, sizes and colors. Fish only the eddy pockets. Fish as slowly as you can make yourself. If you think you are retrieving too slowly, slow down some more. Fish only on the bottom with very small hops and set the hook on anything that feels different. Set it HARD. You will lose some baits this way, but it's better to set the hook on every rock and stick in the river than lose a big pre-spawn fattie. When the water starts to clear, suspending jerkbaits will catch fish, again, though, avoid the current and concentrate on eddy water where the spawning will likely take place when the time comes. The fish will be there, they have to be, but the bite could be a short one so patience is required. You may be fishing for 5-8 bites in a day...make them count.
Colors should be determined by the water color. Muddy/stained water...use black and/or blue, clear water...use pumpkinseed, browns, craw colors. Don't get fancy, there are a million tubes out there, but the straight tube with tentacles at the end produced for me better than all the fake crawdad looking things, or creature baits, etc.
Then, when the water temps get around 55, try spinnerbaits, slow rolling in the pockets and eddies. Don't neglect the little eddies. If the water's deep enough, they'll lay in any place that is without current. I like chartreuse and white spinner baits, myself, but if they don't hit the thing fairly quickly, put it away and go with tubes or jerkbaits and try the spinner bait later on for a half hour or so. Bass are funny critters, on and off, but that's a nutshell approach before the summer comes and everybody can catch 'em. Big smallmouth can be caught year 'round, but the swollen and discolored water of spring is the time to get that trophy, and you don't have to dodge canoes and 'yaks and belly boats, etc. to fish for them.
I spent 35 years on the James and the New fishing for smallmouth, the last ten years as a guide on the New. I can talk smallmouth all day, and will be happy to be even more specific (my wife rolls her eyes wearily) if you wish. You can reach me at newriverangler@hotmail.com, my name is Tom. I answer all emails in a timely fashion. Good luck!
See- listen to this guy! Every nice smallmouth I ever caught (and there have not been many) was on either a jitterburg or tiny torpedo in early May in slow moving water. However, a vast majority of the hits came from little rock bass and sunfish that often were not big enough to get a hook in their mouth.
There have been a ton of new largemouth techniques developed over the years, but for farm pond bassing, I still think it is tough to beat a texas-rigged pumpkinseed lizard with a pink fire tail being presented painfully slow across the bottom. Every time I watch the TV guys fish soft plastics all I can think is "TOO FAST."
Big smallmouth can also be had later in the summer on popping bugs in shallow water tree shade, even in the mid-day. When the dog days cicadas start humming, it's on. Big fish.
Most largemouth techniques can be modified to work well on smallmouth. They'll hit all of the lizards, creatures, craws, worms, etc. that largemouth hit, it's just that they usually prefer things done a bit differently. They'll whack buzzbaits all day long some days, as well, but I've done better with the smaller buzzes.
Hitting the Elizabeth on Wednesday for reds, maybe specs. I will let French know how I do.
Any experience on the Back Bay behind Sandbridge? Have a house rented there in July right on the bay. We are thinking about renting a small skiff to fish for the week.
I know the Sandbridge beaches are awesome in September for drum. I have not fished Back Bay. For me, if I lived in the Virginia Beach area in the summer, if the wind blows light out of the east I am heading to the pier with a gotcha rod looking for Spanish mackerel (or driving down to the OBX piers.)
Never been shad fishing when they make their inland run. Everything I've read describes fishing from a boat. Do you have any tips for fishing for shad without a boat? What bait and tackle do you use?
Shad fishing will work in any tributary as long as you are below a tide line. You can catch them from the shore. I fish for shad at Fletcher's Cove just above DC and right below the fall line. I tie a piece of leader with a shad dart on the tag end and a shad spoon on the long end and a double loop knot in between to attach to your main line.
Because I fish on the Potomac in deep fast moving water, I use a half ounce dart and usually a small gold nungesser spoon. I experiment with retrieves. Early in the season you have to let it sink a little and retrieve slowly down near the bottom. It peak season, as long as you get the lures where the fish are, you will catch them in big numbers.
As for spots, again not being local puts me at a disadvantage. Any small tidal creek where you can get shore access and you can cast 3/4 across the creek should be good. I used to fish under the walking bridge at Occoquan and did very well.
My only advice is to fish moving tides. Dead high and dead low will not produce. Also, if you wade have someone with you.
Thank you for the advice. I'm down in Georgia so I have been wanting to hit up the Savannah River shad run.
It should be going now. Some buddies have been catching them as far north as Morehead City, NC.
French, which fish do you hope to scratch off of your bucket list in 2015?
King mackerel from a pier. I have been trying for 15 years and still have not gotten one. I am fiahing in Oak Island from May 10-16 trying to cross it off this year. After that, I have not caught a billfish. Once I get those two, I have caught every key species NC has to offer except tarpon (which are rare.)
Other fish- roosterfish, snook, tarpon
Good luck on your King trip. My bucket list also includes a roosterfish as well as Permit, Bonefish and GT
French:
One summer in CFL (5 or 6 years ago) I got my longest casting rod with 30# PowerPro on it and casted a large walking lure. We had a pretty strong offshore wind that evening (just after a daily FL Thunderstorm) which helped me get easily 60-70 yd casts. I was walking that lure back to the beach when a King launched the lure out of the water. That King was 4 ft long easily and... missed the hook. Dang! So I tried it again. Same result, same fish. He was on fire, but again, blasted the lure several feet in the air and missed the hook. He didn't show up again. Darn! So I didn't get him, but that was insane - Off The Beach!
The week before this I saw Cobia pods blasting Croakers onto the beach, the Cobia were literally working the trough at the shore edge. I worked along the pods and finally got a lure in front of one, and he ate it. Unfortunately the line broke after a 10 minute fight and he got away.
I have not heard of a king being caught from the beach, but I am sure it is possible. A decent number of people catch cobia from the surf at Cape Point and South Beach on drum gear every year when it is accessible.
Like you, Jonathan, I've not heard of a king from the beach, but off the end of the pier isn't that awful far from the surf, so I can see it happening. Buddy of mine was surfing at Nags Head and saw a mahi/dolphin jump clear of the water parallel with him to shore. Whither goeth the bait and tides goeth the predators.
I can second mahi from the pier. Every so often after several days of light east winds schools of shingle dolphin (12-15 inches) will blitz the pier. You could catch a few on gotchas but you have to burn your plug through the water. At Bogue we had a small gaffer show up in the live baits one day but it didn't eat.
French, is fishing one of your favorite hobbies? I already know the answer but want to hear why it is?
Fishing is my favorite hobby. There is no rush like getting that trophy fish strike and run. Once you have a really good day, you are hooked.
You've said before you like Cobia as an eating fish. Got a good recipe?
I am a lousy cook, but the last time I had a bunch of cobia handy, I would take a steak, leave it in a bag of teryaki sauce overnight, and then I would grill it. I hear it is better in lemon pepper.
I'd do the same with the copious amounts of mahi we'd pull in from the Gulf Stream, but did the lemon + ground pepper. There was also an Italian dressing marinade involved, good but not great. Prefer the lemon + pepper + shallots
Cobia is delicious.
Fished the Elizabeth River today. All day. Nice day, warm, cloudy. No runs, no hits, no errors. Nada. We fished the hot (not any more) ditch, the cove, and our go-to bank for redfish. No fish, not a bite. We did, however see a bunch of trophy sized trout...dead as doornails and food for bald eagles in the cove. Obviously, the cold weather laid waste to a bunch of brood stock specs...really a sad site. Five to eight pound trout with a few even bigger just rotting on the bank. It was disheartening. I don't get skunked too often anymore, but it was as tough a day's fishing as I've had in a while. Three weeks ago, we slayed the reds in some of the same spots. What a difference a cold snap makes.
If you are looking for a backup spot, on south winds Cape Point will have some big red drum. First big boys hit yesterday. Of course, as soon as they hit a threshold of sold ORV permits, magically a threatened bird or turtle nest will show up and they will close it all down. It is amazing how that happens.
That's a bit too far for a day's fishing for me these days, but thanks for the suggestion. I guess what I am really looking for is spring.
No question, but just letting you know I went deep sea fishing out of Key Largo on Saturday and we bagged a nice wahoo. Thought that would bring you pleasure in many different ways