I wish I had something to report, but I have been drawing skunks all spring looking for catch and release rockfish. Still, that other thread is getting difficult to traverse. Post your spring 2017 reports, questions, and advice here!
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I'll bite:
Father-in-law wants a new fishing rod.
I showed him the gear I would go for and he balked in a major way.
So, any suggestions for a sub-$50 rod/reel or combo? He's only ever used spincast type reels.
I may end up turning this into a father's day present. Ugly Stiks are looking to be the option, currently.
And while we're at it, I have a Browning Medium-Heavy takedown spin rod that is in need of a reel.
I tested some Browning reels a couple weeks ago and was not impressed. I have no OCD issues when it comes to different brands stuck together.
My reel experience has been with Daiwa Legalis and Shimano Sahara reels. Any others you'd suggest instead?
While the ugly stick rods are not bad and nearly indestructible the reel that comes on the combo is complete garbage imo. Look around for sales I know Cabela's has a Diawa combo that is usually $65 on sale for $50 right now, the Abu Silver Maxx is usually around $50 neither of those combos are terrible.
I'll second the abu Silvermax I fish 10-12 hours a week minimum and that thing never lets me down on the river that being said my lews is better but that comes with a cost but straight dollar value the abu is worth it
Are you relegated to spin casting combos? In my opinion most of these are of pretty poor quality, but as the poster above said you can usually get some fairly decent casting combos for intermittent use if you time it right.
I am with the others. Zebco 33's were always the go to choice for a spincast reel, and then the quality went into the toilet. I always wanted to have one handy to take kids with me when they were just starting out, but every model I have tried repeatedly fouls up. Now I just use a spinner and try to be really patient teaching them.
If he is dead set on using a spincast reel anyway, and has set a budget under $50, well, I don't think he is particularly serious about targeting any serious species. Based on reviews, a Daiwa Goldcast would put him over budget but gets decent reviews. I think any spincast rod you want to be sturdy, and the ugly sticks are that, but you sacrifice a ton of feel.
For me, If I had a budget of lets say $200, I would use the St Croix Triumph medium or medium light, with a 2500 Penn Battle II or Sahara (hopefully the new Saharas are an improvement- they took a step backwards the last couple of years before Shimano released a new one.) That combo will run in the $160 range.
I wish you luck! If you do sell him on a spinner, remind him it is much more fun to get big panfish on a little spinning rod than a fiberglass pool cue like an ugly stick!
He seemed confused about how to use a spinning rod. So, I was planning to stick with the spin cast.
He won't be taking fishing seriously, which is part of why the budget is where it is. Will be small trout and a few redeye or bluegill. I will check out the abu Garcia.
I'm tempted to just go with a spin set up, and force him to use that. There are a lot nicer things available than with the spincast.
I tried to raid the clearance section at bass pro a couple weeks ago to put something together, and stay close to budget. Every reel back there was garbage.
My favorite UL combo has been a Pfleuger Trion GX-7. But t seems they have changed those since I bought mine. Don't feel as nice. Same goes for the Daisha reels I have. Those seem crappy anymore. And the price seems about $20 less.
when casting, teach him to point level to the target with his index finger...shouldn't take too long to dial it in
getting used to a left hand retrieve is problematic for some
Went out and hit some new water about 4.5 hours from where I live in Nebraska the other day chasing musky. Bud I brought was able to get a 26" in the boat I didn't have the same luck. We boated a few nice healthy large mouth staging to spawn, a pike, and a freshwater drum. Tough fishing water temps here are still hovering around 44 degrees. Fishing these deep lakes is quite a bit different than my experience musky fishing the New, planning on going back post spawn and seeing if I can't one in the boat. Pictures to come.
Caught a few more that I don't have the pictures for.
I have never heard of a freshwater drum it looks like a mini black saltwater drum
Used to catch them in the Holston River in Tennessee. Fight like the devil.
that is a real pretty largemouth bass. well done. I never figured out cool water bass fishing and I finally gave up and went saltwater.
I've been trying cold water bass fishing all spring and minimal success all I can say is bass jigs slowly on the bottom seem to be the best bet but even then it's slow I'd love to learn how to use them properly but I have no clue how to do it
Have never taken largemouth bass seriously enough to try for them in winter, but smallmouth are a different story. Jig and Pig was our go to for years, but tubes eventually replaced the J&P for me. We caught smallmouth in the New River in every month of the year. One good thing about winter fishing is that you seldom have to fish around others, and at least in the "olden" days, if you caught a fish, it was going to be a big one. We fished from a jet boat, so we were able to go late and quit early, catching the milder part of a winter day, and being less likely to get wet. Bad thing is discomfort, and also, most of those days, we knew we were fishing for 0-7 bites or so, which necessitates a lot of perseverance, and concentration. We used craw attractant as well, sprayed liberally every half hour or so, and we fished incredibly slow. We usually found the fish around rocks, but also once in a blue moon they'd be on wood, always in the eddy water. We targeted places we had found fish before, not much prospecting. We'd cast to the spot, lock down and feel the drop, then allowed the jig to just sit for a few seconds. Often, just shaking the rod tip a little before beginning a very short hop and pause retrieve. The jig bite is subtle, and truth is, the bite on a jig is the same regardless of the size and species of fish, usually just a little "tick" on the line. Good equipment was a must for strike detection, and strong hooksets were a must. We used homemade jigs and Zoom trailers (after years of using Uncle Josh number 11 pork trailers) that we trimmed the pads on and split the tail fully down to the base of the pad, giving a slimmer look. In clear to clear-ish water, it was brown jigs and brown or green pumpkin tails (or like colored tubes) and in cloudy or even semi-muddy water, it was black and blue. We caught fish in water down to 36 degrees, but usually hoped for a couple more degrees than that. Those winter fish weren't active, but some of them would feed. Tough to fish with gloves and Michelin Man clothing, but then again, trophy fishing ain't for sissies.
Circa 1960
I was actually targeting small pike I usually don't target bass in water that cold but the one in the net was the first fish we caught. then we tied on bass jigs. My bud (the one in all the pictures) got all of those fish on a bass jig. He even had a musky swallow it but it was just stuck down his gullet (not hooked) and he spit it at the boat.
yea if they swallow those jigs its a bitch to get them back. Happened to me and my buddy when we were fishing off his dock on the chesapeake once an eel swallowed the jig. We had to cut that things head off in order to get the lure back. Its body still riggled for a long while without the head.
We were fishing with some pretty heavy weed guards which made it hard to hook them anywhere but the corner of the mouth, they actually pretty much just fell out when the fish opened its mouth.
Suspending jerk baits and jigs may man.
Very cool. Don't think I've ever seen a picture of a musky under 30 inches landed. Not making fun of a "smaller fish," I'm genuinely surprised more folks do not catch them.
I've personally landed one around 28" and had a bud land one around 16" on a fly on the new. Your're right though it doesn't happen often this one hit a 7" jointed falt stick, so it was hungry, looks to have a good sized body for that little head it has.
Back in the day it was year 2/3 after the initial tiger musky stocking in Budd Lake MI. I was fishing a line of weeds with a storm coming in. Throwing a dare devil (1.5 inches) I caught 9 identical twins that were 7".
I've caught a couple under ten inches on popping bugs in the New in years past. They're so perfect at that size, really beautiful fish. One of them jumped twice, clearing the water both times.
Had my first guided trip of the season on Sunday with a current military active from Cali. I taught this guy to cast last weekend and man did he pick it up quick. Throwing a line better than most folks do after a year of fly fishing which was very satisfying as an instructor/guide. We fished the Chickahominy for pickerel and bass and only landed one bass on a popper. It just simply isn't warm enough yet for consistent fishing IMO. If you go out now, I'd recommend fishing slow. White is a good spring color for me.
We did see a lot of birds including 3 bald eagles, multiple ospreys that were catching fish, at least 15 herons, crows and listened to an owl call back and forth to me for about 30 minutes. Great day on the water, just wished the pickerel had cooperated for him a little better.
On the flip side, a new fly I have been designing over the winter looks absolutely SICK in the water. I am going to dominate some smallmouth bass on it this year. It is always a huge joy to come up with something new at the vise that works/should work so well. If anyone has ever thought of getting into fly tying, do it.
Also, another shameless plug for the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival this coming weekend. I do not have a booth this year but will be wandering around all day Sunday in my maroon and orange Knot the Reel World shirt. Say hello!
https://www.richmondoutside.com/2017/04/tight-lines-good-times-at-the-va...
Rivers are still cold but ponds have been good on fly tackle I'll second white has been the money maker small poppers are money on bream and bass right now in warmer ponds
River angler Kayak question: I am looking to purchase my first River Kayak and I am wanting to stay under the $1000 price range.
I am leaning towards the Vibe Sea Ghost 110 or 130
Sea Ghost 110
What other options are other there around the same price range and what are some necessary gear that would work well for over night river trips and river fishings lures?
French already helped with the kayak stuff on twitter but anyone else would be truly appreciated.
Side note: I just got hired to photograph the Bass Master's Tourney next year in South Carolina for a local company. I'm kind of excited
I've never heard of this brand but it appears to be less expensive than the Jacksons that I use. I'll say this, the ability to stand up in a kayak is a HUGE help, so you may want to consider that.
My fishing buddy has a Jackson and I can't quite afford them. I have watched 10 youtube videos of people up and down on the vibes. What kind of set up do you have with storage?
I hear ya, they aren't cheap. I'm looking for a fourth one that is less expensive for guiding so your post may have helped me out.
I've got Cuda 12s and they have storage underneath in the front and and in the middle. Pretty good amount of room in the back on top. I haven't done overnights so its harder for me to say what would be good for that.
Dicks sporting goods usually has had good sales on kayaks this time of year I bought my old town from them bout half price a few years ago, I know you said fishing kayak but you might check out the solo canoes old town makes if it's mainly rivers you fish they're good as it get even for camping plenty of room and as someone with a bad back they keep you sitting more comfortably
I'm not sure if you're planning on fishing the New or but I got a really wide kayak when I used to fish there..standing was amazing it was impossible to flip but you give up speed with width. Paddling upstream was incredibly hard on 90% of the river, this made an anchor and anchor trolley system (with quick detach) pretty necessary for fishing a spot for multiple casts. I made mine and they're easy enough to make with some paracord, bunjee, and pulleys, I used a few feet of thick chain for an anchor, gorilla taped so it wouldn't get snagged as much (still almost lost it between rocks). Its also a good idea to have leashes or floats on anything important to you.
You've picked a solid yak with the Vibe. Its plenty wide to stand with a hull design that doesn't give up all its speed. The Pescador Pro is an option around the same price, they're made pretty well slightly lighter than the vibe but the hull design is new and I haven't had the newer ones in the river to know how well they get through the water.
I've used a Wilderness System Ride 115 for about a year now and love it. It's not super fast but it's really stable fishing from the river. I can stand and fish in it fairly easy. A lot of people use Jackson kayaks but I can't vouch for them since I've never floated on one.
The Ride 115 also has ample storage in the hull for camping. I made a few three day float/fishing/camping trips and the space to store a backpacking tent, extra clothes in a dry bag and other necessities made it worth it.
Back Country & Ski and Sport in Blacksburg has a good selection of kayaks and they have demo days sometimes so you can test a few out. My biggest advice is secure your gear, even with a stable kayak, and buy a sit on top brand. I have an Old Town Trip kayak that is a sit inside of and I don't enjoy it for fishing as much. I passed it down to my oldest kid to use.
I have an older Wilderness Tarpon 100 and love it. Sit on top style is the only way I will fish in a kayak.
My friend fished the upper James this past weekend only 12 fish all day but all over 2 pounds and one fat four pounder, I'm going twice this weekend and a few times next week they look to finally be waking up hopefully the rivers will go down and clear up a bit and keep warming up for next week
Any advice for mid-April fishing in Charleston SC for a pier/shorebound angler? I am hoping to find some of those puppy drum on light tackle. Otherwise I will go play with the sheepshead on Mount Pleasant Pier.
I was supposed to go shad fishing today before the big front moved in, and somehow managed to get a stomach bug on my day off. So, sorry guys. My lack of reports is Lame-O.
I'd say your best source of info would be charlestonfishing.com.
I've fished a lot of spots down there but it's always been in kayak or boat so unfortunately I'm not much help for you.
Caught this last Friday.
Nice!!
giggity
Quick thought I had at work today I've always used fly line with a nail knot to connect the leader but I'm thinking of replacing it with either a mono perfection loop on the end off the fly line or getting a fly line with a welded loop on the end since my line needs replacing? I'm curious if the loop connection versus the knot has any effect on the energy transfer when casting whereas the nail knot keeps it a tighter unified joint
Edit: I'm also lost when looking at brands of fly line I know what wt to look for but what brands are good in looking for floating no taper
Do the loop, there is no difference in energy transfer to the leader versus a nail knot.
Rio
Scientific Anglers
Airflo
Okay I tried finding the answer on google but no success I was beginning to think I had thought too much into it but I'll try tying the perfection loop for this weeks trip to try it out
Agree with flyguy above about the loop. I'd recommend a floating double taper or weight forward for general use. I've never been big on level (no taper) fly lines. I've always used Scientific Angler lines and have had good results but they're by no means the only quality manufacturer. Good luck!
Okay I'll look into them greentop has rio and a few others I'm looking into different brands as it's a bit pricier in store than on amazon per say
I use these heat shrink loops and they work fine.
Never had one break before?
Nope, had them stretch out pretty good but never break.
Any recommendations for a bonefish guide in the keys? Going to be in Key West in the October.
Pat Bracher- raised in the OBX. http://fishovertime.com/
I have not fished with him in the Keys, but I know many who have and they rave about him. Although, he usually heads up to the Outer Banks for drum season in late October, so I am not sure what his availability is. Him and his twin brother Arch (captain of the Pelican at Oregon Inlet) are top of the line.
Anyone hit the New River lately? Ive had some luck on swimbaits but no slabs yet.
Managed 31 hickory shad on light tackle in the Potomac this morning. It was not red hot, but the average size fish was really outstanding.
First smallmouth river trip of the year was phenomenal we went with a friend above lynchburg and the smallmouth were full spawn mode especially with the full moon peaking yesterday and the water right to go we pulled in 51 bass yesterday plenty healthy males and the occasional fat females all safely released back quickly to allow them to get back to spawning as some females had already lost their roe. Few big females in the 2 pound range and a few male ones near 2 pounds plenty of good chunky 1 pound plus size and as always very aggressive for anything near them mostly spinnerbaits, senko worms worked heavy and fast, salamanders, and fluke all worked fast and aggresively. Will be going again on the James on friday with water and weather cooperating but I
anticipate similar results with the spawn on fat and heavy. Also caught my largest spotted bass to date a fat female weighing 2.5 pounds the person in the front of the boat caught her male who was only 1 pound so I followed their cast and got her a few minutes after we released the male back. Also found a once and a lifetime deer rack while floating figured there may be a few deer hunters or even outdoors people who might like it the rack was 25 inches wide with base horn measurements of 7.5 inches, as a lifelong hunter I've never put my hands on anything close to this big.
As someone for whom a big smallmouth was 14 inches, you have no idea how envious I am. Well done.
Damn son! What a day! Nice work! I'm extremely envious of the fish and the rack.
Hell of a good day!
Thanks guys fast and aggressive gets the fat momma! Will be going again tomorrow hoping for similar results!
I floated the The James from Maury River down to the dam at Lynchburgback in the late 80's and never got the chance to go back again. Around Balconey Falls and much of that stretch was some great fishing.
Decided to target some catfish this past weekend got a few and my bud landed the biggest wiper I've ever seen...disappointed it wasn't a catfish he threw it right back without pictures or a measurement....
Nice catfish! Pardon my ignorance but what's a wiper?
White bass/striper hybrid. More aggressive than stripers, they school up well and because of the physique, fight really hard for their size.
Yupp. They're fun to catch I don't usually target them but usually you'll get into a school looking for walleye or bass.
If Sam were a fish he would be a wiper!
I had to look it up. I had never heard of that.
They are highly sought after on some impoundments, especially in the south I believe. They'll bust topwater like a school of piranha, hit anything a striper will, and can get to respectable size when plenty of forage is available. I've caught them in Tennessee, NC, and Claytor Lake in VA. Got an 8 lber once that we were certain was going to be a 15+ lb striper. They do flat out pull.
Wipers=
Fished the dead sea (Lake Anna). Five dinks in the boat. I assumed they were spawning but never figured anything out. As clear as the water was down lake the could have been bedding in 20' of water.
Pardon the selfie but I was fishing by myself and after years of hunting the elusive smallmouth citation I finally got my first citation bronzeback yesterday! HOOOWWEEE talk about relief when she measured out at 20 inches 4 pounds, talk about a moment of joy after all the fishing gods 18 inch or 3 pound fish he's given me! Fishing was a bit slower yesterday on the upper James between wingina and howardsville , finished with around 50 fish lost track after 11 hours on the water. Was fishing by 7 am morning bite was slow with cloudy colder weather early but once the sun came out the bite got hot. Crankbaits and in the afternoon poppers got it done lost a few nice fish in the 2-3 pound range also caught a few in the 2 pound range on the poppers even though it usually took 2-4 casts to get them to actually bite the popper! Caught more bream with the popper than I did my panfish jig the little turds know how to bite things twice their size!
Beautiful fish. Looks like a ton of fun!
I can't wait to get a kayak. I opted for a CZ P-01 this year instead of the yak. Figured I'll spend most of the summer with the kids in the jonboat.
Thanks for sharing the picks.
I don't know if he wants his picture posted, but I took a buddy to the Potomac River for some shad fishing. It was slow early for shad. We were entertained by catching white perch and small striped bass on our shad dart/spoon combination. Around 9:30AM the shad bite turned on. The hickories were plentiful and my buddy got a big (4 pound class) American Shad.
While I am not there, I am getting reports from Wilmington all the way to the Outer Banks that a once in a lifetime chopper bluefish bite is happening on the beaches. Huge schools of 7-14 pound bluefish are on the beaches working their way north. If you live near the beaches. get there with fresh mullet and metal/topwater plugs.
Yes, they are catching 10 pounders on fly at Cape Lookout
Floated the Rivanna yesterday with a long time client/friend in my kayaks. Weather was misty and overcast all day and downright chilly, water was at summer levels (concerning) and 64 degrees. Fishing was spotty, they were in a really picky mood, but I moved some nice fish. Biggest landed below. New fly looks incredible in the water and I have a feeling it is going to be my go to this year. Next up, salty design.
Joe had some trouble standing in the kayak. The Jackson Cudas are designed to be stood up in, but he took a spill four times. I couldn't control my laughter. Karma got me and I was showing off floating down a riffle backwards while standing and throwing bombs at a hole on the far side. Didn't see a rock and whoops! 2nd time I've fallen out in 3 years of fishing that boat.
Ended the day earlier than I would have liked and paddled out the last mile and a half after Joe broke off his rod tip on his Scott. By 6 p.m. we were both cold and wet as well.
If your fly/lure is caught in a tree do not yank on it with the rod tip, particularly at close range. You will break the rod.
If you haven't floated the Rivanna in kayaks, canoe, tubes on a summer day you are missing out. It is a lazy river full of feisty smallmouth, largemouth, sunfish, catfish, gar and carp. Light tackle blast.
Final score for Joe: 3 fish, 4 spills, 1 broken rod tip.
Knot the Reel World: 10 fish, 1 spill, fly approval, Caps win.
Hoping to float the James this weekend, we shall see if I can scrounge up any takers.
Also, the Waynesboro Fly Fishing Expo is this weekend in Waynesboro VA on the banks of the South River. This is the former site of the VA Fly Fishing Festival and this event is put on by the owner of the South River Fly Shop. Pat Cohen, the best deer hair tier in the world will be there. His flies are truly works of art and float like corks. Tickets are $12 at the door.
Are you the guy coming to talk to the VT fly fishing club next Wednesday?
Yes
Right on Ill be there!
Went last weekend on Sunday after dinner on the James had similar issues water was higher than normal and foggy which made them very picky but very nice fish on the fly there!
I finally found one of those bluefish on light (er) tackle. I managed this 34 inch chopper bluefish on a bunker chunk at Cape Henlopen Pier in Delaware on Friday.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/0Q2xpyS.jpg[/img]
Can confirm after fishing it Friday afternoon that the Dead Sea is in fact still dead
along with Generalissimo Francisco Franco
Thanks for the post, French. The Bay is still slowly waking up, a few croakers, small stripers, etc. Won't be long before the flounder are active.
On the freshwater front, the recent flooding of the New River has muddied up the water and done some damage, and has prompted my friend and I to postpone our trip for this weekend. My friend was to take his 82 year old father on a guided trip Friday, and I was to fish with a fellow TKPer for the first time, but conditions just didn't warrant the long trip just yet. We worry about this year's spawn surviving a serious water event, but on the bright side, spinnerbait fishermen are catching some really nice fish in the brown water as it drops.
Man I almost hate to resurrect this thread, but I went and figure others have been out as well. Hit Mobjack Bay today, East River, North River docks, and the North River grass flats. No fish on the flats, we were after trout, but most docks had small stripers and croakers. We caught croaker at will, light tackle, Gulp swimming mullet and Fishbites both caught fish. We got dinner, but we'd have liked to have caught a trout or a redfish. Beautiful day though, and dinner in the box.
Pretty work. I have not been since I got that bluefish.
Thank you! I'll take croaker and schoolie stripers all day long. I have clients dying to go saltwater fishing and I was concerned if there would be anything around. With all the rivers blown out, gives me hope for some of these trips.
Haven't heard much in the way of drum in the mobjack so far this year fingers are crossed but it's been slow all these heavy weekend rains have kept me off the rivers I'm itching for a quiet week to get some smallie fishing in
My friend on the Piankatank said he got a couple of small reds last week, but we saw none at all yesterday and no one else I talk to has seen any reds yet this year. Another friend got into a bunch of small bluefish on docks and oyster beds in the Piankatank last week. As for the croaker/small stripers, they truly are on the docks and available to the fly, and the Gwynn's Island bridge structure is holding tons of small stripers, along with some other fish, like white perch and a few small trout, again, easily targeted by fly fishermen. As for the muddy rivers, just before last weekend's rain, my New River guide friend Jim Richmond and one of his guide friends were catching numbers of quality smallmouth on spinnerbaits, despite, or maybe because of, the low visibility.
Edit: Forgot to add my friend in Va Beach got four small flounder yesterday at the CBBT in a couple of hours. No keepers.
I got a report of one nice red off of Windmill Light. They will show up!
I used to fish. I used to flyfish, a lot. (inset graphic of the elusive lot bear here)
I got a new trout type spinning outfit and fishing stuff for Christmas.
I want to go trout fishing. Basically, I have forgotten how.
I need someone to take me trout fishing or even just pan fishing or river wading fishing in the Roanoke area so I can relearn.
I am willing to trade beer experience for trout fishing experience.
Until a few years ago, I hadn't really fished since childhood. It was awkward at first, but I've finally got my casting down. I still don't go often enough to be accurate straight out of the gate, but it all comes back eventually.
If you want to catch trout, go grab a Joe's Flies assortment and go to town. They'll hit one of them. And if they don't, red eyes and blue gills will. I love fighting redeyes on ultralights. They just put up good fights.
This past Sunday I returned from a 12 day road trip to western NC. Started off in Blacksburg the 27th with a tying lesson and info session for the Virginia Tech Fly Fishing Club. Great group of guys, they fed me too much beer. From there, I was in Asheville for a bachelor party. Didn't get to fish at all until I traveled out to Silva on Sunday evening and looked over the Tuckaseegee. The next several days I fished Deep Creek in Great Smokey Mountain National Park on the NC side, the Tuckaseegee and the upper Nantahala.
Deep Creek and the Upper Nantahala are just awesome small stream gems. The Tuck is pretty too, but gets pounded by fishermen due to easy access in multiple towns. I also found a bag of an illegal substance that starts with an H in the river! I quickly disposed of it in the garbage. The local bartenders told me that drug use is a major problem in the area, very sad.
Back to fishing, it rained 3 of 5 days and thus streamers were the game. I've got a little brown sculpin pattern tied of rabbit and buffalo hair and the browns hammered it. Somehow on both the Tuck and the Nantahala, I ended up standing at the exact spot the stocker truck had just dumped fish that morning. Now I am not a fan of simply chasing pelletheads, but when you've been wading and fishing hard for natives for hours without a bite, well they certainly are tempting and will readily take a streamer pulled in front of them. I caught a few dozen with ease. Most of them were sizeable brookies, pretty, but certainly not a native and nearly all of them had something wrong with them. It cannot be healthy to be raised in a hatchery. The biggest fish landed of the trip was an 18 inch stocker brown that was straight butter and only one pectoral fin. No photo, I lost my net one day. Bye bye $100! (I was furious.) I did hook a 5 pound stocker rainbow on my two weight fiberglass rod. That was a short but very exciting fight. Fish 1, Hokieflyguy 0. Pic below with my line all wrapped up in a bush. Thursday evening in the pouring rain I found a nice drake hatch on the Upper Nantahala that was just awesome for about two hours. Lots of little fish, but did get into a few quality ones, all on dries. It's a great area to fly fish, albeit more stockers than I prefer. I think they are positioning the area as the most heavily stocked trout streams in the east. I'd certainly go back, regardless. Most of the time I camped in Deep Creek Campground, which was just outside of Bryson City. Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City is on point! Tuckaseegee fly shop in Silva and Bryson City was the most helpful that I came across.
Photos below are Deep Creek in GSMNP
The Tuckaseegee](https://postimg.org/image/73yfcwjg3/))
](https://postimg.org/image/z7asjvr81/))
Upper Nantahala
Wow. Have a leg. I'd give you more if possible. This post actually made my day. I had been in a funk today realizing my turkey season is over, but I think I'll break out the fly gear for the first time this year. Awesome images from what appears to be an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing!
It's great to hear that it made your day! I tell my clients all the time... "My goal is to ruin your life."
Noice! I like the ruler in the net!
I do too, except that's the net that is no longer in my possession. If you want it, go search the upper Nantahala.
We were glad to have you! It was a blast and please get with Tom to come back in the fall
Thanks Brett, you guys were awesome. Will definitely be back, this summer to fish and next fall for another tying lesson!
Awesome shots! I always wanted to fish around Cherokee and never got a chance. That looks like a great trip.
Thanks French. Do it when you get the chance. I If you don't want to fly fish, spin guys do well on the stockers on ultralight outfits. One kid next to me got 22" and 20" stocker browns on a blue Mepps spinner.
I did not fish in Cherokee but drove through. LOTS of fishermen in that river in town. Too many for my liking. There are also Elk that have been reintroduced into Cherokee, but I never saw any.
I always thought the mountains of southwest VA were the prettiest on the east coast but the Smokies have them beat. It is so pretty camping down there.
Wow. What a trip. Nice pics, great write up.
Thanks! Let's fish soon
I'm around and ready to go. I can steal my wife's Hobie if need be, but I wouldn't mind riding you around in my Scout for some dock fly fishing. My schedule is embarrassingly light right now.
Let's play in the boats, yours or mine. I love kayak fishing, but we both know it is a lot easier in the Bay with a boat versus a floating hunk of plastic. I've got rods and flies for the both of us if need be
Yeah, no doubt we can hit more docks in the boat, that's for sure. I have plenty of fly gear, but always interested in trying better stuff out. I have a bunch of flies, but haven't tied for a few years, so again, I'd be happy to use some of your great looking creations. I've got a bunch of Clawdads, or is it Klawdads?, that I tied up years ago. I believe they'd be good dock fishing flies. Quick sink, good action, maybe not the best colors, though. Also have a bunch of flashy stuff if we are into stripers, which we were couple of days ago. You have my contact info, I'm an hour of gear location and prep from being ready when you are. I also have a hard bottom spot, up to about 10-11' in depth, that is full of croakers and will be until they leave for winter. FULL of croakers, every day, every tide, every time.
Is the dock fishing any good up the east river? Ive always stuck to bottom rigs and bloodworm up in the rivers and mobjack but I may be down that way the next few weeks I might go fishing off our place for an hourish if I squeak in the time. Where I'm at is backup the east river directly across the river from the wharf.
Yeah, there are fish on the dock in the East, but as you know, all docks aren't created equal. The more complicated docks, with angles and long piers, seem to hold more fish. Depth is important. I seldom fish a dock that doesn't have a big boat or boat lift on it indicating some depth, but I have done well enough on redfish when they're in, on docks with as little as 3' of water but with a shade patch which tends to hold them. Now, though, I look for the deeper docks, fish Gulp on a quarter oz jig head, fish the bottom and also try a slow steady retrieve for small stripers. Skipping up under the docks is productive, and proximity to the cover essential, but yeah, they're there. Williams Wharf has a new fishing pier and there are some nice croaker there, about a cast away from the wharf towards the channel. Deep water, fish will hit bottom bounced Gulp or bottom rigs there.
I live at the top of Put In Creek and put in there at the Town Landing. The hard bottom with omnipresent croaker is the first bay on the right in the East from Put In.
Great info on docks. I'd add that my most productive docks are older ones. Older = more growth on them and I find the fish attracted to that.
Agreed, and an egregious omission in my dockulatory opination. Biggest problem with fishing docks is that you have to be able to make accurate casts and need to pay really close attention to that little line hanging down that has a crab pot attached. Ooops! Really, though, age definitely is a factor. Old and convoluted docks can give you a half hour of fishing, and there are some on the Piankatank that fill that bill admirably. Docks that have lights that the owners turn on at night also seem to have a hold over effect during the day for bait and fish. We also got banged up by three inadvertent hookups with the dreaded cow nosed ray the other day. They were cruisin' the same docks we were. Tough to handle on 6 lb test. One of 'em looked to push 25 lbs.
*can validate the croaker spot. It is a stone cold lead pipe lock.
Sounds good, I'll let you know. It will probably be early-mid June. Klawdads indeed work, but if they are tied on freshwater hooks they won't last. I've got more flies than money, and you can have your pick of the litter to put on your line.
I do love me some croakers on a 6 weight!
OK, I'll be looking for you. As for the Klawdads, I'd rather they rust away in the salt than dry rot in the box they've been sitting in for the last ten years. I've found that total immersion in a bucket of freshwater can help prolong the life of freshwater hooks used in salt, but with your tying skills, I'm sure you'll have something better than I do. As for the croakers on the 6 wt, I'm all in. Would you be using a sinking tip, or just relying on your leader to get down to them? Docks are seldom deeper than 5 or 6', but the deeper croaker are in 8 to 12' in the East.
Is anyone planning an opening day cobia venture? I am trying to put together a plan that puts me down in the Bay around June 1. I hope that I can get the time off.
Maybe we could put a TKP event together. Gang up, create a flotilla full of a flurry of chum, and share the experience.
I may go after them in NC for a few weekdays
I'm planning on going down to Beaufort around June 12. However I don't know if the cobia will be still be around then. Usually would be down earlier but headed to Islamorada for my graduation trip. Chartered two half day trips for tarpon and planning to go on a bottom fishing trip on a party boat. Should be a lot of fun. Hope the tarpon cooperate.
I'm pretty proud of my kid's catch. She caught this 8 pound 2 oz, 25 inch rainbow trout last weekend. It's her first ever trout and citation. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she'll be trying to catch one to beat that for quite some time.
nice salmon!
I can't upvote this enough times.
You've spoiled her for life! Hopefully, she's also hooked for life. Thanks for sharing.
Seconded. That is a toad of a trout.
Former Pritchard neighbor and longtime friend Chuck booked me for yesterday on the Bay with his future father in law. I warned these guys it was going to be sporty with 15 knot winds and they said, let's go anyways. Sporty it was... and especially tough having two newbies fly fishing in those conditions. Despite that, Chuck got a 20" speck off of a grass flat. We ended with 6 dink stripers on a well-known holding spot on the Piankatank. My usual spots that hold nice stripers and tons of croaker produced zilch. Two weeks away from consistent action IMHO. I'll take the trout though! (She is still swimming by the way)
That is a pretty one.
All the croaker are in the East! Nice spec, man. You aren't in a kayak, I see.
Nope, I was in my Carolina Skiff. Sure as hell wasn't going to try and paddle in that stuff
Aww, I'm disappointed. I thought you were a purist! Trolling motor on the skiff?
I don't have a trolling motor, I do have a push pole!
Ahhh, old school!
Guided my neighbor and his two long time friends today on the Potomac kayaking for Snakeheads. These guys were hardcore veteran spin fishermen. They didn't pick up the fly rod. Water was muddy, but had 18 inches of visibility. I saw at least 50 fish. They were stacked up, not moving in the lilly pads. Incredibly spooky, we had a few eats but they were picky. Generally a very aggressive fish that doesn't give a crap about anything else, we didn't even land one. Did get one bass. My guiding ego took a hit, but at least I found the fish. Between the 4 of us, I'm sure we saw at least 125 fish. I've never seen more than 25 out there. Biggest was at least 3 feet long. Many in the 20 inch plus range. If I had a bow and arrow I would have had snakehead dinner for weeks. Possible guiding trip there again on Friday, I hope they start acting like snakeheads should...
How bad is the snakehead problem? I recall people being very "the sky is falling" when it first happened a few years ago. Have they decimated the native fish population like everyone was saying on the news?
Certainly a complicated issue. They are here to stay in the Potomac. The sky didn't fall. Ironic thing is everyone is concerned about largemouth bass and they aren't even native, they were introduced 100 years ago. Talked to a guy on the dock when we were putting in and he said he caught a dozen LMBs that morning, no snakeheads. I catch bigger largemouths now that the snakeheads are there. Maybe the snakeheads eat the smaller bass? But the snakehead fry also have to get eaten by largemouths. The only fish we caught yesterday was an LMB. I did spook a nice one as well.
Humans do a good job of controlling the snakehead population. Bow fishing for them has exploded and they are pretty easy to target. I have a friend who regularly comes home with dozens of them shot with a bow. They are great eating, so that helps. They have definitely created a new fishery and it has given me a new place to go guiding for a unique fish and experience, which is good. The Potomac is not a first rate fishery, so their population has made it much more interesting to fish there.
The big concern with them is that they are incredibly voracious eaters and can spread rapidly. There are reports of them in the Rappahannock River now, which isn't good. I'm ok with them in a localized fishery, but we don't need them all over VA and up and down the east coast. South Florida has a population of them too.
What blows me away with the "sky is falling" response that you initially saw, is that states in the US have legally done this on a far grander scale than the snakeheads' illegal invasion. Virginia put catfish (I forget what variety but they are all the same to me) in the James River years ago and they have crushed the smallmouth bass population to the point it has not returned to normal levels in and around Richmond. You can catch brown and rainbow trout all over the Rocky Mountains, but they are not native to those states and have wiped out many cutthroat trout populations the last hundred years. There are peacock bass "legally introduced" from the Amazon in South Florida, which actually is good in my opinion because it created a new fishery, like the snakeheads. They were introduced to control illegal Chichlids and Oscars that people tossed out of their aquariums. They also don't seem to compete with largemouths.
I'd say that the snakeheads probably aren't a truly good thing to have in the waterways, but they are fun to catch and they are not going anywhere. I'm not overly worried about it. Virginians should be much more concerned about the healthiness of the state's rivers with companies like Dominion Power (they are Pat Narduzzi to me) letting coal ash ponds leak into the Potomac and James rivers for years, polluting everything. However, that doesn't quite seem to draw the attention as the killer fish that breathes air and walks on land.
Blue catfish are a much bigger problem in the Potomac than snakeheads.
Pardon my ignorance but how/why are they a problem? I've never fished the Potomac.
Invasive species killing off too much native fish?
They have virtually wiped out all the panfish and their numbers are going. There is almost no harvest because of the toxins in the fish, so despite being incredibly easy to catch they are proliferating. I have heard rumbles that they are starting to hurt bass stocks, but I will defer to others on that topic.
The blues have also wiped out the native catfish species blue catfish are the true definition of invasive species, it sucks hearing from older anglers about how good the James and Potomac used to be years and years ago
I used to do a lot of catfishing as a kid but haven't chased them in years. How easy is easy? If I wanted to take the family on a camping trip one weekend and just fish from the bank, is that a feasible way to go about it? Any suggestions for camping spots with decent river access for fishing with kids? We live in Blacksburg now so it would be a fun road trip to camp and get the kids hooked up with some 3-8 pound catfish.
I just read a few stories about the blue cat issue. I never knew. Poor decision to introduce them. Some estimates give 75% of some rivers' biomass to the blue cats. Crazy!
If you have fresh cut bluegills, it is merely a matter of sitting and waiting. Any spot in East Potomac Park, just flip an 8/0 hook on a fishfinder rig and enough weight to hold bottom and if you don't snag, you will get a bite quick. Fish will range anywhere from 2 pounds up to 30+. My son got a 37 incher on a carrot stick. If you fish EPC, make sure you have a large, long handled net because there is a rail along the shore and you can't reach down to grab the fish.
Thank you for the information!
The lower James can be phenomenal too just nowhere to camp that I know of I've gone under the mayo bridge at the fall line and caught more catfish than you could count on chicken livers and a weighted flounder rig plenty of nice sized ones as well
Thanks! Now I need to go Google "weighted flounder rig". I miss the fun of catfishing from the bank. No stress, easy, fun fishing. Cheap entertainment. I need to find the time to go soon.
Nothing fancy just an egg sinker in between swivels on heavy mono should be fine just easier to buy one then all the stuff to make one
They have crushed the SMB and sunfish population in the James. How easy? I actively target them on a fly rod.
The latest edition of Va Wildlife magazine has an excellent article on the fish, if you're interested. Having never seen one outside of an aquarium, I'll let the experts have their say.
I was a big Flyfisherman but have being fishing with a friend who is a Bass Fisherman so haven't used my flyrod to much lately. Here is a few of my larger catches. Not all bass.
I feel bad not using my flyrod, but I'm catching some fish. Miss the Rainbows and Browns. May go this weekend after them.
Best day smallmouth fishing of the year so far Sunday 83 smallmouth in a full day trip they bit everything in the book from crankbaits to buzz baits to fly poppers nothing huge but plenty of pound pound and a half fish I lost one that looked well over 4 pounds but it happens that's why it's called fishing not catching.
Caught my biggest fish ever on the fly got him on a slow pop retrieve he didn't go for the other people's big fast poppers but my slow quaint popper got him to go full airborne smash a seal like mad on it and after a long fight I got him in!
Edit: it was my first time using sub surface flies I used a 2 inch clouser minnow it was fun as heck learning to use subsurface flies the bream loved them
Any word on if the drum have showed up yet? My source from the mobjack says the trout have finally showed up in good numbers but thats all I got out of him I may be going to fish for trout this weekend in the mobjack since the rivers have all flooded the smallie fishing will be tough as nails
The big red drum are thick on the inner middle grounds and the CBBT.
OK, if you don't hit the rivers with spinnerbaits, you're probably right about them. I caught my first trout from William's Wharf yesterday en route to a croaker, whiting dinner. I have seen a pic of a big trout from the Piankatank, and heard of more around. French's friend caught two cobia yesterday at York Spit, so things are heating up here in the Middle Peninsula.
honestly in my time fishing the upper james I've never had any luck when the river goes up and gets muddied up even with spinners so I've kind of gotten to where when its muddy and high ill just go to a pond and thatll hold me over till the rivers go down. Thats also along with who I fish my fishing partner realllllyyyy hates rapids cause of the fear of flipping so I've gotta avoid really high water otherwise I get yelled at which is meh I grew up loving rapids and going right into them head on but being in a canoe only these days plus having a person in the boat that isnt good with paddling rapids I try to avoid nasty water these days.
I may try out of the east river and go up to the mouth and try some fishing for reds one night or evening with peeler crab and just see if theyre there worst thing is I could atleast bottom fish and have some fresh croaker for breakfast the next morning. There are always buckets of bite sized croaker in the East river, always.
Totally understand avoiding high muddy water, especially when you don't have to be out there. My raft made navigation easy enough, but the water needs to be settling down and at least starting to clear before anything makes much sense, and the later it gets in the year, the less you can count on spinnerbaits. Either way, in high water, it becomes an eddy fishing game, and you need boat control to properly fish the eddies. Canoes and kayaks need not apply.
As for the reds here in Mathews, none inshore that I've heard of, but some big ones on the reefs I've been told. Good luck, let me know if you do any good.
Yep, cobia are here. There is very little chatter because folks can't keep them until June 1 so only catch and release folks are targeting them. Remember, you have to have the free cobia permit to possess a cobia and you have to report all trips (even unsuccessful ones) within 7 days. Here is the email I got as a permit holder with instructions on how to report:
As a 2017 RECREATIONAL COBIA PERMIT holder, it is your responsibility to report all cobia caught or released during the 2017 recreational cobia season. All of your trips resulting in the harvest or catch-and-release of cobia must be reported to the Commission within seven days of that trip occurring. Any trips where no cobia were caught, or notification of no activity, must be reported to the Commission by the 15th day after the close of the recreational cobia season (reports must be in by September 30, 2017).
Chapter 4VAC20-510-10 ET SEQ ET SEQ. "Pertaining to Amberjack and Cobia" requires that any recreational cobia permittees shall provide the permittee name, VMRC ID number, the date of any harvest, the number of anglers on board (if applicable), and the number of cobia kept or released. Any length or weight inf ormation on kept or released cobia may be provided voluntarily by the permittees.
The following permittees obtained a permit using EMAIL OMITTED and are required to comply with this reporting requirement.
YEAR NAME VMRC ID
2017 OMITTED
You may meet your reporting requirements by utilizing the VA Saltwater Journal found at https://www.vasaltwaterjournal.com. The VA Saltwater Journal has a mandatory reporting section for reporting cobia either captured or released. You must also report your non-participation if you did not fish during the cobia season.
Alternatively, paper forms may be found on our website at http://mrc.virginia.gov/.../2017_Recreational_Reporting_Form.... that will allow you to mail in your reports.
If you fail to meet these reporting requirements by the 15th day after the close of the season, you will be unable to renew your Cobia Recreational Permit the following year.
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the VMRC office at (757) 247-2272 or (757) 247-2243.
That's...intense.
I completely missed trout season this year despite having received a top notch trout spinning rod for Christmas.
Anyone feel like showing me the ropes on warm water freshwater fishing or light tackle fishing SMK, drop me a line.
If you are like me and bored because you can't get on the river and itching to spend a buck, PowerPro braid in 10, 20, and 65#, 300 yard spools are on sale for 9.99 at Academy.com. Free shipping too.
I stocked up!
thanks!
Just got back from my graduation trip to Islamorada. On our trip last Monday, I caught an estimated 140 lb tarpon that I fought for an hour and a half. It drug us a mile away from where we got the bite. Got it to the leader 5 times but it wouldn't give up. Finally decided that it was time to cut the line on the 5th time to the leader and let it swim away alive. Went out Thursday morning and it was pretty windy, went out and caught a limit of mangrove snappers in a hour and then tried for tarpon for an hour and a half but no bites. On Friday, went out on a full day Party Boat fishing, caught a couple yellow tail snappers and a couple vermillion snappers. Best part of that was my girlfriend came on the party boat and she enjoyed it and wants to come fishing more.
Best part of that was my girlfriend came on the party boat and she enjoyed it and wants to come fishing more.
This is key. Many of my exes know how to fish. Now if I could just stop teaching them/helping the next boyfriend out...
It was slightly surprising since the other time she came fishing we got into a school of bluefish and caught one after the other. The partyboat fishing was slow on action for the most part and there was no wind that day. So we were sweating just standing there. Based on that I thought she would have been miserable but she plans on coming more.
Best of luck to you in breaking that trend of helping the next guy out.
ME:
](https://postimg.org/image/ttgnqi4jh/))
It was brutal. We kept thinking the tarpon was done and then it would make another run. The tarpon even drug us all the way into a canal and the captain said he had never seen anything like it. My biceps were sore for the next three days.
Going to Cherry Grove/Myrtle Beach for the week of June 17-23 with the in-laws. To save my sanity, I'm going to try to do some fishing. We are renting a house a block or two from the Cherry Grove pier but on the beach - is surf fishing an option? I have a few 8'6" catfish poles that I think could work, but zero knowledge about how to fish the surf.
What rigs/tackle do I need to have? Any tips and techniques? Saltwater/beach fishing is completely foreign to me.
I think I'll probably be wasting my time, but it will get me out of the house.
I don't know the area very well from a fishing perspective. Check the local laws on fishing from the beach- I know the swimming beaches prohibit or frown upon fishing (and people all over is a pain.) If I were you, I would go to the pier with 10lb spinning tackle and medium spinning rods, a handful of gotcha plugs, and some light bottom rigs. Can't go wrong. If you tell me what species you'd like to target I can share more.
I will say, there are a TON of sharks down there and they can be fun to catch. But, I believe targeting sharks is prohibited locally.
Thanks, for the info French. I do have
twothree questions though:1) I looked up some bottom rigs - and honestly I can't tell what is the best. Should I buy some? Any that you suggest? Or will a carolina rig work just as well (some I looked up looked similar)? I have almost everything in my disposal when it comes to mono/flouro/braid and hardware.
2) When I'm on the pier, is there anything I should cast towards/target? Any section of the pier better than the other? I know wind affects pier fishing a lot it seems, I assume to be downwind on that one. But all my life I grew up throwing lures and baits into cover/changes in elevation/current breaks in freshwater, so what do I cast towards on the pier? Or do I just drop my lure down?
3) On Gotcha Plugs - what is the etiquette here? I figure with all those lines out it might be a nightmare working the lure back as it is swept towards the beach.
I'm just totally lost on this type of fishing and I struggle to find info online (unlike bass/cat/striper/musky fishing which I do regularly).
I'd suggest a Carolina Rig for bottom. Very easy to make yourself
I like to use a marathon sibiki rig and tip it with bloodworm fish bites. You can snap a small weight on, fish straight down, and throw it away when you are done. As for gotcha plugs, cast straight out. If you go over someone, walk to them and then reel up. If they throw over to, walk over them so they can reel up before you finish your retrieve. If it is crowded, be patient. Tangles will happen.
French is largely right, but one advantage of having a beach house is that you're there early and late, when most folks are dining or still abed, so you can cast from the beach and not endanger little Sally or Billy. French's suggestion of hitting the pier is a good one, and his rod/plug ideas are right for blues or spanish that may come by, and the bottom rig is a good way to catch about anything around the pier. Medium hooks, enough weight to keep firmly in place (a must on a crowded pier, as is good casting) baited with bloodworms, shrimp, squid or cut bait is a good way to stay busy if fish are running, and you stand a decent chance of catching dinner. The other thing about pier fishing is you stay dry. Being able to watch successful anglers is another bonus. There may be something they're doing that you can imitate and shortcut the learning curve. My Mom used to live in North Myrtle Beach and the beaches there weren't all that inviting for surf fishing, but the Cherry Grove pier usually had some decent fishing reports when I was visiting in the summer. G'luck, give us a report.
Thanks for the info! We might try the pier one night, but I'm just not a fan of fishing in crowds. Maybe a weeknight won't be as bad.
There is a lot to say about watching other people fish though, and it could definitely help me get into a few.
Made the annual pilgrimage to West by God Virginia for the 32nd year in a row (I'm 32) to a close family friend's private 600 acre farm in the middle of nowhere, with a 30 acre lake smack dab in the middle of it. This lake is loaded with huge bluegill up to a foot long and tons of 10-16" largemouths. We got rained on ALOT but I still kayak fly fished with a friend all Sunday afternoon. She did well and landed her first largemouths on fly. We both stuck a few big bluegills and I got to field test some new flies. Fishing was consistent, but much slower than most years when I get 50-60 fish easily. Regardless, it was one of the best weekends of the year as usual and this property holds a special place in my heart and whenever I get the hankering for the tug of a big bluegill I come up here.
Quick question which flies do you find best for bream? Ive found small poppers to be finicky to throw accurately atleast with my 7/8 wt rod so I try to use heavier flies with a little weight to help me since im still learning to cast. Ive just started using sub-surface flies and this past weekend I had some success with a small weighted clouser minnow that had enough weight to cast in a river with ease but I had a tougher time getting the fish to take it so I could hook them theyd bite it but I had a heck of a time even with the smaller smallmouth getting a hook set and I've never had issues with fly hooksets but then again I've never tried sub surface stuff before so I dont know if I just need a smaller minnow imitator or like with a frog pulled over lilly pads I need to give the fish time before going for a hookset. Fishing the clouser was a serious amount of fun watching it jig in the current and then dissapear but it was frustrating the number of misses I had compared to using my popper per say.
Top flies for sunfish are small poppers or gurglers, spider flies or very small streamers, like a woolly bugger.
You're more than likely missing fish that eat based on your hook set. If you are doing a "trout set," where you raise the rod tip, you will pull the fly out of their mouth. For anything but trout I use a strip set, where you pull back on the line hard when the fish eats, and then raise the rod tip. This jams the hook point in the fishes mouth. Make sure you are also retreiving the fly by pointing the rod tip directly at the fly and with the rod tip DOWN, sometimes even in the water. Slack is bad when setting the hook.
what kind of 'yak is she standing in?
Jackson Cuda 12. They are badass
gracias
Just got back from vacation on Anna Maria Island, FL where we booked a charter for the 3rd consecutive year. This year was the slowest we've had and it was still pretty productive. Our guide said this year has been weird and tough. They had another warm winter (2nd in a row) and it's impacted the timing of the runs of pretty much all species. He's been able to get some production but it's been rough.
Despite it being slow, we caught between 10-15 snook over the 4 hour period. Most were in the 20" range. The first snook I caught was 24" plus and very fat. Fought like a redfish instead of a snook. Outside of snook, we caught some speckled trout, a small gag grouper (about 16"), a couple cats, a barracuda (of all things), and a cranky seagull. The barracuda was a real oddity. the guide said that he catches 2-3 all year and he does over 200 trips a year. Considering the nasty storms that rolled through mid week, we were lucky to get out on the water at all...let alone catch anything.
When we first went out the tide and current was very heavy and the fish were active. As soon as the tide started to slow, things dropped off quickly and we didn't catch any snook over the last 1.5 hrs of the trip. that's when we picked up the random fish. He said that's been the case all spring. Fish the fast parts of the tide hard because it's a short window. Oddly enough, we bumped into some tarpon cruising through some of the shallows. They wouldn't bump the crabs that we threw at them though. Usually the tarpon group at the mouth of the tampa bay so it was weird to see them cruising inshore this time of year.
We'll keep doing it as long as they keep biting.
Sitting here snelling hooks for a cobia trip tomorrow. We'll see.
Keep us updated. I'd love to get out there a catch a cobia this summer.
Good luck I've never caught one only seen one once last summer out by the #1 marker in the mobjack was stunned but only had light bottom fishing tackle and nothing to throw at it, may it be hot as hell and calm as can be!
I've caught a few, but it's been a while since I got a good one. Last year, we had some bodacious fish on, but none in the box, they just pulled off. Fishing for 30-70lb fish is a different proposition, and I'm just trying to learn the process. Thanks for the good wishes, I'll let you know how it goes, better or worse.
I'd be happy to catch a cobia even 5 pounds would be nice, last cobia trip I went into the middle of the mobjack fiund a nice deep 35 foot hole and setup up current and chummed all day and never saw nor hooked anything but large sharks had one 4 footer even I just remember the killer heat where you can't jump in because your chumming in the water
Well, I know what you mean about the heat and the chum, but I've still seen guys jump in the water when they got too hot. Your set up in the Mobjack may have been faulty. The cobia are attracted to shoals and humps more than the deeper water, but some days sharks is all you get regardless of where you go. We're looking at the York Spit or New Point Comfort shoals, depending on the accuracy of the forecast for 1 foot seas. I'm on my way.
Bit of news today the first verified northern snake head was caught in lake Anna on Tuesday will be interesting to see how lake Anna changes hard to see how the Dead Sea can get any deader though
Ruh Roh
Well, I'm snakebit, now it is confirmed and I believe it. We got to the York Spit with a livewell full of croaker, set the anchor, walked to the stern and were getting our rigs ready when two cobia just swam right up to the boat, saw us gawking and scrambling for the jig rod, then turned and boogied. One was undersized, the other an obvious keeper. There were about 15 boats fishing, far fewer than I'd expected, but several of them caught cobia while we were there. We got a cow nosed ray, then my buddy hooked up with a small cobia. While he was fighting it, a really big one slammed my croaker and headed for Yorktown. I did all I could do, it was a brute, and after running at least a hundred yards, I finally slowed it down a little, but subsequently, it just broke off. Lesson #1, 50 lb test isn't enough. No knot problems, hook problems, nothing, just busted the line clean. I felt it hitting the line with its tail and pectoral fins, and I suspect the extreme strain on the line encountered something sharp on the fish and POW. A little later, I fought a very large cow nose myself, and finally, just before leaving, had another likely cobia runoff, but he let go. Snakebit, I tell ya, snakebit. Third year in a row I've had them on and while this is the first one I've actually broken off, I just cannot seem to land a good one. Next time, maybe, huh?
Sounds like you got your strategy down. Just getting out there for the rest of the summer I'm sure you will get a few. Were you able to pull your anchor up and try to chase the big one down?
My buddy was getting the lines up and we were considering it if the fish didn't slow down soon, and that was maybe the problem, I put a lot of pressure on it to slow the run, to the point of burning my thumb up and making my arm sore, but we didn't get the anchor up, likely a mistake. Like you say, we were at the right place, at the right time, with the right bait and chum, so we were close, and we did put the small one in the boat, so there wasn't a skunk, but losing really big fish can be a bit heartbreaking. Cobia fishing isn't easy, and it ain't cheap, so you wanna get paid back, but it isn't all about the groceries, and I had my chances. It is a powerful fish.
Yeah sounds like its just a matter of everything coming together. The good thing is the cobia are around all summer in the bay. If you need another hand or just some company, let me know. I've got next week free before I start my job.
The most important point I didn't make to answer your anchor question is that we were doubled up, with only two men on board, and my buddy had to land his small cobia solo while I was dukin' it out with Mr. Big. Just heard from French, and he did really well yesterday. He sent a picture that illustrates the point of BIG. I suspect he'll post it if he hasn't already. I am not sure of what next week will bring, but I'd love to get together. My boat fishes two folks comfortably enough for this kind of fishing, but without superstructure, it'll have to be a chumming affair. Give me a call anytime at 804-725-2680, leave a voicemail if necessary, and I'll get back with you. Landline, of course, for the dinosaur that's me.
I will give you a call on Sunday probably. Out camping this weekend
Hit the New this afternoon. Wasn't the greatest day for numbers, but my dad managed to catch a nice one. She measured out at 19".
Nice picture. The river looks great, too.
great smallie!
That would be close to a record smallie for me. Pretty work!