Hellgrammite Day

39 great bass. Caught one close to 20 inches. Dave and I went in at Indian Rock.

Cumulative: 684

Retrieving the boat seat

Found it after a while. Had to dive 6 feet to get it. Caught 11.

Cumulative: 645

Under the James

Found my fishing pole, another pole and a box of lures. Caught nine. It was a beautiful day at Narrow Passage.

Cumulative: 634

Day at St. Marks

Well, we saw some manatees and porpoises but very few fish. I caught three and daddy caught 2.

Cumulative total: 625

Arcadia to Alpine float with the Barger

Dave absolutely hammered me in today's fishing competition. Most consistent good size fish that we've caught all year. Dave caught a 13, 12 and some other beauties. I eventually caught up a little but his hellgrammites and worms dominated my Mepps. Dave 28 Me 21 (a lot of small brim) Still a great day.

Cumulative total: 622

Narrow Passage 9 am to 1

Pretty nice redneck float. Floated down and got out at the train tracks then walked through a field and finally made it back to 43. Caught 21 but lost a nice one because I was fiddling with a net that I had found.

Cumulative: 601

The drought is over

After almost a month of no fishing, I went this morning at 6:30 to Horseshoe Bend on the James River. I waded and the water was warm. I caught 23 fish. My biggest were 14 and 11 inch smallies.

Got up at 5 and hit the James at Horseshoe Bend

Caught 30 pretty good size ones. Mostly redeye and bream.

Cumulative: 557

Took dad for a walkabout on the Craig

35 for me, 10 for him. I was pumped for him since his first fish of the day was a Pike!

Cumulative Count: 527

Best day ever...Dad on the James

Started off a little rough with lightning and rain but we absolutely lit it up. I caught 85 and just had a blast. It was great to experience the trip with my dad.

Cumulative Count: 492

Three days---61 fish

• Chris J and I hit Craig's Creek on Monday and both caught pike. 16 total.
• Tuesday I hit the Roanoke at Rutrough Rd. and caught 21.
• This morning at 5 am I hit the Head of the James and caught 24.

Cumulative Count: 407

18 at the head of the James, 15 at Craig's Creek

4 more muskies today. 2 Fall fish broke my line at the James. A muskie swam off with my buzz bait after he broke my line.

Count for the day: 33 Cumulative Count: 346

6 muskie!

Yesterday had a tough day and only caught 10.

Today I caught 57! Six of them were muskies. Craig's Creek was on fire. Tons of small ones but great day.

Cumulative Count: 313

5 am at the head of the James...Happy 4th of July

God provided a nice haul of 21. Just absolutely beautiful and powerful to think that I was at the beginning of the mighty James River.

Count for the day: 21 Cumulative Count: 246

Last few days

4 fish at Lambert's cabin on Craig's Creek. One was a 2 foot pike!

9 fish at the Maury. Disappointing day.

9 fish on the Roanoke near the dam. 14 and 16 in smallies were the biggest two.

9 fish on the Jackson River.

Tried out a crawdad lure. Worked pretty well. Size 5 Mepps was a bit too big.

Cumulative count: 225

Best Day of 2009: Maury River w/ Dave Barger (Click on the pictures to see something awe inspiring)

We drove over the bridge and I knew that it was going to be great. This river is the ULTIMATE wading river. Deep holes and riffles everywhere you look. The water temperature didn't freeze you to death either. Dave and I got there about 9:30 and the day was just perfect. We fished for the first hour without catching a thing and then began to catch a few just before lunch. After taking a quick lunch, we relocated upriver and within 10 minutes had equaled what we had caught in the morning. Largest was a 14" smallie, but the action was unbelievable. I had one jump out of the water to catch the lure before it had settled.

I can't convey how much I love this river. I spent most the day up to my waist and only had a few cuts and bruises. When it was all said and done, we packed up at 7 pm and headed home. Dave kept the pressure on me all day and finished with 34. In total we caught 77. Awesome day!

Lure: Kept the same one all day long...Mepps Silver Aglia #2

Count for the day: 43 Cumulative Count: 185

Just trying to keep count

I went twice over the last week. Caught 14 on June 4th and 9 on June 9th. Mixture of smallies, redeye and fall fish. Went to Gala, Glen Wilton and Cowpasture River Park. Saw a baby goat and mom on the side of a bluff. Fished in the rain both times.

Cumulative Count: 142

A quick visit to Crumpacker Pond after work

Netted me this guy. I think I caught him before.

Count for the day: 1 Cumulative Count: 129

Down the James with RVCSF

We had a great day of fellowship, floating and fishing. I rode in a canoe with James Adams and we didn't tip it over. Water feels pretty good to wade in now without a wetsuit. I used my usual and caught 18, mostly smallies. Biggest was around 18 inches.

Count for the day: 18 Cumulative: 128

Some Whoppers at Patrick's and Crumpacker Pond

All big fish.

Count for the day: 7 Cumulative: 110

Adventure Boys Float the Roanoke

WE had fun.

Count for the day: 9 Cumulative Count: 103

James River/Gala: Muskie Time!

What a beautiful day God delivered this morning. Not only was it beautiful but the fish were biting like crazy. Coolest thing was that I saw a beaver swim right by me in a shallow channel and then caught two small muskies. Highest haul all season.

Count for the day: 31 Cumulative Count: 94

Lure: Mepps Silver #3

Secret Pond

Worth the 20 minute stop.

Count for the day:2 Cumulative Count: 63

Great day with the Barger

We hit Craig's Creek, Roaring Run and Gala. Caught 13 at RR and 10 at Gala. Awesome day of trout, smallmouth, redeye, fall fish and brim.

(I look a little weird)

Count of the day: 23 Cumulative Count: 61

Elliston Wade Part 1

River was too muddy to get a bite but it was an enjoyable hike. Saw two snakes :-O

Stone's Keep Wade

Yesterday I spent a few hours at Stone's Keep on the Roanoke River south of Dixie Caverns. There were some beautiful deep spots and lots of shady cover. I caught 5 smallies, 5 redeye and a brim. No significant size to them though.

Count for the day: 11

Cumulative Count: 38

Lure: Amazingly I kept the same lure all day despite getting hung a lot. It was my favorite Mepps Aglia #3 Silver with a brown bucktail.

Disaster on the James

Within 5 minutes of pushing off...

• Lost my glasses
• Lost my fishing pole
• Flipped the kayak
• Filled my waders

I floated in 60 degree water for the next 45 minutes before I could make it to shore. The true disaster was not catching any fish. I hate kayaks.

13th St. Roanoke River (click on the pic to see how little he was hooked)

Very difficult place to wade. I had visions of wading downstream to the dam but only made it about 1/10th of a mile before I had to turn back. Too much bog lined the bottom of the river.

As I came upstream, I noticed deep indentions in the sides and decided these could possibly hold some smallies. I was right. Three hit very hard and two of those were 12 inchers. All in all it was a pleasureable couple of hours after work.

Count for the day: 4 (3 bass, 1 brim) Cumulative Count: 27

Lure: Red and White Mepps

Productive early morning

At 5:30 am I awoke and headed for the river. The boys had all piled into the bed, and we were all crowded anyway. By 6:30 I approached the shore and came upon a family of five otters. They frightened me as much as I must have frightened them.

After using the red and white Mepps, I decided to try a broken back plug for a while. No luck. I switched to a gold Mepps number 3 with a white bucktail and that seemed to do the trick. 6 smallies, 1 redeye and a brim.

Count for the day- 8 Cumulative- 23

Lures: Mepps 3 gold with a white bucktail

Fish injury

Headed to Rutrough Road after work since Joyce said I could fish until dark. (wow I love that girl.) Before I got too far down the river I made a fatal step under a log and a branch took it out on my face. It was a blessing in disguise because I could just as easily be blind in one eye. For the day I caught three kinds of bass...Smallmouth, Redeye and a White bass.

Count for the day- 3 Cumulative- 15

Lure- Mepps white and red #3

Snow Bass

You know things are weird when it's April and you can't figure out whether it's blooms or snow blowing past. I played around with Google Earth and found another spot to hit on the Roanoke River after work. I only stayed a few minutes but I did manage to catch this beauty. It sure was cold though.

Count for the day: 1 Cumulative Count: 12

Lure: Mepps 3 Silver Bucktail (lost in a tree now...R.I.P)

Barger Botetourt Fishing Tour

My good friend Dave Barger invited me on a fishing trip yesterday and God's beauty was all around us despite the rainy conditions.

We headed up 220 North and visited Craig Creek. This was my first view of this little creek and it was absolutely immaculate and crystal clear. I slipped on the waders and was pleased to find a rocky bottom. A slight drizzle came down but it didn't diminish the thrill of wading a new watering hole. Dave was trying minnows and I was using a #2 Mepps Aglia spinner silver with an orange targeting spot. Neither one of us got any bites.

I can't give good directions after that first spot but I do know we hit Roaring Run then the James River at a very good entry point over some railroad tracks. I do remember there was a Gas company nearby. Excellent wading there at the James. Dave caught an orange breasted bream and followed it up with a nice 10 inch smallmouth. Both were caught on nightcrawlers. I enjoyed the spot but remained fishless for the day.

Our last stop was Catawba Creek. It was my favorite spot of the day. It followed the pattern of rapids then deep holes. About 200 yards upstream I found a deep hole and reeled in my first fish of the day. Some folks call it a river jack or a fall fish. (I've attached a picture so you'd know what they look like. It's not the actual fish) I followed that up with a 10 inch smallmouth and a 6 inch one. It felt good not to get skunked. Great day.

Lures/Bait: Used a bit of everything... Nightcrawlers, Minnows, Mepps Aglia 2 Silver, Mepps Aglia 3 with brown bucktail and Gulp Spray. (caught all three fish on the bucktail)

Count for the Day: 3 Cumulative Count: 11

Foggy morning...freezing water

Today was a little good and a little bad. Hit the Roanoke River (Explore Park back entrance) at 8 am. It was a beautiful morning with fog hanging on the mountains. I talked to a guy who said striper were all over the river right now. He said he caught some 20 lbers! I was just hoping for some 2 lbers. It was 11:30 before I caught my first fish. Shortly thereafter I fell in and got my phone wet. I keep getting the message "This Accessory is not designed for the iphone." I guess it means water.

When all was said and done I had caught two 12" smallmouth, one 8" smallmouth and a brim.

Count for the day: 4 Cumulative Count: 8

Mepps Red/White=nothing

Mepps Aglia 5 Red and Yellow= nothing

Mepps Aglia 3 silver= 4

Last Ditch Effort

We have a pond at the entrance to our neighborhood. It looks like a retention pond but I thought I'd cast a few after work. Caught a little large mouth. Yay.

Count for the day: 1 Cumulative Count: 4

A Frigid, Frenetic Fifty

Got in 50 casts or so over lunch. Very cloudy/rainy day. Continued to try the ol' red and white Mepps and got nothing. There might be something to that dark lure/dark day stuff.

Quick Lunch Venture

Didn't have long but since I had a tough morning I figured I'd throw a couple casts. Headed to the Roanoke River (Explore Park back entrance) and walked 20 minutes along the shoreline trail. Found the riffles and threw parallel to a log. Like lightning, a 12" smallmouth popped my Mepps and came on to shore. Hooked another one but he threw the lure after a few seconds. Noticed a brim chasing the lure a few times. Fish must be thawing out.

Count for the day: 1 Cumulative Count: 3

Lure: Mepps 3 Red and White on Gold.

First Catch of the Season

I headed out Friday March 20th around 10 am and began wading the Roanoke River at Salem's Green Hill Park. The current was vicious and beautiful. God had given me a crisp, sunny morning to explore, and I took Him up on the offer.

After an hour, I was beginning to get discouraged. No bites. Some loudly barking dogs. And I had just stepped too far and filled the waders with 47 degree water. That's when it hit! A 20" bass was my reward for the perseverance. It didn't jump and was like pulling in a rock but it found it's way to my hands nevertheless. For months I've been away from fishing. I can't tell you the joy of reeling this one in.

Count for the day: 2 Cumulative Count: 2

Lure: Mepps 3 Red & White on Gold