mudkart

The lake I grew up on in Ohio would freeze over every winter, so, when the ice would become thick enough (the tried-and-true "just jump up and down on it" test is NOT recommended ) desperate anglers would resort to boring holes in the ice and fishing through said holes: i.e. ice fishing. It was also an excuse to build all sorts of flimsy contraptions and label them "ice fishing huts." Anyway, we rarely would catch bass (and the ones we caught were small), but, the fact that we caught them proves that they do indeed feed even when the lake is frozen over: to point that we could also drive three-wheelers (remember those? I'm dating myself) and snowmobiles over the ice.

I can sympathize about the panfish, I don't know how many of them we caught on 4 and 5" (!) Yum dingers when fishing the Shenandoah. The red breast (or red ear, I forget) sunfish we were catching had mouths much more like a crappie or small bass than a typical bluegill, so, they could get these larger baits in their maws. Oh yeah, and nice bass too....

Seriously, nice outing, all those fish make it alot of fun. Did you guys go anywhere near Pohick Bay/Park? (roughly south/southeast of accotink). I ask because we caught similar bass there this spring, fishing from the bank around the park access areas. We'll be there two weekends from now also.

mmmmmmmmmmm.......raaagggee taaiiillll..........

Anyone on here from the Malvern/Lake Mohawk area?

Yeah, particularly in the evening. When and where?

The one in Burke had them last time I was there, about a week ago. But, it was clear they were contracting their tackle department: everything was moved and shoved into one aisle.

I thought about this, but it was a spur of the moment decision. I left around 8:30 PM, I just figured no one would see a post in time to make it out. I'll post next time.

Funny you should ask, take a look at my report for last night on Royal in the outings section. My PB largemouth for the year, 7 lbs, 2 oz. It fell for a black/red flake baby brush hog on a spot remover. I started at the manhole cover point, but nothing. Moved to the shallow flats and caught three keepers in the 1.5 lb range on topwaters. The lunker hit about 11:30. I could be persuaded to hit up some local ponds sometime over the next few nights.

..however, the lunker below fell for a black/red flake baby brush hog on a 1/4 oz spot remover jig. It's 7 lbs, 2 oz, my best LM of the year.

I went out last night to a local pond, much maligned for its alleged inability to produce lunker bass. I admit I was amongst those who cast dispersions on this pond: it is heavily pressured (IMO) and there are quite a few anglers I've seen who do not release their catch on this lake/pond. Typical fish lately have been like the one below: anywhere from dink size to 2.5 lbs. I caught three of these last night. all around the 1.5 lb range. Two on a rage tail shad, the third on a black jitterbug.

One spot we fished slightly north of the ATV trails, using what could be described as an ATV trail, except someone had dug an anti-ATV ditch across it. This would be about mile marker 8. The water was very clear everywhere we looked, but still we saw no carp (if they were there we would have seen them, we could see alot of the fingerling bass in the pics, before catching them, that is). Fish of the size you describe would have been unmistakeable.

Yeah, we fished along Page Valley Road at a number of places, mostly in the GW National Forest. Basically, we'd park and walk along the bank north or south to find good spots. The only spot north of SRO would be the mile 13 boat launch. The water is nice there, relatively deep, slow, with some weed-free spots. We saw no carp, but again we were stuck to the bank. Wading or canoeing would cetainly open up your options and yield more fish.

I posted a report in the tournaments/outings section...

Yours truly caught his best smallie this year, 2 lbs even, black/blue flake Fat Ika. It fought like a 3lb largemouth.

..our oldest caught his PB smallmouth (1lb. 2 oz.) using a texposed 7" powerworm. He's still talking about it 2 days later....

..the boys caught many smallies in this size range with 4" dingers...

..and this 2 lber' for another 3" dinger..

This largemouth fell for a rage shad...

..and another, also on a 3" dinger..

...and a sunfish trying for a 3" dinger...

another smallie.

We lost count of the sunfish and fingerling smallies.