Bigbarge50

hello from a fellow NOVA-er

These are some great articles. Thanks. I am looking myself for a portable unit for my new inflatable set up. This is not your typical inflatable though, can have a 15 hp outboard on it.... it is like what divers use.....aluminum floor and everything. I have not really be interested in a cast out, or floater style, more interested in a suction mounted transducer, though I could mount on my transom or on the transom electric motor I have. Also not afraid to spend a few bucks for a better unit (esp color) but have no need for something that has a gps and charts as of now. So any recommendations? Anyone use a good portable unit? Anyone use the stick models?

good stuff, did you use electronics on burke normally or you just new where a lot of the underwater structure was? I am going to go either there or huntsman after the rains pass here .... probably Thursday. I was also fishing a tiny torpedo up until early light.... then I got one to the side of the boat before I lost him on a medium sized jitterbug. Did not see a lot of higher underwater grasses, but there was a weird swirl of algae on the lake by the dam early. Anyone got some boat launch info on Huntsman? checked a lot of the older threads, and parking sound sketchy and everyone seems to be casting from shore. I would like to launch my boat on huntsman.... 11 ft inflatable seamax.... I am the guy in that red boat on Burke if anyone has been there lately. As for burke, I was really surprised to catch the cat fish that day just because I was not trying to land one. I caught it on a lipless crank..... never woulda thought that would be what a cat would go for.

Just an update..... Went out Thursday and was on the water by about 430am or so. Not much luck hitting the shallows with topwater. Later on in the morning had some luck, two largemouth, a walleye, and a catfish. All on cranks. No real luck finding these underwater brush piles, worked off points and where there was some deeper water near some shallow flats. Also worked the d**n area topwater wise early. I think I need electronics to really take advantage. Think will move over to the potomac or sounds like people are going to huntsman.... will look into that too. Will still keep hitting Burke too, just seems everyone is catching a lot more a lot quicker elsewhere.

Went out Friday from about 530pm to 1030 pm and was also skunked. I went from end to end and worked the edges, which seems like a mistake. Must admit only been there twice before and am totally new to NOVA fishing. Was a NY-er my whole life and fished Florida too, so looking forward to learning the Bass of NOVA. Burke has the most split opinion of any lake I have ever seen.... though it certainly looks like prime territory. I am going to hit it up again this week, though will try the early AM this time around. Any pointers on where these underwater brush piles are would be nice. I tried some deeper spots with a Carolina rigged sluggo with no luck, but to be frank it was an aggressive rattle and I did not really pound it. Glad I found this forum, will report later with the next trip and looking forward to any pointers.