Choporoz

Cool. I work on Belvoir. Between the piers and the banks, there's pretty good bass fishing right here. I don't have a boat either, but I rent from both Lake Ridge and Fountainhead. Trolling motors limit you somewhat, but there's still a lot of water to cover from those two parks and it can take years to learn. Burke also rents boats, but I never had much luck there. Pohick rents boats, but the hours are screwy and launching/recovering can be a challenge if the tide is out. For shore/bank fishing, there's the entire Potomac, many lakes and ponds and some of the Occoquan rez and river. If in the market to rent a boat a little farther out, I've also rented at Orange, Brittle and Anna and many, many times at Hunting Run. I'd be glad to pass on my experiences.

Good discussion. Yes, I do generally put the scale under the gill plate, but for whatever reason, not all bass are created equal and it does slide out at times. I am ordering a Fish Grip and I think that will solve any and all problems - most importantly, the one about burying trebles in my fingers.

Welcome, CB. I'm also in Woodbridge. Keep an eye on the Occoquan thread: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/133334-anyone-hit-the-occoquan-reservoir-lately/ Between Occoquan, Potomac and lots of smaller bodies of water, this is a pretty decent bass fishing area. Much depends on whether you have a boat, how far you want to travel, etc.

Thanks for the report, Bream! Congrats on recent successes, Poppa and Delfi! I went out of Fountainhead late Saturday for a few hours. Fishfinder immediately died. One thing I've learned as I spend more time on this water is that I really need that piece of gear. So, I was basically blind --tried to get near spots I thought I knew and tossed jigs and DD22's for about 3 hours and had three 1.5lb bass to show for it. All three fish came when the wind died completely so I could see and chase baitballs -- then drag a crank underneath. If the bait started to boil, I ran over and worked it. Not the most efficient way to fish, lol. Bream, I'd be more than happy to discuss what little I know about O anytime. Should take about 2 minutes...

I decided just this past weekend that I'm done with P-Line CXX and going back to Yo Zuri. The P-Line is largely good, but has two big problems that I haven't had with Yo Zuri. (All issues were from same spool of 15 lb moss green): 1. I've had three separate breaks on the baitcast spool - I imagine that previous birdsnests kinked it enough to weaken significantly. You can basically crease this line with your fingers and it visibly retains the kink -- it has to affect the strength. 2. The other problem is the memory on this line is dramatic. Even with KVD line lube it coils like nobody's business. Not much a huge problem on baitcaster, but useless for spinning reel applications.

I've thrown them before - usually after I get an accidental crappie, or big sunfish. Especially if the bass bite has been slow. My problem has been that no rig in the boat can cast them adequately. They're so light that I barely get them 5 yards out, get frustrated, toss a light jig for a minute and then go back to being abused by lockjaw LMB. I have never actually tried to catch bass with a beetle spin, however.

I've got rapala mini, which I like...BUT, next one will definitely have a gripper. That big dull hook gets to be a PITA

Good luck and let us know how you fare. I've walked around half of it maybe three times but haven't fished it yet.....but it's often on back of my mind. I've thought that an inner tube would be the ideal vessel

You gotta say more, I'm afraid......you got me to open this thread, after all

buy more......trust me on this one.....lots more

We call 'em panfish

tcbass, Yes Rage rigged and weightless/texposed. Under docks, into brush.....anywhere you'd flip or pitch anything else. Toss it in - let it drop - set hook - repeat

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/138000-impressions-of-the-rage-bug/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/138465-rage-rig/

Looks to be an old quarry that may never have been 'managed' for sport fishing. Good diving, apparently, but not much in the way of fishing. I don't fish for anything other than LMB nowadays, but if I was in your position, I'd probably be taking nightcrawlers and bobbers....and maybe some beer.

Wow. If I'm reading this right, you and Kent are suggesting traveling north of 5 bills for an A-rig combo. I know, I know all about the price/cost is relative conversations and debates...but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this one.

Much appreciated!!!

Were you fishing from shore? Maybe the bass were where you weren't.

Do you use them? In your car/truck? In the boat? What brand(s)? And most important!!! Do yours float? .....mine do NOT, by the way.....I'm down two this season already....if I use them in the boat, I need to either learn how to hang on to them, or tie something buoyant to them... I love them.......but since I can't seem to hang on to 'em, I think maybe they'll have to stay in the truck from now on.

Zoom Super Fluke - they just seem to have the right size, weight and action for me. There are others that seem to look better, or displace water better, etc. But none that I can place as accurately and twitch as well as them.

Yep! I much appreciated the info, but unfortunately, I didn't do well with it. However, I enjoy learning more about that body of water every time out on it.

Thanks, quan! We may have spoke as I trolled by around 10:30 or so --- if that was you, thank you! I am always very appreciative of other anglers willing to discuss what's working/what's not. I've been keeping one eye on offshore spots where I see what appear to be regulars ....and it has borne a little success --- such as Ryan's Dam, points off Wolf Run and the area near the wake buoys by the Sandy Run piers. I'm limited to a rudimentary depth/fish finder for now since I rent -- I can find humps, holes, ledges, but it doesn't do so good about painting structure and baitfish....still learning every day. I'll be sure to study my map more thoroughly for those named areas -- I'd mostly been using it for depth gradations, but it doesn't do detail as well as I'd hoped. Thanks again.

O Rez kicked I disagree this weekend. I'm getting more and more comfortable with spring and fall patterns, but I feel it could take years to learn the summer offshore bite. Nearly 18 hours total Fri and Sat with maybe a dozen fish....nothing over 2.5. Still, it's far better than NOT fishing. Edit: autocorrect? or does BR not like a$$? lol....should have read 'kicked my (butt)'

I pretty much only carry pumpkin and shad anymore. I haven't found that water clarity is any indication of which is going to work. I start with green. If it appears slow, I'll switch to the silvery. If that slows, I'll go back to green. I haven't figured out any rhyme or reason....except that I NEVER had any consistent or repeatable luck with white/pearl.

Sorry to sound like an ass, but I can't fathom how anyone could answer this besides you. I've been content on the bank with a pack of senkos, couple lizards and a few flukes. I've also been in the boat with a 15 pound worm binder and a ten pound back-pack with nothing but plastics and found myself wishing for something I'd left at home or in my TW shopping cart.

I use Big Ugly plug knockers. From EBay, fairly cheap and work great