fishva

Because it's fun and better for my health than going to the bar each time I get bored at home...

I was fishing for crappie at night with my lightweight rod and a small spinner when I caught my personal best bass. That was pure luck, but enough to show me that small baits can sometimes catch big fish.

I'm pretty new to this as well, but I've improved a lot. All I can tell you is fish as much as you can, and take notes (literally). Don't worry about doing things 'the right way.' Get out there and experiment as much as you can.

Nope. My dog is neurotic. Going fishing is one of the ways I escape from her for awhile. I love her, but she drives me crazy.

Went out today for about 3 hours, and it was pretty slow (but fun). I caught a 1lb-ish bass on a Senko, and a 4lb-ish catfish on a crankbait. Also, I think I got a sunburn. It felt so great to be outside in weather that felt like spring. Edit: I was fishing from the banks at Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland, VA.

That sounds like a lot of fun! I've been out to some ponds a few times over the last couple weeks, but never for more than an hour or so at a time. I've been skunked each time so far, but was still glad to get out. Tomorrow will be the better test, since I'm taking the day off to go fishing with my daughter (she's on spring break at the moment). So with a full day, there will be no excuses. Just kidding. I'm sure I will be able to think of 100 if need be:)

Richmond-area here. I checked the weather and saw it's supposed to be near 80 tomorrow so I'm taking the day off. Can't wait.

I'm fairly new to this too, but I'm getting better. Here's what I do: Keep a log. Yeah, it sounds boring, but it helps. Write down the water temperature, the air temperature, how clear the sky is, how muddy the water is, what you're fishing with, how you fished it, and what your success rate was. There isn't a 100% formula by any means, but I can't tell you how useful it is to look back at this and have a guess as to what you might have luck with in certain conditions.

Any overhanging trees. I like the challenge of the cast, and working around the underwater roots.

A 20-ish inch musky in Kerr Lake, NC. I had no idea they were in there. I was using a lightweight rod trying to catch crappie with a small spinner. I thought I had a monster bass. This thing was creepy. Like a dragon of the deep. I was scared of it, honestly. Taking the hook out freaked me out. Them teeth...

I only keep and eat bass when I'm on camping trips (something about eating what you catch is fun in that environment). I keep it simple: boiled in lemon butter and pepper and served with rice.

Always make sure your tackle box is latched before you pick it up. I lifted an un-latched box once in my garage. I had bare feet, and it took a LONG time to get those all those treble hooks out of my foot.

I have some weird brand of retractable scissors that my wife had -- they were for crafting, but she didn't like them. They didn't have enough precision, or something. But they sure cut through line well!

Yeah, when I was a kid (probably 8 or so). I caught a bass that was probably 5 pounds, which was by far the biggest I ever caught. I wanted my dad to see it because I was proud, so I put it on a stringer and tied the stringer to the dock. It was probably a couple hours before my dad got there. The fish was still alive but very weak, and it ended up dying. I felt bad, but didn't know that would happen.

I live just south of Richmond.

My grandparents used to live in Sarasota when I was a kid, and we'd go down and visit over spring break or during the summer. Of course, I'd bring my rod with me and go fishing. If I knew what their address used to be, I'd show you some specific spots on Google Maps. But basically, I looked for small bridges near residential areas (the bridges were probably 50-100 feet wide, and there were *tons* of them all over the city). Most were easy to get under, and the fishing was almost always great. If I were going down to fish from shore, that's what I'd do. Just keep an eye out for those little bridges as you're coming into town and driving around. Seemed to be a good combination of shade and structure, I guess. Edited to add: I fished from under the bridges, not from on top of them.

My name is Kevin, and I live just southwest of Richmond (in Midlothian). I fished a lot when I was a kid / teenager, but life got in the way for awhile. I'm now in my 30s, and have been back into fishing for the last year or so. I'm a bank fisher for the time being, though I'm on the hunt for a gently used jon boat (that's all my vehicle is capable of towing). Thankfully, there are plenty of good spots around here for bank fishing. I understand the basics of fishing, but really need to work on my bait selection and understanding the impact of weather. I don't know enough yet to make informed decisions on what lures to fish -- I treat my tacklebox like a grab bag (which needs to change). Regardless, I love being outside and (sometimes) catching fish.

Thanks, guys. We ended up getting completely skunked, but that was probably more on account of the cold weather than the quality of the fishing. For anyone else who might like to know: the eastern bank is easily accessible by foot, while the western bank is not so easy. That said, a good portion of the eastern bank is a swimming area where you can't fish. The lake could be very loud in the summer, with lots of kids playing. That isn't a factor between Labor Day and memorial day though. Row boats are also available for rent, and the lake is small enough that it would be easy to cover it all in a rowboat without much trouble.

I'll be heading out to Twin Lakes State Park (out near Farmville, VA) for a father / daughter camping trip this weekend (brrrr). Our camp spot is closest to Goodwin Lake. Has anyone fished those lakes before? Are the banks fairly accessible by foot, or do I need to look into renting a boat? I'm a novice angler (on a good day), so any tips about spots to hit or baits to use this time of year would be very appreciated.