novafx4

I haven't fished Mercer in a couple of years but I have walked in from that cul-de-sac. It's a couple hundred yards down a path and should be doable. The biggest obstacle would be the gate that blocks vehicular traffic down the path. I was thinking of doing that exact same thing this weekend if the wind and weather will cooperate a bit. My back up plan is Lake Brittle where I never seem to have any luck.

I checked the NoVA Parks website this afternoon and Fountainhead is closed to boaters. Only foot traffic and biking allowed at the moment. I've got my PA14 all rigged up and my plan was to hit FH this weekend. I may give Mercer a try or the lake across the Pkwy behind the Giant may have some potential. I haven't been to either of those in several years. CURRENT STATUS: Vehicle access to Fountainhead is closed until further notice. Please do not park illegally or block the gates. The mountain bike trail is closed. The park offices, bait shop, restrooms, shelter, boat rental and boat launch are closed. Bull Run Occoquan Trail is open for walking/hiking/biking* from dawn to dusk. (*Biking on authorized sections only of BROT- trail conditions permitting.) Please practice social distancing on trails.. We will update this message to refer to the hours below once the current situation has changed. https://www.novaparks.com/parks/fountainhead-regional-park

Fountainhead is closed to all but hikers and bike riding. No vehicular traffic, no parking and no boating. I've got my PA14 all rigged up with nowhere to go at the moment.

I got my kayak and gear sorted out yesterday and am thinking of hitting Fountainhead this afternoon. I haven't been on the water in more than a year.

From the VDGIF website. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/display.asp?id=97&section=regulations

I've got a PA14 and a pickup truck. It's heavy, but manageable with a tailgate extender. The only issue I've had with my PA is the wheel of the cart was rubbing the underside of the hull. The fix is to cut a couple of pieces of 1" diameter PVC about 3/4" long and place them behind the adjustable collars on the cart. I've done that and have had no further issues with the wheel rub. I'm 5'11" and ~240lbs and can stand and fish in my PA without any issues. It takes a bit of practice, but I had it mastered after just a couple of outings. If you're interested in any further details feel free to PM me. Steve

Was anyone at Fountainhead yesterday afternoon? My daughter and I arrived at the launch at around 4pm and there were several firetrucks and rescue vehicles on scene and it looked like a couple of rescue boats as well. No details in the local paper or FB pages. I'm assuming it was either someone falling out of a boat or a mountainbiker getting evac'd.

There's Beaverdam in Ashburn. Don't know anything about it though. http://www.nvrpa.org/park/beaverdam Steve

Hi Jon, There are lots of places to shore fish in No VA. One of my favorite spots is along the river at Hemlock Overlook. Bring some comfortable shoes as there's a bit of a walk from the parking lot down to the water and a moderate climb back up to the parking lot. There are plenty of bluegill, bass and catfish to be had out of the river there. If you're not familiar, Hemlock Overlook is one of the parks between Fountainhead and Bull Run Regional Park. There is also Lake Mercer and Huntsman Lake down the Fairfax County Parkway. I haven't fished either one of those in years so I can't tell you what the fishing is like these days. Fountainhead and Burke Lake do offer boat rentals, so don't let the lack of a boat keep you away from those locations. Do a quick search of NVRPA parks and you can find the rental fees and plenty of other info. Good luck and welcome to the forums. Steve

Much bigger fish? I'm not complaining about the ones I've been catching. I had to look up what a shakey head was, but it looks like it would work. I may have to rig one up on my second pole and give it a try next time I'm out. Thanks for the tip. Steve

There was some of that going on when I was coming out of the water this afternoon. Kayaks should really stick to the rubber mat or the gravel area to the right of the concrete ramp if for no other reason than the concrete part of the ramp will tear up your plastic boat. I got lucky and got a parking spot at the bottom of the hill today and could wheel my yak over to the water. Makes things easier that way. FWIW, I did catch a couple of nice largemouths while I was out this morning. A Texas rig with a darker colored plastic worm fished around the fallen trees has been working for me lately.

Here's my take. I paid $90 for the privilege of launching my kayak from the ramp. I paid my money so I'm going to use the ramp. I try not to tie things up for more than the few minutes it takes to unload/load it into the back of my truck. If I can get a parking spot at the bottom of the hill I don't even back up to the ramp, I just wheel my boat over from the parking lot. Same for getting it out of the water. I'll be out there today with my Pro Angler in my red F-150. If you see me, stop by and say hi. Steve

I pulled a really nice 2.5 lb largemouth into my Hobie PA yesterday evening. Texas rigged worm worked around a fallen tree did the trick.

Thanks everyone. It's good to be here.

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