fishguts

I used to live in Northern Virginia (15 years ago) and I fished Burke quite a bit. I did very well in the summer fishing Tiny Torpedoes for the first hour or two of daylight. The trick was to fish them right next to the willow grass. We caught lots of quality fish, but nothing over five or six pounds. The key was to use Tiny Torpedoes, not Baby Torpedoes or Pop Rs or Spooks. I think the smaller bait was key. I also fished them on a spinning rod with 8-pound line. That is also important, I believe. The bite was best early, early in the morning. I was often the first one on the lake. The best fishing came near deeper water and off points, but the bait had to be right next to the grass or in pockets inside the grass. Can't say if that pattern will be good now, but if it worked then, it ought to work these days. BTW, that pattern also worked in the last hour or so of the evening.

Judging from the 804 area code, that number is very, very old. The Farmville area has been 434 for many years. I tried the number, it's out of service.

There are no boat rental facilities in or near Farmville. Sorry.

My advice would be to find writers, either local outdoors columnists, regional magazine writers or even national writers who cover fishing and take them out for a few hours or a day. They are always looking for a new, hot angle that they can pitch to their editors. (Which means you better have something interesting to show them besides a new jig or spinnerbait.) Show them why the products you use are superior or perhaps offer some new, innovative ways to use those products. Put your rod/reel/lure/hook in their hands and let them use it and hopefully they'll catch some fish and take lots of photos. I guarantee your sponsor will be inpressed if you get his product mentioned in a major fishing magazine. Also, find a fishing show host/producer and take him out on the water. You might talk to your sponsor and see if he's willing to sponsor the fishing show with you as the expert guest. Offer to give seminars at a tackle shop that sells your sponsor's products. Give seminars at outdoor shows.

I used to wade quite a bit around Point-of-Rocks. We parked on the MD side and walked up the C&O trail a little bit. You can also wade a good ways up from the VA side.

I used to live in NoVa and fished Burke frequently, especially in the summer. My best action came at first light by throwing small topwaters along the edges of the willow grass, especially if there was deep water nearby. I think everyone throws the same topwaters--Pop Rs, Spooks, etc-- and the bass are clued in on those bigger baits. My best bait was a Tiny torpedo that i worked slowly. I also did well on unweighted T-rigged finesse worms dropped into the open pockets of the willow grass. Green pumpkin or black. We caught some on 7-inch T-rigged Culprit worms fished down ledges and points later in the morning.

Briery has been a major disappointment for me this season. I can only attribute it to the addition of 5,000 grass carp two years ago. The carp are now at least ten pounds and have rid the entire lake of every stalk of grass. The water is a funky brown (used to be nice and clear) and I've seen a dozen or so dead bass on each of my last outings. I used to be able to catch 20-30 fish in a typical summer afternoon, but my best day has been around 10--most at or under 15 inches. Anyone else having better luck? How about you Wayne? Are your numbers still holding up?

Drew, Fish small stuff, even on top in the middle of the day, and you'll do just fine. Even when it's blistering hot and sunny. In fact, there's no such thing as too hot at Briery.

Woody's is a s*** hole. If all you want is a roof over your head, fine, but the guy hasn't spent a dime on maintenance in years. We ran out of toilet paper, the floor in front of the shower was about to cave in and the whole place--we had like six cabins for our group--was just nasty. Each cabin had one tiny TV with just a few crappy channels. Spend a little extra and go somewhere else.

Sam's directions aren't accurate. Do not take 307. Stay on 460 East.

Do not stay at Woody's cabins! The place is a s**t hole.

What he said. Aboslute best place for a youngster to get started. You'll make some friends, fish some tournaments and hang around with some great folks. I'd lean toward the TBF, which is also ramping up efforts to get fishing clubs in high schools.

Eastern, Please read Radical's first "Don't." Sheesh...

To keep boat traffic/fishing pressure down. No other reason. Same with Sandy and just about every other horsepower restricted lake. Think how crowded Briery would be in March and April if big boats were allowed to run at idle speed.

Gents, I need a new trolling motor for the front of my johnboat. I already have the mounting bracket and much prefer hand-control trolling motors, so I'm wondering if I can simply spin the head of a transom mount around 180 degrees and use it on the bow of my boat. What about the transom-mount clamp? Can that be taken off the shaft without disconnecting all the wiring? Thanks.

Well, our faithful biologists couldn't leave well enough alone. Last fall, they stocked 4,000 (yes, 4,000) grass carp in Briery in an effort to rid the lake of the grass. The carp are already about three pounds each and the lake is showing some negative effects. My catch rates have gone way down from last year. Anyone else having similar results? IMHO, Briery was an incredible late spring, summer lake. Little pressure, tons of 2 to 4-pound fish. There was nothing wrong with it. Yes, the lily pads are creeping outward, but the carp are having no effect on them. I'm very disappointed anglers were not given a chance to speak.

Yes, there are lots of jobs related to fishing, but few allow you to actually fish on a regular basis. The obvious, professional angler, is a very tough way to make an honest living. As you probably know, a lot of people try but only a handful succeed. A better route might be to try to get a job as a regional sales rep for a tackle company or even work on the corporate side. You may put in more desk time than you would like, but at least you'll be in the industry. I don't know where you live, but Cabela's, BPS, Gander Mountain and other major sporting goods stores need knowledgeable staff at the lower and upper management levels. Again, you'll be connected to the industry, and doors often open through connections. You could always work as a guide. Many do work full-time and make a respectable living, but many, many more don't. How much work you can get depends on where you live, the available fisheries and the potential client base. Of course, your business and people skills can make or break you, as well. A good guide, however, spends more time watching others fish than fishing himself. As earthworm suggested, a degree in fisheries biology is a great start and working as a biologist is a great career. I know many and they love their jobs, except for the red tape that goes with working for a government agency. Expect to spend lots of time in college--you'll probably need a master's degree to get a better-paying job as a biologist. A degree in marketing or business managment isn't a bad idea, either. Or you could marry an ambitious wife who makes lots of money and sponge off her.