Jared Tuck

An 8lber in Virginia is a TOAD! Good job man!

I have never fished the Upper James, but I assume that it is very similar to the New (which you should definitely fish if you get the chance to). Focus on rock and current this time of year to catch big smallmouth. While most recommend spinning gear for rivers, the New and James are pretty large bodies of water and I usually only take one spinning combo with me when I fish for river smallies. As others have said, topwater will work well. Don't count it out in the middle of the day either; river smallies are aggressive! My best advice is find the eddies and you will find the fish. A craw dragged on the bottom, or a swimbait slowly retrieved will catch the bigger fish, while finesse tactics like a wacky senko will catch you numbers. Have fun!

Hey guys! I am taking a weekend trip to Lake Chickamauga in the middle of June. I am unfamiliar with the lake, but I realize the lake has the potential to easily break my 5.5lb personal best largemouth. If anyone has advice, tips, baits to throw, locations to fish, etc., please let me know! I expect to fish mostly ledges and offshore structure. Deep diving crankbaits, spoons, football jigs, and big worms. How does this approach sound?

Jigs can be fished at any time during the year, and they catch big bass. Many people catch their PB in early spring on a Jig. Traditional flipping-style jigs work great around brush, while football head jigs will be superior around rock and offshore humps. These style jigs are mainly dragged slowly on the bottom to imitate a crawfish. There are also swim jigs and vibrating jigs which are made to be steadily retrieved and fished horizontally to imitate baitfish/sunfish. In my opinion, a trailer is an absolute must!