Currently pond hop in va! 
 

everything I throw in the pond I get nothing! We’re in pre spawn time and I just need some advice on how to get these guys to bite and what bait to use! 

I fish all over the state of VA and have been catching them on jerkbaits and Spinnerbaits.

BUT water temps aren't moving much lately.

 

You'll do better once the water temps climb into the 50's and we escape this brutal cold front.......13* tonight.

I’ve had luck with jerkbaits, cranks, and t rigged plastics. Fishing the holston river and lake. Mid April was when the bite got good for me last year. Hopefully like @Bird said the strong cold fronts slow down and temps rise and stability becomes the norm.

Weather in Va continues to be shity and erratic.

 

I have yet to find any real bite anywhere and I am itching for my creeks and rivers to come back to life!

 

Currently 3 days of rain, with lower temps and wind to follow the next several days, after days of cold and high wind before the rain /sigh.

 

This spring sucks so far, but it will eventually end, and things will get better

Haven't fished this year thus far in VA. But some of

my sons have and have caught on top water and 

some soft plastics like wacky rigs.

 

And welcome aboard!

We're considerably behind last year at this time but look at it this way, it's a longer prespawn. 

It's breaking early next week so get out there and catch some.

1 hour ago, Seafury said:

Weather in Va continues to be shity and erratic.

 

I have yet to find any real bite anywhere and I am itching for my creeks and rivers to come back to life!

 

Currently 3 days of rain, with lower temps and wind to follow the next several days, after days of cold and high wind before the rain /sigh.

 

This spring sucks so far, but it will eventually end, and things will get better

the rivers are absolutely alive right now...at least the James is with shad, stripers, smallies, blue cats etc.....everything is waking up.

On 4/7/2022 at 10:30 PM, flyfisher said:

the rivers are absolutely alive right now...at least the James is with shad, stripers, smallies, blue cats etc.....everything is waking up.

That's awesome!

 

But you are around 100miles south of me, the weather up here has been terrible, I tried some of my upper rivers like the Rappahannock and Rapidan with almost zero luck ( I don't fish the lower slower non rapid eastern sections, yet)

 

I use my local Bull Run Creek as a gauge for water level and fish bite. It sucks as of this past Tuesday the last day I went and wade fished it. Snagged 1 bluegill in the back, that's it, no other bites at all. Fished all water types, saw some fish, but they were not hungry and holding tight to cover and spooked with any bait tossed nearby. Nothing in any of the spots they should be in, or I have ever found them in.

 

I need to get down and fish the upper James in Richmond but don't like cities and don't want to risk my truck (catalytic converters especially) in that sketchy cesspool of a city.

 

I also wanna do the upper Potomac this season but it is very pressured also.

 

Hopefully it will warm up in the next 2 weeks and things will pickup for me.

 

I am also looking forward to fishing down 28 towards Lynchburg. I saw a ton of nice looking creeks when I drove down there back in Oct to get my kayak.

 

Gotta go rural to get decent fishing up here in NoVa.

2 hours ago, Seafury said:

That's awesome!

 

But you are around 100miles south of me, the weather up here has been terrible, I tried some of my upper rivers like the Rappahannock and Rapidan with almost zero luck ( I don't fish the lower slower non rapid eastern sections, yet)

 

I use my local Bull Run Creek as a gauge for water level and fish bite. It sucks as of this past Tuesday the last day I went and wade fished it. Snagged 1 bluegill in the back, that's it, no other bites at all. Fished all water types, saw some fish, but they were not hungry and holding tight to cover and spooked with any bait tossed nearby. Nothing in any of the spots they should be in, or I have ever found them in.

 

I need to get down and fish the upper James in Richmond but don't like cities and don't want to risk my truck (catalytic converters especially) in that sketchy cesspool of a city.

 

I also wanna do the upper Potomac this season but it is very pressured also.

 

Hopefully it will warm up in the next 2 weeks and things will pickup for me.

 

I am also looking forward to fishing down 28 towards Lynchburg. I saw a ton of nice looking creeks when I drove down there back in Oct to get my kayak.

 

Gotta go rural to get decent fishing up here in NoVa.

If you are worried about a cesspool and live in NOVA that tells me a lot really lol. 

If i lived up that way I would hit hte Shenandoah instead of the James instead anwyways or go after snakehead once it warms up a little.

4 hours ago, flyfisher said:

If you are worried about a cesspool and live in NOVA that tells me a lot really lol. 

If i lived up that way I would hit hte Shenandoah instead of the James instead anwyways or go after snakehead once it warms up a little.

Your right about that. I hate where I live but I am stuck here atm. 

 

I just don't like cities, I grew up in the shadow of DC so they have nothing that I value these days except work unfortunately lol

 

i have never had any luck on the Shenandoah, but I need to try the Potomac this year now that I have a kayak. 

 

Hopefully it gets warmer and stable soon. 

@Seafury

Come down to SWVA. The Clinch and Holston rivers offer great smallmouth fishing. I’ve yet to hit the clinch but have done the N Fork of Holston. I caught some but saw some really nice fish couldn’t get them to commit to a jerk bait though. Small towns, quiet riverside with gobbling turkeys. Pretty relaxing environment. But it’s a haul from your side of the state.