VA. Guys/Gals need info/insight

[bassrogue]

Hi,

I'm from NC, I'm going to visit wife's family over Thanksgiving. I will be staying in Morattico Va. on the Rappahannok River. I do have access to a boat(maybe). I've never been there before and wife's family doesn't fish so I'm looking to you all for some help. Is there Bass in this area? If not, what can I fish for and fish with? I assume it will be cold there around this time of the year. What are my chances of catching anything in this area?

I'm not asking for any secrets here   , just some help for an out of towner.  

BR

Will

[JCrzy4Bass]

Chances are still good depending on whether your fishing for smallmouth bass or largemouth. That all depends on what part of the Rappahannock you will be fishing (non-tidal or tidal). If you fish above the fall line in fredericksburg or up near Mott's Run, The Rapidan River, etc you will not be able to get a boat in because it is too shallow. Only kayakers apply here. If you fish below the fall line (a.k.a Route One bridge) then you have a shot at largemouth and stripers. I don't think stripers will be in season at this time nor in great supply but I'll leave that to the guys who fish for them on a regular basis.

Your chance at catching largemouth is pretty good so long as the temps don't drop too drastically over the next month. We had a very warm fall so far and a hot summer. With it being warm this late the water temps have not dropped that much yet. It will depend on how many more fronts like the one we had this week move through before any of us can make a call on water temps. Kepp an eye on another site and ask for water temps on the rappahannock in the threads there, the tidal river guides post a lot there and can give you great info on what to expect as far as temps, what lures to throw and where to fish.

I would spend my time focusing mostly on the back of creeks or throughout the shallow areas in the creeks. There are a lot of branches around the Tappahannock area as far as creeks (don't know how far you will be from here). If you have a good depth finder put it to use and it should help. Hope this helps some, I'm sure others from the Rappahannock area will be able to help you out. Good luck.

P:s: you should think about grabbing some finesse jigs and/or tubes and heading up more north to Fredericksburg and fish for smallies. While you prob won't want to wade in that cold of water if you follow paths and such you can fish a good portion from shore. There are a lot of access points off of route one in fredericksburg. If you want some info just pm me and I can let you know where to go. Later boss.

[bassrogue]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I assume this is a Tidal area of the river. Morattico is about half way between Tappahannock and the bay(16-18 miles from the bay). Thanks again for the info.

BR

Will

[Tpayneful]

BR,

     Below Tidewater the Rappahannock is brackish / salt. You should be able to catch your garden variety of salt water fish like spot, croaker and striper. You need a saltwater license when you fish that area of the river. You might be able to find largemouth if you can find a creek and go all the way to the back. Last year I didn't really give up fishing until December 15th. The water temperature is in the 70s right now and will probably be in the low sixties by then. Good luck fishing!

[VekolBass]

I've never fished that far downriver, but I suspect that it is probably too saline for LMB--except perhaps for the tributary creeks that enter into the river. If you have a boat with some speed to it you might wish to head upstream beyond Tappahannock and try Portabago and Nantazico bays. A word of caution though. The Rappahannock can be a very tricky river. Get a good chart and study it to make sure you stay in the main channel when running at any speed. Do not get within 100 ft of the shore, as there are a lot of laydowns in the river that can mess you up. Also, be aware that there are areas, particularly in the bays, that become hazardous at low tide, but you can move through at high tide. It is not unheard of for guys to get trapped on mud flats until the tide returns and lifts them off.

[bassrogue]

Thanks again guys.

BR

Will