Hey fellas, I'd like to head out early tomorrow for a couple hours on a lake somewhere in NOVA, preferably not too far from Woodbridge, where I live. Someplace public that I can fish from the bank. I was thinking of trying one of the smaller lakes like Huntsman or Mercer, maybe Burke. I don't have a boat, so the Occoquan Reservoir, Occoquan River and the Potomac aren't the easiest for me to fish. (Or maybe I don't know where to go? I'm just trying to avoid trespassing.)

Can anyone give me some tips on specific locations to try at any of these lakes (or any other reasonably nearby NOVA lake)? I've caught a grand total of one LMB (well, one larger than a small bluegill) in my life, so I'm brand new to this game and having been struggling. I've been out roughly six times in the past two weeks and haven't even had a bite, at least as far as I know. (After doing some reading here, I realize that I may have had some bites and not even recognized them.  I'm not sure.)  I feel like I just have too many variables in play right now, in terms of type of lure, depth, color, retrieve, etc., and then on top of all that not even being sure if I'm fishing a potentially decent spot. So if anyone can give me any tips to maybe help narrow things down a little, I'd really appreciate it.

All could be very productive but Burke will be tough. I'd try and beat the heat and go as early as possible. Also would help you beat the crowds. I'd expect Burke to get prettty crowded.

You could also fish the occoquan reservoir out of fountainhead and rent a jon boat there. it's going to be hot!

Yeah, I've rented jonboats at Fountainhead before, but it's a bit of a hassle and the $ adds up pretty quick. I figured if I found a good lake I might spend more time actually fishing, and have enough left over to replace the lures I'll probably lose.   >

If you're willing to get water-side at first light (and I really do mean first light...), Huntsman is usually good for a few fish among the rocks in the dam and then down under the trees on the "left" bank (the 'left' as you face the lake, standing on the dam). In my experience on Huntsman at this time of year, by 7:30am they'll be going deep and will get very hard to find/catch from the bank. Keep mobile and try and cover as much water as you can as early in the day as you can so you can pick off the 'easy' ones that are sitting shallow. Cranks are good, and you might still pick up one or two on buzzbait in low light. Shady spots might hold fish for a little longer.

I haven't fished Mercer as much so can't help you out too much there. Have always failed miserably from the bank at Burke.

I've had a lot of luck recently fishing Bull Run. Got this smallie just last week. It was one of four (though one was tiny...), plus several dozen bluegill/sunfish.

Burke can be tough from shore. All the good spots are offshore this time of year.

Huntsman can be OK, there's another lake around there called Barton (check a Nova atlas) that was incredible when I fished it with friends. Just watch out for poison ivy. Worst case of my life. Actually, there are several small lakes in about a 5 mile radius of Hunstman that hold decent bass, but I can't remember the names. Check out a map and hit them up. Sorry I can't remember some names, maybe I'll research if I have time.

Also, hit up community ponds. As long as you're not noisy/littering, nobody tends to say anything.

Don't forget to use Google Maps or Bing Maps. There are lots of little ponds in the Woodbridge/Springfield area worth exploring.

I actually hit Lake Barton today and yesterday and while I came up empty it was only last week when I got inspired there!  I was using a small crankbait and caught two nice size sunfish...this was around 4ish in the afternoon and at an area that is right next to the basketball court. I heard of guys catchin' Bass/Catfish there but I aint never LOL Ive even taken my daughter there a few times and we fished over by the playground part and caught a few Bluegills etc...but always on crankbaits LOL Today i went with some plastic worms texas rigged But tomorrow I plan on hittin' Burke lake @ six am...Wish me luck...

please tell me you dont hold fish with pliers ? Thats a big no no unless you're gonna keep one to eat and bass dont taste very good 

I cringed when i saw that picture. good luck but get a lipper or gloves please

Thanks for all these tips, guys.  I guess my newbie ignorance is showing, but it never occurred to me that some of these ponds I see around NOVA might hold worthwhile fish.

First off, LMB wont bite you dono gt be scurd. Second go get you 4 double willow white spinners, 2- 3/8oz one w/big silver and small gold and one w/big gold and small silver and get 2- 1/2oz again one w/big small gold and one w/big gold and small silver. Try different retrieves till you a bite, then repeat what yout will catch were doing when you got that bite.

Its summer now and most bass are schooled up on drop offs and large structure. Contact with structure will catch the fish.

Back from Huntsman. I decided to take my fourteen year-old, and I also got a little turned around with the parking (never been there before), so we got out on the water a little later than I intended -- maybe 6:15 or so -- and we ended up fishing the north side of the lake, on the other side of the cove from the dam. Worked our way back down to the cove near the other end, where the culvert is. I caught a very small (maybe 8") smallie with a Hula Popper. A while later, near the mouth of the little creek, I caught a small (maybe 10"?) LMB on a buzzbait. Then I caught a truly tiny LMB on a little bitty buzzbait on the ultralight rod my daughter was using. (I'd just tied on the lure and decided to give it a couple casts.) Number One Daughter had a couple bites, but missed 'em.  That's OK, though; this was the first time she ever fished without live bait and a bobber, so she has slightly more to learn than even I do. 

This was the first time I've ever used buzzbaits, and I really like 'em. I always saw them on the rack and passed because I figured they'd get snagged if you looked at 'em wrong, but that turned out not to be the case at all. (No surprise to you guys, I know.) And I liked being able to control the lure's running depth so easily. I didn't even lose any lures today! Not in the water, anyway; a couple somehow fell out of my tacklebox at some point, tho. >

I have pics of the two larger fish. I'll post them when I get them downloaded, not because they're impressive at all, but just to show y'all that I really did catch something. All-in-all, it was nothing to write home about -- but it was still a little confidence booster for me. Catching small fish beats the heck out of catching no fish. Thanks for the help, all!

Back from Burke lake...me and my nieghbor got there @ 6:30am and by 7:15 caught my 1st bass using  my topwater ...and  my 2nd around 7:45 maybe 8?(pic is of 2nd) My neighbor was using worms and a bobber and he didnt catch anything got a few bites but...that was a bout it.  we left around nine-thirty...all in all my faith in B-lake is renewed Ill be catfishin there next friday night and prob even go back tomorrow morn for some more peir fishin...

Congrats.  I almost always skip the piers because I figure those are going to be the most pressured fish ever. 

Where do you do your catfishin' in Burke?  For a few weeks in May and early June you could find one or more of my kids and I at the last little platform (the dirt one) down from the VDGIF parking lot, nearest to the dam, just about every Saturday night.   

Hey matt yeah those platforms are where you can find me on various Friday nights in july and august...Ive only caught a couple here and there and none too big either lol but im hopin too change al that this year LOL Hell im thinkin of hittin huntsman tomorrow mornin actually now...LOL

Yeah, we haven't caught any very big ones there, either.  But we've caught enough to make it interesting, at least, and a couple that were worth cleaning.  I've tried for flatheads in the Occoquan a couple times this year, but no luck with that yet.

If you do try Huntsman tomorrow, take the black buzzbaits.  Those seemed to go over well.  And make sure you know where to park!  I blew that this morning, and it kind of messed us up.

If you do try Huntsman tomorrow, take the black buzzbaits. Those seemed to go over well. And make sure you know where to park! I blew that this morning, and it kind of messed us up.

Can you clue me in to the parking situation Ive never been to Huntsman and Ive got it logged into' my gps via the cooridnates so im leary as to where exactly ill end up lol

Well, the advice I got was to fish along the dam early with topwaters, then work along the left (south) side of the lake from there.  To do that with minimal time wasted in walking, you'll want to park near the intersection of Golden Ball Tavern Ct. and Golden Leaf.  There's a path that runs down along the dam near there; I know because I saw people walking on it, across the water from us.  ;D  There are signs up about needing a parking pass, but I'm pretty sure those only apply to the streets where the townhouses are actually located.  I think on-street parking on Golden Ball Tavern is OK.  But you can read as well as I can, so don't blame me if you get towed!   

Well, the advice I got was to fish along the dam early with topwaters, then work along the left (south) side of the lake from there. To do that with minimal time wasted in walking, you'll want to park near the intersection of Golden Ball Tavern Ct. and Golden Leaf. There's a path that runs down along the dam near there; I know because I saw people walking on it, across the water from us. ;D There are signs up about needing a parking pass, but I'm pretty sure those only apply to the streets where the townhouses are actually located. I think on-street parking on Golden Ball Tavern is OK. But you can read as well as I can, so don't blame me if you get towed!

Roger that! ill check back in tomorrow afterwards...!

Don't park in the side streets in front of the townhouses -- that's private. But parking on Golden Ball Tavern is fine (as long as you don't block a hydrant or something!). There are two "gates" in front of paths to the lake -- one near the Huntsman intersection, the other at the dam. Park near either of those to get to the water.

My six year-old was jealous, so after we got haircuts this morning I took him to a small pond that I've seen from the road many times.  It was nasty.  Basically a retention pond.  Mucky, full of junk.  Blech.  Lots of hungry little bream in there, but no evidence of anything bigger than about five inches.  Of course we were there at a terrible time of day, but I'm kind of skeptical anything could live in there long enough to get very big.

Ok i overslept this mornin' so hopefully i will find the time this week to hit up Huntsman early one mornin'

I was on Mercer by 6:00. Total failure.  I saw a few other guys out there.  Anyone from here on Mercer this morning?

Back from Huntsman. I decided to take my fourteen year-old, and I also got a little turned around with the parking (never been there before), so we got out on the water a little later than I intended -- maybe 6:15 or so -- and we ended up fishing the north side of the lake, on the other side of the cove from the dam. Worked our way back down to the cove near the other end, where the culvert is. I caught a very small (maybe 8") smallie with a Hula Popper. A while later, near the mouth of the little creek, I caught a small (maybe 10"?) LMB on a buzzbait. Then I caught a truly tiny LMB on a little bitty buzzbait on the ultralight rod my daughter was using. (I'd just tied on the lure and decided to give it a couple casts.) Number One Daughter had a couple bites, but missed 'em. That's OK, though; this was the first time she ever fished without live bait and a bobber, so she has slightly more to learn than even I do.

This was the first time I've ever used buzzbaits, and I really like 'em. I always saw them on the rack and passed because I figured they'd get snagged if you looked at 'em wrong, but that turned out not to be the case at all. (No surprise to you guys, I know.) And I liked being able to control the lure's running depth so easily. I didn't even lose any lures today! Not in the water, anyway; a couple somehow fell out of my tacklebox at some point, tho. >

I have pics of the two larger fish. I'll post them when I get them downloaded, not because they're impressive at all, but just to show y'all that I really did catch something. All-in-all, it was nothing to write home about -- but it was still a little confidence booster for me. Catching small fish beats the heck out of catching no fish. Thanks for the help, all!

Whoa! you caught a smallie in huntsman? I never knew they were in there..