Location Quantico Marine Base, Northern Virginia

Time 530am to 1030am

Today my father and I packed up the canoe and our fishing gear and headed down to the Quantico Marine Base.  My dad had been down there a week or so ago and found a nice launch spot they had for canoes and kayaks (mostly for nature viewing).  Well we decided to put in and give it a try although it was a pretty shallow area.

A first I thought we may hook into some small fish, but nothing of size.  We saw a TON of carp rolling around on the surface splashing their tails and so forth but then as we got to where this shallow area opened up we found a lilly pad and spadderdock haven!  I was originally going to throw a frog but decided since I'm not much of a frog fisherman I would tie on my new Cavitron Buzzbait in white/red (3/8oz).  My father was throwing the same in chartreuse/red.  

After fishing with both Strike King and Boo Yah Buzzbaits let me tell you that Cavitron is the smoothest, deadliest buzzbait you can find on the market.  My dad and I tore up the topwater bite this morning.  All of our fish came off the same spot early.  Basicaly what we would look for was a small grouping of lilly pads scattered away from the main pad area.  We caught four fish in less than an hour doing this on the buzzbait and my dad and I lost one other one.  

After fishing for about an hour we had four fish that weighed an impressive 11lbs 4oz.  My dad had nabbed a 3lb 1oz largemouth and a 2lb 7oz largemouth.  I had caught a 3lb 7oz largemouth and a 2lb 5oz largemouth.

After we had fished the winding channels of spadderdock and lilly pads for about an hour and a half we reached an open bay area where we found scattered matted hydrilla galore.  At this time the sun was starting to come up overhead and was beginning to heat the water so we decided to go subsurface and try and nab a few more before they took off into the thick stuff for the day.  I figured that since the buzzbaits with the skirts we were using would would that spinnerbaits in the same color may be ideal.  Well, it paid off.  

We tossed on some spinnerbaits and began to pull them over the hydrilla in hopes of finding some scattered suspended fish in this huge bay.  I had a Terminator 3/8oz bleeding type colored bait on (red, white, silver skirt w/ dual willow blades) and my dad tossed two different spinners.  A bleeding bait series Strike King model with a green/red skirt (Colorado and willow leaf blades) and then his new Rattle Head spinnerbait (unsure of color and blades).

During the next hour and a half or so we caught a total of six more fish.  Only three of which were keepers (myself -2, my dad -1).  

One of my keepers was caught where the hydrilla met the thick spadderdock at the end of the winding channel and beginning of the bay area.  The other was caught on one side of the bay in the middle of a large grouping of lilly pads.  One of the keepers went 2lbs 7oz.  The other went 1lb 8ozs and were both caught on my Terminator Spinnerbait.  

The 2lb 7oz fish hit so hard that he completely straightened my spinnerbait wire so it was 180 degrees and vertical.  He leaped out of the water about 2 feet after he had done this and I saw my bait and freaked out.  When he dove back under he was STILL HOOKED.  He made 2 runs and then I landed him completely beside myself not thinking it was going to be possible.  Probably one of the coolest fights I've ever had with a bass.

My dads keeper was caught around the same pad area where I nabbed mine and was caught on his Strike King Bleeding Bait Spinner.  It went 1lb 5ozs.  

The remaining three fish were dinks.  I caught two, my dad caught one.  Mine both came on the same Terminator bait and his came on the Rattle Head Spinner.

During the morning we had lost a total of four or five more fish.  I pulled the buzzbait away from one too early after he dove under with it and had two other blowups on the bait, and I also lost two fish that hit so close to the boat on my Rage Tail shad (in the bay area) that I didn't have time to think and set the hook.  I also had one other blowup on the Rage Tail.  My dad lost another on a buzzbait and had some more hits on his spinner.

All in all it was the greatest day of fishing we have EVER had together and it was our FIRST TRIP here I our new canoe he bought last week.  We caught a total of 16lbs 8ozs.  Our best five went 13lbs 11ozs.  Attached are photos from the trip with biggest fish to smallest (keepers only).  We didn't get a pic of my dad's last 1lb 5oz keeper because he didn't want one with all the bigger fish we had caught yesterday haha.

I can't wait to go back here with my dad as it was the most fun fishing we have EVER had,  What a day!

My 3lb 7oz

My 2lb 7oz

My 2lb 5oz

My 1lb 8oz

Dad's 3lb 1oz

Dad's 2lb 7oz

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was by far our best trip ever, I had a blast Jay. I see many great canoe trips in our future. This opens up a whole new way of fishing for us now that we have the canoe, we can fish areas that we only had shore acess to previously.

This trip was cool because I fished with my son and because I finally caught some bass on a buzzbait for the first time, those bass were killing the Cavitron buzzbaits. I have never seen so many top water strikes happen that fast and furious. It was nice to see you get out of your slump and tear it up on the water. You beat me pretty good this time, you out fished me by 2lbs 14ozs, I am hoping to do better next week and be more competitive. I am really looking forward to next Saturday's trip so we can catch some new PBs. I think we found a spot that is going to produce some nice hawgs in the future. I even went out last night and bought us some more (different) Cavitron buzzbaits to tear it up again next week based on the success we had with them.

Father & son trips are #1  

Sounds like a great day!!!

Congrats!!!!!!!!! 8-) 8-)

Hey Jcrzy, that's a great story and fishin' trip to remember forever. Both you and your Dad are fortunate to share those memories together. Don't get much better than that.

Big O

Great post Jay!  I'm glad you guys had a productive day and produced more memories for you and your dad to share.

Very cool I'm glad for you guys.  How have I missed that ya'll were father and son this whole time?

That is just awesome! Great story and pix!

great post man.  sounds like a great time.