The guy who owns the land. I was hoping he had pics, he doesn't as soon as spring comes we will get some.

 I had to pass this a few times, but I would imagine from the steepness of the shore and the brush that usually chokes the path I never saw it, never knew it existed!

I am only thinking not only illegal but not too safe fishing lets say standing on part of the dam. They have some nice size limbs and stuff that you could stand on to cast in, that's what my concern is.

Do they still trap beavers in our state?

I'm sure they do Muddy.  If you got a river or stream that isn't choked with beaver dams, thank a trapper (ask T.U.).  As far as the dam being safe.  No one can ever say anything to 100%, but I never found a weak dam.  I had to rip a few apart.  The only ones that I was able to take apart by hand were very old, or very small and just started.  I have had to resort to back-hoes and even dynamite.

I was authorized by the DNR, and paid by private land owners and sometimes hired by Trout Unlimited.  Just so you guys know it wasn't done just for grins.

Being from the city the only beavers I ever got to see weren't under water!

I fish a good sized pond/lake that has about 3 30-50 lb beavers that occupy it and I have caught many bass out of that lake. As for the legality of fishing I could not tell you but here in Va it is completley legal to fish wether public or private land.

you mean private as in not posted right?? i go to Virginny often and i see a whole lot of ponds near the road with no signs and a few with signs

No It is Posted... I had it posted this year because I found many people sneaking on, fishing from the bank. It is way of the road about 1/2 mile but alot of people know about it. It is about 80-100 acres. Maybe even larger then that.

Silvercliff_46 wrote:

I'm sure they do Muddy.  If you got a river or stream that isn't choked with beaver dams, thank a trapper (ask T.U.).  As far as the dam being safe.  No one can ever say anything to 100%, but I never found a weak dam.  I had to rip a few apart.  The only ones that I was able to take apart by hand were very old, or very small and just started.  I have had to resort to back-hoes and even dynamite.

I was authorized by the DNR, and paid by private land owners and sometimes hired by Trout Unlimited.  Just so you guys know it wasn't done just for grins.

Silvercliff, not as many of you guys around anymore. Glad to have you here.

I am only thinking not only illegal but not too safe fishing lets say standing on part of the dam. They have some nice size limbs and stuff that you could stand on to cast in, that's what my concern is.

  Do they still trap beavers in our state?

I'm sure they do Muddy.  If you got a river or stream that isn't choked with beaver dams, thank a trapper (ask T.U.).  As far as the dam being safe.  No one can ever say anything to 100%, but I never found a weak dam.  I had to rip a few apart.  The only ones that I was able to take apart by hand were very old, or very small and just started.  I have had to resort to back-hoes and even dynamite.

I was authorized by the DNR, and paid by private land owners and sometimes hired by Trout Unlimited.  Just so you guys know it wasn't done just for grins.

I got a few dams up here you can have at  ;D

Thanks Paul nice to be here.

I don't do much trapping anymore. I have arthritis and trapping is hard on all of your body. Standing waist deep in ice water, working with metal traps in well below freezing weather, sometimes sticking your hands back in the 33 degree water just to WARM them up .

I have regrets too, not the arthritis, nor ever making much money, just the days that I DIDN'T spend outdoors. Just me, the critters, and maybe my dog.

And for that all I can say is "Thank you LORD for BLESSING me so."

Speaking of posting land. If it's good enough to hunt, fish, or trap, it's good enough to ask.

Silvercliff_46 wrote:

I'm sure they do Muddy. If you got a river or stream that isn't choked with beaver dams, thank a trapper (ask T.U.). As far as the dam being safe. No one can ever say anything to 100%, but I never found a weak dam. I had to rip a few apart. The only ones that I was able to take apart by hand were very old, or very small and just started. I have had to resort to back-hoes and even dynamite.

I was authorized by the DNR, and paid by private land owners and sometimes hired by Trout Unlimited. Just so you guys know it wasn't done just for grins.

Silvercliff, not as many of you guys around anymore. Glad to have you here.

Absolutely rael grateful you came to BassResource.com!

Most of my best bass fishing experiences have been in beaver dammed ponds and places were they were dammed for water power many years ago.  Its the smaller places that started me off in bass fishing.

Throwing a Mepps #1 or #2 is a very good lure of choice. But I mainly throw the #3 most of the time. While your getting good action on the mepps and the action slows down I found at this time the larger fish will come in too see what the action is all about. This puts a stop on the smaller fish bite. I then go to a mepps #4 to go after the bigger fish. Trust me it works. Just fan cast the whole area and work it over slowly.

Don't leave out the top water action near the beaver dam too. I like to use the bass pro shops topnocker in a very slow presitation.

As the sun comes up i switch to the carolina rigged, wacky senko too. Working the drop offs with the level of a surgeon in the OR again very slowly twitching it.

On the cloudy days its the Joesfly's 1/4oz bass size spinflys in firetiger and glotiger.

You maybe surprised to find out these smaller places can hold bigger fish too.  Remember to wear polarized glasses and watch the area behind your bait too for flashes.  And while reeling in fish keep an eye behind them for larger bass too. This is when the big ones will do a swim by to look too.

If your out at these beaver dammed places at first sun up you may get a glimse of wild america too. I see fresh water otters at all my favorte fishing places too. I have seen the Doe with her Fawns trying to get a drink when the otters are splashing them with water at the waters edge. It was awesome to see it in person.