The Freshwater Fishing Guide to Virginia Beach

13 October - Bummer day on Oakum Creek

2011-10-14T13:51:00.000-04:00

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It started out looking great. Calm wind, high water, heavy overcast, and the temperature was perfect. The kind of day that we topwater folks love, so of course the first thing I grabbed was the Pop-R. It looked perfect sitting there, like it was on a mirror, unfortunately the fish didn't see it that way and I never got the first nibble. It was shaping up to be a "throw everything in the tackle box" kind of day. So after the Pop-R disappointment, I tried a Beetle Spin, Jitterbug, Gulp Shad, Senko, pig and jig, and an assortment of crank baits, all to no avail, except for one small lone bass on the Gulp. Two grindle gave me a respite from the boredom, but that was it fish wise for the whole day. The only excitement occurred when I looked up and saw a cottonmouth almost over my head sunning in a tree. I have never seen one that high up before. Usually they are only a foot or two off the water, but this guy was about ten feet up in the tree. I slowly back up and got out of range, then tried to get some video but the adrenalin was still flowing and hit the wrong button on the camera and screwed up the shot which I didn't realize until I got home and watched the file. Anyway, watch the video and you'll get the some idea of the encounter. After two more fruitless hours and a drenching by a short downpour, I started to hear thunder so headed for the pier. Putting the kayak on the wheels, I started for the parking lot where another heavy shower got me and the thunder was getting worse. About the time I was loaded up, naturally the rain stopped, however when I got home and started to unload, it really came down. A soggy end to a very slow day.

The HD version is on my
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10 October - Low water on Godfrey Creek

2011-10-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

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Even though the water was low and on the dirty side, I wanted to go hunting for those big bass I missed here last week. You don't usually run into another boat on this creek when the water is this low. Well surprise surprise, about half way up the right fork I came across four duck hunters trying to get their boat out of the mud. They were having a hard time polling and paddling trying to get free of the ooze, but finally made it. It's amazing how good the bass fishing can be in six inches of water. Today's baits were a Beetle Spin, an Anaconda worm, a Pop-R, a pig and jig, and a Senko. The entrance channel to the creek is scoured out to about five feet and the bottom is littered with trash and probably a lot of lost lures. I always bounce a pig and jig here in case some bass are looking for cover when the water is really low. This strategy produced three bass, including the biggest of the trip, a one and a half pounder. There was no clear pattern today, and all the lures I tried worked, the beetle Spin in weed free open water, the plastics along undercut banks, and the Pop-R around stumps. Best bait honors goes to the pig and jig only because it caught the two biggest fish. I ended the day with thirteen bass, two idiot blue gills, a white perch, and one berserk grindle, and most of this in less than 12" of water. If your big bass boat can't' navigate here, give kayaking a try. Shallow water bassin' can be amazing!

The HD version is on my

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7 October - Low dirty water on Alton's Creek.

2011-10-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

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Conditions have drastically changed on the river. The high clear water of last week has given way to low dirty water this week. Visibility was 12" or less. I was not optimistic, but as all us fisherman know, that next cast could be the one, so I headed to Alton's creek with my favorite baits ready to roll. Beetle Spin, Anaconda Worm, Senko, and Shad Rap, the lures that have been good to me for the last month in this area. Because it was so shallow, I also tried a Yo-Zuri SS Minnow which runs about 3" or 4" deep, but there were no takers, and the Shad Rap was totally ignored. Today I was after the late sleepers, so I started about nine thirty, and was rewarded twenty minutes later with my best bass in several months. He weighed in at three pounds three ounces and was taken on my all time favorite bait, the Beetle Spin. The next cast to the same spot nailed a one and a half pounder and then thing went downhill fast. I worked all the spots that have held fish over the last month, especially the windy points, but the bass were few and far between and each fish was smaller than the last. By the time I boated number six, he was only about ten ounces. I also got about a dozen white perch, but they were not in the numbers or size like they had been when the water was high and clear. In desperation, I spent quite some time bouncing a big deep running crank bait out into the channel. Nothing but trash on the trebles for that effort. The Beetle Spin worked the best today, and I think that was because of the dirty water and low visibility. The #3 Colorado made enough commotion to get their attention. The plastics got a couple of the smaller ones and they were tight to the bank. Not the best day ever, but you can't complain too much when you land a 3-3.

The HD version is on my
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4 October - Finally a cool day, windy, but cool.

2011-10-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

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Its been a while since I've been to Asheville Bridge Creek. I expected the grass to be choking the channel but it was open in the center and conditions were a lot better than my last trip here. The moss however, was as nasty as ever. The Lotus are starting to die down so the paddle out to the creek was an easy one. I gave up on the Beetle Spin and the Jitterbug in short order, and relied on a five inch Senko and a seven inch Anaconda worm to hopefully remain semi-moss free. Good luck with that. Cast clean, cast clean. The wind was fairly strong from the northwest making it hard to run a camera, handle the boat and still be able to do any serious fishing. Thick weeds surrounded the trees I usually target and I couldn't get a worm through the mat so I was forced to work the edges and holes in the beds. Luckily, this seemed to be the pattern for the day. I got a lot of pickups, but hook sets were scarce. They would pick up the worm and run with it, but when I set the hook, all I got back was half of my plastic. Senkos are expensive and I think the grindle may have been active today. I probably averaged one fish for every ten strikes. By the end of the trip I did get ten bass, all small, but spaced out enough to keep my interest peaked. I also got some good video of a Pied-billed Grebe. A neat little bird that usually won't let you get this close. So all in all, a nice day to be on the water and commune with nature. I hope my next trip will be moss free.

The HD version is on my
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30 September - Frustrating day on Godfrey Creek.

2011-10-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

Click on map to enlarge.

With the water still very high and Godfrey Creek being so shallow, it was a good time to try this spot again. I have had some good catches on this little creek and hoped today would again produce some nice bass. Today I using my old favorites, Beetle Spin, Senko, Anaconda worm, shallow running crank bait, Pop-R, and a buzz bait. Nobody was interested in the top water stuff so I used the Beetle Spin to find fish, then anchored and saturated the area with Senko, worm, and crank bait. My first hit of the day took off and striped about twenty-five yards of line then jumped. It was a big bass in the three-pound range. I finally worked him back to the boat where he jumped, the spit the hook. In the next fifteen minutes, it happened two more times, one big bass, and another something large that made a run then disappeared up the creek. I pulled in the Beetle Spin to put on another Twister Tail and noticed the first big bass had straightened the hook. I changed the jig head to a 1/4 ounce saltwater jig with a hefty stainless hook. The barn door was now closed. Things then slowed down and I picked up a bass or two with the Beetle Spin and the Anaconda worm. The Senko got no response at all. Near the end of the day, I ran into a school of white perch and had some fun with the Beetle Spin and a small Big-O crank bait. Out of the two dozen or so boated, some were almost a pound. Lots of fun on the ultralight. The wind picked up from the west so I switched tactics and worked the worm against the windy bank and got several more bass. Total for the day was eight with only one over a pound. When heading home I like troll a crank bait for stripers along the drop-off on the main river. The tiny Big-O was still on the ultralight so I tossed it over the side and headed toward the ramp. I had only gone about fifty yards when I got a hard strike. After a great fight, another big bass jumped next to the boat and spit the hook. My day was complete. That was four big fish and nothing to hoist on the scale. Expletive deleted.

The HD version is on my
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28 September - Back Bay looks like a wheat field.

2011-09-29T14:34:00.000-04:00

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I finally returned to Back Bay today. The water was very high, over the road in spots, but still doable. It's amazing how a creek will change character in a few short weeks. The bay looks like a Kansas wheat field with all the seed heads from the milfoil sticking out of the water. I rigged up my standard baits; buzz bait, anaconda worm, Senko, tube, and a beetle spin in case I found a spot devoid of weeds. The water was high enough to get over the silt dam and I tried the ditch, but only one small bass on the Beetle Spin, and thankfully the resident cottonmouth was absent today. Everything else was out on the main body of the bay. Beggars Bridge Creek was pretty much bass free. The shoreline was flooded and tossing a Senko into the reeds and trash caught several small bass. Working the duck blinds also got a couple of very small bass. Surprisingly, the buzz bait worked well, even through the thick cover, and I had several good hits and one made it to the boat. All in all a lackluster day with eleven bass, two of which made a pound but the rest were very small. If they keep growing at the present rate, things will be awesome in a year or two.

Just in case I missed answering someone's email, I want to thank all my readers for the helpful and encouraging comments you're leaving on the blog. It helps me get up in the morning and drag out the kayak.

The HD version is on my

YouTube Channel

26 September – How to destroy your video.

2011-09-27T14:38:00.000-04:00

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I decided to try one more trip to Alton’s Creek before hitting Back Bay again. The rain that killed the air show was still hanging around so I wanted to stay close to the launch in case of a deluge. Things started out well, but somewhere along the line I must have pressed the macro button on the camera and most of the video was a blurry mess. I posted some of it, mainly for the audio portion. Live and learn. Jerry and Ray wanted to see more fly rod action so I started the day with a #4 rod tied with a Crappie Charlie and a #6 tied with a deceiver pattern using a fish skull head. Both flies worked well along the shoreline right against the reeds, especially on the points. The Crappie Charlie got blue gill, white and yellow perch, and some small bass while the deceiver did well on pickerel, striper, and a larger bass. The beetle spin collected some bass and white perch. The Gulp and the Anaconda worm got one bass each. With the high water, the depth was about one to two feet in the back of the small side creeks and bays. Because they were choked with weeds, I would toss the Senko all the way to the back and retrieve the bait across the mat pausing at any open spots and letting it sink. I got my three largest bass this way, the top fish weighing in at one pound eleven ounces. All three fish picked up the Senko and ran like crazy. I had a hard time cranking in the slack so I could set the hook. After catching one white perch, I set the rod on the gunnel to remove the hook, then dropped the beetle spin in the water, released the perch and washed off the slim. When I picked up the rod it had a striper attached. No cast fishing at its finest. The day ended with eleven bass and an assortment of other species. Good fishing, poor video. I’ll have to work on that.

The HD version is on my

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22 September - Back Bay NWR bank fishing.

2011-09-24T15:58:00.000-04:00

Wild Persimmons, Back Bay NWR

Today was not a good day for launching the kayak. There were showers and thunderstorms running around and being caught on the water was not a good option, so I went to the NWR at Back Bay to see how the grass beds faired in Irene. Naturally, I took a couple of rods to test the waters. Just as you enter the refuge on the right side of the road are a few small persimmon trees with ripe fruit. I'm not a big fan, but if you like them and want some to make jelly, the best place to get some is the rangers office at First Landing State Park on Shore Drive. There is a big tree just outside the office and they would be glad to see you pick some because they get squashed all over the side walk. Stop in and get permission. They will be happy to see you. As I got to the parking lot at the contact station, four kayakers were just coming in to the launch. About the time they hit the beach the sky opened up and it poured for about ten minutes, just about the time it took to load their boats, then it stopped. I was able to get in about an hour of casting a Gulp shad over the grass around the dock and the riprap before the next shower hit, this time with thunder, so I called it quits. I did manage to get one small pickerel and one small bass. Not bad for a recon trip.

20 September - The stripers are getting bigger!

2011-09-22T12:12:00.001-04:00

Click on map to enlarge.

I figured, why mess with a good thing, and decided to go back to Alton's Creek again. The weather was forecast to be on my side, at least for the morning, so I was underway for Old Pungo Ferry Road about six-thirty. I love that short paddle from the launch to the fishing grounds. Spending a half hour paddling before you can start fishing eats up the best time of the day not to mention my arms. The old track from last week worked well, so I decided to make the same loop and start with the same baits, four rods loaded with a buzz bait, a Gulp shad, a beetle spin, and a small Big-O. The Glup did not work its magic as it normally does, so I switched it out for a Senko. Much better. The buzz bait only got one hit, and when I missed the hook set, I almost ate it when it rocketed back in my direction. The buzz bait got replaced with a Yo-Zuri SS Minnow. See the video. I picked up one bass right off the bat on a Gulp, and then things slowed down for about two hours. Only a white perch or small bass here and there. I finally found a point holding some schoolies, and in fifteen minutes had about nine bass boated, with another half a dozen or so that spit the hook. I tried several baits and the beetle spin outdid everything as usual, but every lure got a fish or managed a good strike. After I cleaned out the point, things picked up a bit and I caught several more bass, one nice one a Senko, some white perch and a nice channel cat. Near the end of the trip a small striper was caught and I decided to call it a day and did the end of trip video clip thing. As I left the horseshoe, I got that one more cast feeling and tossed the beetle spin to a floating log. Bang, a nice striper slammed it and put up a great fight on my light rod. At four pounds and 25", it was my first legal striper of the year. As I crossed the river, the ten-foot level was graphing tons of big arches so I tied on a one ounce jig head with a four inch tail and watched the bait on the screen as I jigged it up and down from ten to fifteen feet, right through all those arches. After ten minutes and no action it started to drizzle so I gave up. It really kills me when you can see something and they won't cooperate.

The HD version is on my
YouTube Channel

14 September - Alton's Creek Bonanza

2011-09-15T15:06:00.000-04:00

After a long dry spell, I'm back on the water. The company has left, the contractors have finished the air conditioner install ($$$), and the honey do's are complete, so I loaded up and headed to my current hotspot on Alton's Creek. I was underway from the Old Pungo Ferry Road launch site by seven, and the first cast was shortly thereafter. I tried the buzz bait and the Gulp in the grass with limited success. The Gulp got some action but not much. The buzz bait was completely ignored. The ultra light was doing well, and the white perch were everywhere. Most of the action was on points of grass, and I was surprised nothing was happening back in the pockets or side creeks. Anchoring off a point, I would try a Beetle Spin, spinner bait, gulp, and crank bait. It became quickly apparent they were only interested in small shad type baits, so I stuck with the Beetle Spin and a small shad colored Cotton Cordell Big-O crank bait. Whatever the reason, today they were turned on, and the pattern held for five hours. Find a grassy point, anchor, work the Beetle Spin and the crank bait, catch fish, and move to the next point. The white perch were everywhere and some of them were around a pound. Other species were occasionally able to beat the perch to the hook and thirteen bass were captured, the biggest was three pounds even, my best in several months. The others were around a pound with several just under that mark. Pickerel were active and two average size specimens were caught on the Beetle Spin. A couple of nice grindle gave me some fast and furious action. They destroy your bait but the fight can be awesome. Near the end of the day a good sized striper hit the Big-O on the ultra light and battle was on. Luckily, it was in open water and with no trash to snag the line, I had him in the boat after a great five minute fight. Unfortunately he had the lure in the gills and was bleeding heavily. I hope he made it but it looked doubtful. That's one reason I don't use trailer hooks on my spinner baits. It really bothers me when I kill a fish. Overall, the day was on unqualified success. A series of good sized fish and about forty plus white perch to keep the action steady all day. I think the fall pattern have started so I'll stick to this area while the action remains hot. The cold front coming through tonight will probably kill things for a day or so. I should be back in business by Tuesday.

The HD version is on my
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07 September - Days of glory past.

2011-09-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

Charlie, Mike, and 250 Lb Silky Shark.

I have a lot happening this week. Company, air conditioning install, and of course the weather is not that hot, so I thought I'd take a look back at one of my favorite fishing spots. When I was stationed at Fleet Sonar School in Key West in 1971, I had a crazy neighbor named Mike. We did a lot of fishing and had some great times doing fun and sometimes stupid things. After stopping at the charter docks for some leftover barracuda, we would spend our evening's fishing with heavy equipment off the Naval Station piers. A big hook, a one pound chunk of barracuda, and you never knew what would grab it and take off into the night. I love the sound of a screaming drag . If you were lucky, a nice grouper or snapper would be landed and that would be food for a week. Sometimes, it was a huge shark and then the fun and the stupids would begin. It would sometimes take a half hour or more to get a shark into range of the beach. One night after a great battle, I worked a big silky shark into about three feet of water and Mike yells "I'll gaff it" and jumps into waist deep water with a small hand gaff. Somehow, he wrestles the shark to the beach, and then tells me he thought it was a big grouper. He sticks to that story to this day, and he still has all his extremities.

Jeff , Mike and a nice Grouper.

In order to pass on our love of fishing, we would sometimes bring our boys along for some tamer grouper and snapper fishing. Mikes son Jeff and my son Scott were about the same age so we all had fun fishing an bonding. Tarpon fishing on Boca Chica one night, we were sitting on the bank intently watching our bobbers when Jeff started screaming bloody murder. It seems he had been sitting on a fire ant nest and was being eaten alive. Mike grabbed him and into the water they jumped. After picking off the ants and wringing out their cloths, we called it a night and headed home. Not the best night of fishing, but it was definitely memorable.

Me with a tasty Snapper.

The Key West years were some one of the best times of my life. Great friends, great fishing, and great memories. My wife Tina, Scott, and I went back to Key West many years later and relived all those good times. Scott and I chartered a guide and caught some more nice tarpon. I sure wish I'd taken a lot more pictures.

02 September - Duck blind loop

2011-09-03T11:21:00.000-04:00

I finally got my wish. The water levels are back to normal and I was able to get back to Beggars Bridge Creek. I should have stayed where I was. It was very slow and what fish I did manage to fool were very small. The bay and the creek weathered the storm in great fashion. There are a lot of weed gone in the creek, but it was really getting clogged and it cleaned up a lot of the mess. The bay has more weed beds than ever and the water is nice and clear. I expected a mud hole after Irene but I guess the weeds kept the churning down to a minimum. I loaded up with my summer time favorite baits, buzz, Gulp, and a plastic I haven't tried often, so I added a big 7" Anaconda worm to the mix. Anchoring at a duck blind, I thoroughly worked the whole area with each lure, and then moved on to the next blind. If I saw any movement in the grass I tossed a Gulp to the spot. Most blinds gave up one fish and that was it. I finally got a one pounder at the mouth of the creek with a Gulp, and that was to biggest bass of the day. Six other juveniles went for assorted baits. Nothing stood out as the "bait of the day". Two good days out of three for the week ain't half bad. I'll take it.

The HD version is on my
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31 August – Birthday Bass

2011-09-01T19:08:00.000-04:00

Well today I hit seventy-one, so in order to cheer myself up, I went back to the oxbow hoping to get a repeat of Mondays catch. This time I went earlier in hopes of arriving before the “big bite” ended. It was a slow but steady day, with lots of interesting critters to view and a ton of white perch to catch. The water was down a foot from the high on Monday, and the weeds were so thick it was hard to paddle. The wind kicked up again which made boat control more difficult, but helped the fishing. Today the buzz bait didn’t get any interest, only the Gulp Shad and the small Beetle Spin. I also tried spinner baits, crank baits, Senkos, Ribbits, and tubes. The Gulp got several bass, the largest a 2-3, and the ultra light and Beetle Spin combo collected about two dozen white perch as well as the biggest bass, a 2-7. I also got white perch on a Pins Minnow along with a small bass. A gold colored floating Rapala enticed a few white perch but also a lot of weeds so I went back to the shallow running Pins Minnow. Todays pattern was the grassy points, especially where the wind was straight on the point. So my birthday present from Mother Nature was six nice bass,, dozens of white perch, some almost a pound, and some nice video of a clapper rail and some diving turns. Check out the video.

The HD version is on my
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29 August – après Irene

2011-08-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

The day started out on a sour note. I intended to fish Beggars Bridge and check the duck blinds on Back Bay but Pleasant Ridge Road was under water and not navigable. At least I had my power back and no damage to the condo. I backed up about a quarter mile to a turnaround and headed to the Old Pungo Ferry Road launch. This is higher ground and the place was dry. The river was moving fast and the water was lapping at the door of the old Captain Georges. I rigged up an ultra light with a beetle spin for white perch, a Gulp, a buzz bait and crank bait. Because of the threat of storms, I decided to stay near the launch in case I needed to return in a hurry. With the water so high, the weeds were just underwater, so I started with the buzz bait running over the top and sure enough, they were in the mood. When I got a short strike I would toss the gulp back to the spot and twice that worked. It stayed strangely overcast and foggy all morning and I think that helped the top water bite. I happened to run across a school of white perch and spent half an hour with the ultra lite catching them until I got bored. To bad I don’t eat them, I would have had enough to last the winter. The wind really started to pick up from the northeast about noon, and the switch was turned off. I guess the rain cooled off the water and helped me land six nice bass. All of them were over a pound with the best weighing in at two pounds six ounces. The good weather is supposed to last all week. Now to find some other launch site that’s above water.

Pleasant Ridge Road

The HD version is on my
YouTube Channel

23 August – Hurricane fishing.

2011-08-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

After yesterdays bust on Indian Creek, I didn’t feel like loading up the kayak again but wanted to get out for a little sightseeing. I haven’t been to the Mackay Island NWR for sometime, so I packed up lunch and a couple of rods and headed to North Carolina. The impoundment has deteriorated over the last few year’s, and only the area to the northeast has any clear water. So after a long walk in the sun, I started with a beetle spin and a gulp along the weeds in the clear water on the other side of the road. There were grindle coming to the surface and it looked like they were trout sucking flies. Very unusual. I got a crappie on the beetle spin and one large grindle on the gulp. After half an hour in the sun, it was getting to hot and the mosquitoes were biting more than the fish, so I headed to the car for lunch and a strategy session. Unlike yesterday, there was a lot of activity on the water. Fish were rising and other wildlife was also active. The wind picked up and the activity increased. I decided to run down to the loop and try the little pond and see what was happening there. The water was busy here too, and I got that dinner bell feeling. The beetle spin got some immediate action with blue gills, small bass, and a warmouth. They seemed concentrated in one area so I flipped the gulp to the spot and bang, a solid hit, and after a good fight landed a one to two pound bass. After straightening out the mangled gulp, I tossed it back to the same spot and instantly nailed number one’s twin brother. I continued around the pond watching where I stepped, lot of cotton mouths here, and picked up several more small bass and a few more blue gill. Total for a one-mile walk, six bass, one grindle, a bunch of blue gills and some really nice “nature” photos. Apparently fish prefer hurricanes to earthquakes.

The HD version is on my
YouTube Channel

23 August – Earthquake fishing.

2011-08-24T08:11:00.000-04:00

Today was a slow day. I haven’t been to Indian Creek since last year so I had low expectations. If you don’t keep up with what’s happening on a creek, you have to re-learn the ropes all over again, or maybe it was the earthquake. If animals sense earthquakes, why not fish? I tried my favorite baits, Gulp Shad, buzz bait, dark green tube, wake bait, and an ultra light with a small beetle spin. It was flat calm most of the day so I spent quite some time with the buzz bait. I couldn’t even get a nudge. The gulp got a couple of good hits but I lost both fish. I never saw the first one, but the second was a big grindle, which I had on for about 30 seconds, then lost it while trying to film and fish at the same time. I loose a lot of fish because of that maneuver. The big bass of the day went about a pound or a little more. I saw the wake as he made a pass at the beetle spin, and then hit it. I love it when they do that. I finally gave up after five hard hours with two bass, two pickerel, a few blue gill and a yellow perch. With the Dismal Swamp fire, the earthquake and the upcoming hurricane, it’s getting to be an interesting week.

18 August – Grand slam on Straight Creek

2011-08-19T14:35:00.000-04:00

Ray was kind enough to give me another ride-along today. The weather was gorgeous and the wind was calm for the most part. We departed from West Landing Marina around 6:30 and headed south to Straight Creek. My last trip here was fairly productive so I hoped today would be at least as good. As it turned out, fish size was less than stellar, but the quantity and variety were better than average. Things were a little slow, but steady, and the fish seemed to be scattered today. On my last trip here they were mainly along the weed line, but today there was no discernable pattern. A Gulp Shad landed a 1-10 bass and a Beetle Spin got about four more with two around a pound. The Beetle spin also accounted for several white perch, a pickerel, a grindle, and a striper. A #4 weight fly rod landed about a dozen blue gill, one of which was a monster. All in all, a fun trip with the ultra light gear making the day. Someone told me a Grand Slam is a bass, a grindle, and a striper.

The HD version is on my
YouTube Channel

15 August - Five Minute Fishing Trip.

2011-08-17T15:09:00.000-04:00

Retention Pond Bass

My son Scott and family were down for the weekend, and after dinner we were standing in the garage when I noticed some action in the retention pond across the street. There were patches of algae growing on the surface and schools of small shad were slurping it up. The water seemed to come alive in a feeding frenzy. A large Northern Water Snake was cruising the bulkhead looking for minnows. It was one of those evenings near sunset when nature comes alive. We were the first family to move onto the condo community ten years ago, and I had "stocked" some catfish in the pond. Over the years, I have also caught carp, and once a four pound cat on a Pop-R, but no bass. Then I notice a dark shape moving around just under the surface. At first I thought it might be a carp but it was too dark. I went back to the garage and grabbed two rods with Beetle Spins attached, and Scott and I started trying to coax a strike. After several attempts, I made another cast behind the dark shape and retrieved it right alongside. Just as it passed his head, he grabbed it and the fight was on. With a round pond and no cover, it wasn't a big deal to get him under control. Scott ran back to the garage and got the net. With an expert scoop, he had my trophy on the bank. He was an excellent specimen, and weighed in at two pounds thirteen ounces. The entire operation lasted less than five minutes. You can find fish in the strangest places, so never rule out that retention pond or ditch behind your house. You could kill a few minutes and catch some quality fish. So my biggest fish in three months was caught only fifty feet from my garage. Cool!

12 August - Monster grass beds on Beggars Bridge Creek.

2011-08-13T16:43:00.000-04:00

I got up at 5:15, and after getting ready to leave decided to give the radar a check. It was solid red, yellow, and green from Norfolk west so I read the paper and waited to see if the lighting would die down. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and left anyway. I figured I could wait at the ramp as well as on the couch. When I launched at 7:30, there was a light sprinkle and light winds. First fish in the boat in five minutes on a small buzz bait. This was not to be the norm for the day. I paddled straight to the bay and started to buzz the weeds and gulp the duck blinds (The red waypoints on the map). It was a beautiful day with light winds so I made the rounds of all my favorite blinds plus a stop at the eight-foot channel to see if any large bass were hanging in the deeper cool water. For all my trouble, all I got were six small bass. One bass on a Beetle Spin in the channel, and the rest about split on a Gulp and the buzz bait. I dredged the deep water with crank baits, pig and jigs, and tubes to no avail. The weed beds are now so thick, even a kayak is hard to paddle in them let alone fish. The water was so clear in the grass, I could see bass swimming around in three feet of water. I tried some under water video of them but only got some shots of grass and stumps. Interesting view though. I'll have to keep trying until I figure out how to do underwater shots. A couple of short clips are in the video. Duct tape a Polaroid lens on the video camera?

The HD version is on my
YouTube Channel

08 August - What's that thing growing out of your head?

2011-08-09T01:06:00.003-04:00

New head gear for 2011?

Mud Pod

After several inquires about the "Growth" on top of my head, I guess it's time to explain the phenomena. When I'm shooting videos, I like to get some "B roll" footage of myself fishing. Instead of trying to setup a tripod on the bank, I devised what I call a "Mud Pod". Building strange contraptions is a passion, so this was a chance to indulge in an inventive creation that allowed me to shoot some video from anywhere on the water. Just mount the camera and push pole into the mud, aim, and press record. It's adjustable and works in water up to four feet deep. I started with a telescoping painter's pole, the kind you use for a paint roller. Next, I chopped off the handle and fitted a piece of 1 1/2" PVC pipe about 6" long leaving a 3" empty space at the top. Because of the sinking of my last camera on Beggars Bridge Creek, I added a cleat so I could attach a carabineer and a safety strap. The screws also hold the PVC secure on the pole. The camera is now always attached to something on the boat or on the pole. I purchased a small mini tripod from Best Buy, and when the legs are folded down, it fits perfectly into the top of the PVC. I have another piece of PVC mounted to the top of my fish finder/GPS and it's easy to unclip the camera/tripod combo and move it to the other mount and re-clip the safety line. When the Mud Pod is not in use, I stick it in a rod holder in the back of the boat, and voila, a pipe appears behind my head.

05 August – At last, a cool day… and fish!

2011-08-06T00:22:00.000-04:00

I haven’t been paddling for a while and the wind is supposed to be East 10 – 15 so I started the trip with a couple of ibuprofen. The water was on the warm side and a little high but clear. Straight Creek has always been good to me so I launched at Old Pungo Ferry Road and headed south. With a light breeze behind me, I made it to the mouth of the creek in only 20 minutes. I had rigged up a tube, a spinner bait, a gulp shad, and a Beetle Spin, my fish finder outfit. I usually concentrate on the right bank because it’s undercut and plastic tight to the bank can work wonders. Today, just to mix things up, the bass were on the left side of the creek at the edge of the grass right at the drop off into the channel. The spinner bait didn’t get any action, but the other baits worked just fine. I would anchor on the weed line and thoroughly work all three baits, and then move down fifty feet or so. It was busy from about eight to ten, then things died off, but by then I had nine bass, several white perch, a pickerel, and one ornery grindle. The largest bass was two pounds even. I gave it up about twelve and headed back to the ramp against a strong head wind. I will pay for this tomorrow.

The HD version is on my YouTube Channel

02 August – Free ride to Pocaty and West Neck

2011-08-02T19:07:00.003-04:00

My Bass Rays Bass...... and his Crappie

With the heat still on, I was offered a ride-along with Ray to fish Pocaty Creek and West Neck Creek. It was a welcome change from paddling and gave me a chance to see what fishing was like while standing up. The action was slow as far as the bass were concerned, but we ran into several friends and it turned out to be a great social outing. Getting near the end of Pocaty Creek with only three small bass and a few bluegill boated, we ran into wild plant expert Vickie Shufer collecting mallow flower pods. She was going to panfry some for dinner. We had emailed in the past about wild rice in Pungo and it was great to have the opportunity to meet her in person. She and Lillie Gilbert have co-authored several books on paddling southeastern Virginia waterways. Rich in local history, flora and fauna as well as expert advice on paddling trails, they would make a great addition to your outdoor library. They can be found along with my book at Wild River Outfitters.

Hoping to improve our catch, we headed to West Neck. Near the mouth of the creek we met Ken working the bank. He said it was a little slow there also, but he had managed a two pound plus earlier in the day. That didn’t sound good. If Ken is not having a good day, I know I won’t be doing much. Heading further up the creek we ran into Jimmy fishing the West Neck Road bridge. He gave us the same story, slow. With the bass situation deteriorating, we switched to really small beetle spins and chased bream for the rest of the morning. Ray caught several nice crappie and about a dozen or so blue gill, and I managed to trail along behind with a white perch and a blue gill. It was not the best trip of the year, but I got to see several friends and just sit back and let someone else do all the work. Thanks Ray for a very relaxing day on the water.

27 July - Expect nothing, catch nothing.

2011-07-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

Earl heading home.

Cabin fever finally drove me out of the house. I waited until after five and the temperature dropped below 95º before I left the house. Because loading up the boat in the heat didn't appeal to me, I decided to head to the Back Bay NWR and do a little wading with the fly rod and wet some of the "fish skull" flies I have been tying. I started with a black rabbit fur leach. They have worked well on occasion, even though it's like casting a wet sweat sock. Today, not so much. Never got the first tap. Next went to a Deceiver pattern with the same result plus attracting a lot more salad. After struggling back to shore in the mud, I went to a backup spinning rod and tried a Senko, a Ribbit, and a pig & jig. Nothing here either. There were a ton of people at the refuse so I just socialized with the locals and visitors and enjoyed the sunset. I met Earl coming in from and evening paddle and he graciously consented to pose for a kayak/sunset photo. Nice guy, lives in Gent and paddles a lot. Thanks for the shot Earl. I think next week I'll do a trip with Ray, then I won't have to load that boat. He fishes Pocaty a lot so I'll have a trip report for everyone spotlighting a new place. Thanks Ray.

24 July - Fish Skulls

2011-07-24T12:34:00.000-04:00

Fish Skulls from

http://www.flymenfishingcompany.com/

With all this heat, us senior citizens have had to stay indoors. I did all the usual pre-fish stuff, replace old line, tie on all new leaders, clean and oil. I'm really getting cabin fever. While browsing the internet for new ideas, I came across these interesting items. Called Fish Skulls, they are aluminum heads for fly-tying and are environmentally friendly and lighter than lead eyes. I got these from Orvis in 2 days. You tie your usual fly without eyes, like a Deceiver or the good old Crappie Charlie, then glue on the Fish Skull. The eyes are separate and are super-glued to the skull after the fly is finished. Then you build up a head of thread to make sure the skull stays on. Some head cement and your done. These are light enough to make them drift down and should be great in 1 to 3 feet of water. Now I'm dying to get out on the bay and see what they produce. The two models I tied are large, 1/0 flies and I'm hoping some bass find them tasty. Report to follow.

TOP: Lefty's Deceiver

BOTTOM: Crappie Charlie

Close-up of "The Skull"

16 July - Tying the Crappie Charlie

2011-07-18T16:31:00.000-04:00

It has been a little hot lately, and the fish and I have been hiding in a cool spot. While waiting for a cooler day to arrive, I made a video of the Crappie Charlie, a fly I have had a lot of luck with in the Tidewater area. It's easy to tie, nothing fancy, and will catch everything that swims around here, including saltwater species. Crappie, bluegill, and perch especially like this fly and bass will also inhale it. Tie it on a #4 weight long rod and fish it around cypress trees for some great action. Not a fly rodder? Tie it on an ultra light spinning rod with a small bobber a foot above the fly and enjoy the same benefits. If things are slow, you can cheat by adding a Gulp Maggot to the hook.

Tying the Crappie Charlie

The HD version is on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/vbfishguide