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Green Top Fishing Report 01/20/2012

Friday, January 20th, 2012

BAY – Rockfish are still available inside the bay for catch and release anglers. Most are focusing on the Cape Charles/ CBBT area with good results. Mojos, stretch baits, and tandem rigs are quite popular. For those seeking to stay well within bay waters, the Speckled Trout are quite active inside the Elizabeth River. Mirro lures are probably your best bet right now. Trolled jerkbaits are also working to locate fish quickly.

OCEAN – The ocean is the focus of most that are after Rockfish, as impressive catches are still being made from Wachapreque to RudeeInlet. Tandem rigs have been very effective lately, as have mojos with umbrella rigs. Two to three miles out has been the most productive, but know where the 3mile line is, as enforcement officials are out in force. Many are tangling with Bluefin Tuna just outside the 3 mile line. Know the law when targeting thesebrutes, for stiff fines and severe consequences await those who gamble with regulations. Some of the Tuna caught lately have been close to 250lbs. proper equiptment isneeded to avoid hurt feelings by these fish.

FRESH – The upper James is returning to normal conditions, but as of right now, it’s still a bit stained. Barring any heavy rain, this weekend should be productive. Crankbaits are good lure choices, and large minnows are usually best as far as live bait goes. The lower James and Chick continue to be top choices for big Blue Catfish. We stock live eels through the winter. Bass usually bite good all winter on the Chickahominy River. Silver buddies are hard to beat here. Some may be after Yellow Perch already on the many tidal rivers that surround us. The Chick, Rappahannock, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey are all good, especially in February and March.

LAKES – 15lbs won the most recent winter Tx on Lake Anna. Guy Davis and Mark Mcghee were the winners out of Sturgeon Creek Marina. Blade baits,shaky heads and swim baits have been the fish producers. Stripers are beingcaught at Dike 3, the 208 area and the splits. Jigging spoons and live baithave been the most productive lately. Kerr Lake is at 297’ currently. The lower end has been better for Bass fishermen. Spoons and jerkbaits are the mainchoices for lures.

PONDS – Small jigs have been catching just about everything in ponds right now. It’s best to jig or reel these slowly across the bottom right now, especially for Bass. Crappie are biting well also, but they areusually a little higher in the water column.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

Green Top Fishing Report 01/13/2012

Friday, January 13th, 2012

  BAY – The Bay Rockfish season is closed, but many fish are available to catch and release anglers. The lower bay structures seem to be holding more big fish. The concrete ships, the CBBT, and Plantation Light are all good. Speckled Trout anglers are still having fun with big fish inside the Elizabeth River. As usual, Mirrorlures are taking the bigger fish on average, along with live bait.  

OCEAN – Cape Henry to Rudee has been very good this week. Numerous fish over 40 inches have been caught this week. Anthony Van Ness of Richmond caught a 45 and a half inch, on Tuesday the 10th using Mojos. The area around Oyster has been good also.  Many folks are still encountering Bluefin Tuna as they troll for Rocks, east of Rudee Inlet. Some are actually targeting the Tuna, as the bait is very thick just inside the 3 mile line. Charter boats out of Nags Head and Hatteras are catching mostly Yellowfin Tuna.  

FRESH – This week’s rain will probably ruin favorable conditions on the upper James, halting what has been a good bite for Smallmouth. Anglers are still targeting Blue Catfish on the lower James. Many say this is the best time to target the giants. Die-hard Chick River anglers are catching quality Bass on jigging spoons, live bait and swim baits. 18lbs won the most recent Winter Bass Tx out of Sturgen Creek marina, Jigging spoons were key. Shakey heads are also producing Bass, Dike 3 and the Splits are still good for Stripers. Pond Bass are responding to crankbaits reeled very slowly. Use a slower gear ratio for best results.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

Early spring New

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
We had not seen anyone but each other for quite a few hours. The mild shock of quickly sliding down the rapids in our boat was augmented by two men suddenly standing on the rocky near bank, tossing bucktails into some deep water. We agreed that they were trying for stripers given the time of year, choice of lure, and the rockfishiness of the hole they were scouring. My mind turned quickly from smallmouth bass in the bright sunlight and green water to striped bass at night under the lights. Brit snapped me out of my reverie, pointing at a foam trough. “Jerk bait.” he said. I nodded and put out a team of casts, spanking the worth-every-penny fifteen dollar lure throughout the water. Mickey, my fishing partner, worked a tube on the bottom with his eyes glued to the line.
Most of the day went like that; reaction bites from the jerkbait, and more accurate fishing with a tube. The morning was extremely productive. When the sun came up on us at New River Outfitters near VA Tech, the sky was cloudy and the day felt like fishing weather. When I said just that, Mickey replied that any weather is good fishing weather. I had to concur. Fishing with Mickey is like fishing with a Green Top Hemingway. Declarative sentences and no mincing of words. If you get the chance to fish with Mickey, I recommend it.
The water had only just started to come down from all of the recent rain. It was a lovely green with a two foot visibility. The runoff from creeks entering the river was clear as a bell and we rang it all day long. Our first stop was just such a creek. There was bait flying from the water that suggested the predators lurking below. We didnt hook up at that spot, but Mickey and I both got our citations shortly thereafter. The smallmouth were almost all large with a spring yellow tint to their bronzed sides. Between the two of us, we racked up twelve fish over seventeen inches with two citations and several that were very close. The numbers never really tell the story; the strength of the fish, the jumps, the takes, and the silences are what fishing is about. Numbers are absolute, but transient in my memory compared to the smallie that came off of my tube at the high point of a long arc in the air. Others shook the jerkbait furiously just above the surface of the water. March is a season of stored energy waiting release. The heat inside these fish was palpable, their eyes were tiny furnaces. We tried to photograph a nice double, I couldn’t hold mine; she was too wild for my thumb.
Fishing the New River is like being transported to another time. I would say back to another time, but there is nothing in my past to compare it to. The fish are strong and their movements throughout the year are enigmatic and changing. If you live in VA and consider yourself a serious angler, you need to experience the New. In a world full of spin and hype, it is what it is cracked up to be.

 

Gabe

Posted in Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing | No Comments »

Speaking French in the South.

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

 I like to do a majority of the cooking at my house, and things can fall into a rut sometimes, especially with a lot of the same proteins coming across the table day to day. Everyone who hunts or fishes has had smoked trout, venison BBQ, jerky, or any number of breaded fillets. One way to make wild game come across in a good way without stewing, BBQing, or smoking it, is to incorporate sauces that complement natural flavor.
 
The Beurre Blanc is a sauce made by reducing an acid (white wine, vinegar, or lemon juice) and forcing cold butter into it with a whisk. It is an excellent addition to venison, striped bass, trout, and like wild game species that I either get a lot of from friends and coworkers or provide for myself from my own sporting endeavor. It seems intimidating and it very well could be if it weren’t so easy. A reduction of white wine and white wine vinegar in equal portion is accomplished over a medium to medium high heat. The liquid should decrease by 1/3 to 1/2. Next you remove it from the heat and whisk in cubes of unsoftened butter directly from the fridge. After the butter has melted in and the sauce has been seasoned to taste, back on the heat lightly for a few minutes continuing to whisk until thickened. Serve almost immediately. I am not a cooking instructor, so if those directions were too hasty, do what I do for culinary inspiration, consult Alton Brown.

I will say that going heavy on the lemon juice, light on the wine goes well with trout, and substituting strained and set up bacon grease for some of the butter does justice to venison loin. I like parsley in the butter for rockfish, and try dill for other white fish. I have used apple cider and apple cider vinegar together for pork and a heavy soy and balsamic vinegar for deer and broccoli over rice. The bottom line is that this sauce is versatile and if you like to cook game, it will add some sophistication to yours.   

Gabe

Posted in Fishing, Hunting | No Comments »

G Top Fly Fishing Report 12/13/11

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Coldwater: With the cold temperatures, the best trout fishing is on the
stocked waters.  South River, Beaver Creek, and the Jackson River are all
good options. Get deep with nymphs is essential for these fish. Our best
fish have come on the Jigged PT and Prince nymphs. Buggers, Hare’s Ear
nymphs, and Green Weenies have also been good.

Warmwater: Chain pickerel fishing just gets better with the cold
temperatures. Flash flies, Krystal Buggers and Todd’s Wiggle Minnows have
all been taking fish. Good local fisheries for these feisty pike include
the Chickahominy and Swift Creek Lake.

Saltwater: The abundance of small bait has made fly fishing for striped
bass very effective lately. Fish working under birds are usually keyed in
on anchovies or silversides, making Clousers and Half & Halfs very good
bets. At night, fish are going for the same flies but bigger fish are
around so we have been throwing Seakers, Dabloons, and Reverses on full
sinking lines looking for big fish. If the open water isn’t your thing,
speckled trout fishing is still hot in the Elizabeth and Rudee. These fish
are taking Clousers and Murdich Minnows.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Virginia Trout Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

Green Top Fly Fishing Report 11/18/11

Friday, November 18th, 2011

COLDWATER: Trout fishing has been good; blue quill and trico hatches have lingered on despite cold night time temps. Fishing nymphs is by far more effective right now though. Prince nymphs, Pheasant Tails, and Copper Johns have been best. As temps drop, we will be throwing more Green and Pink Weenies to entice sluggish fish.

WARMWATER: The best bite going right now is Chain Pickerel. Flash flies, Wiggle Minnows, Murdich Minnows, and Krystal Buggers are all taking fish. We have been fishing the Chickahominy watershed and these feisty little pike have been making for very good fishing. Crappie fishing in ponds and reservoirs has been good as well. Clouser minnows and Krystal Buggers have been accounting for most fish. They have been tight to brush piles some days and schooled out in the open others.

SALTWATER- Striped bass fishing has been picking up steadily. Big ocean fish are making a good showing around the CBBT and up into the bay. We throw big Bunker patterns, Half & Halfs and Seekers for these fish. Now is a good time to find schools of fish working under birds throughout the bay. Trout fishing is still good in the warmwater discharge areas as well as in Rudee and Lynnhaven inlet. We prefer tandem rigs for these fish; big profile streamers with Clousers dropped off the back have been working best for us.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Virginia Trout Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

G Top Fly Fishing Report 9/13/2011

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

 

COLDWATER- As water levels recede, the trout fishing is fantastic. Hoppers and ants are still fishing well but the mountain streams are home to some good Blue Quill and Caddis hatches so be sure to cover all bases. Mossy Creek has been fishing well with hoppers and streamers.

WARMWATER- The high water has made largemouth and smallmouth fishing tough. As soon as the James comes down, big streamers will be taking fish. This is the case currently on the Shenandoah; fish are gorging on baitfish to fatten up for the winter. We recommend Reverses and Deceivers to match the baitfish. Crappie fishing has picked up in ponds, fishing buggers and damsels over brush piles has been taking fish.

SALTWATER- The striper fishing has really turned on. The abundance of silversides is making up for the lack of bunker. Bluefish blitzes have been commonplace, especially around rock structure. The islands of the HRBT and CBBT have produced consistent bluefish blitzes. Get your flies below the surface action to hook into the larger stripers. Trout fishing in the grass marshes and docklights has been phenomenal. During the day, we are fishing bigger Murdich Minnows and Deceivers. At night, the Mummi Clousers and Lightline Silversides have been taking most trout and schoolies.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Virginia Trout Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | 1 Comment »

Local Fishing Report by the Green Top Professionals

Friday, August 26th, 2011

 

 

Date: 8/26/11

Chesapeake Bay:  The Cobia bite is still quite good in the lower bay and oceanfront. Anglers are mostly cruising the CBBT pilings looking for targets to cast bucktails, live Spot, Menhaden, and Eels. Schools have also been seen in many areas by those fishing for Flounder.  It’s a good idea to keep a Cobia rod rigged and ready to go. Many species are on the move, like Red Drum. Large schools of Drum can be seen from long distances, for instance Steve Lane of Goochland recently caught a 50 inch drum while searching for Cobia. He was fishing with Mike Campbell. Gary Attwell of Mech. was jigging for Flounder, and caught a 46 inch Red Drum. Flounder fishing has been outstanding the last few weeks, and the month of September is typically best for the biggest flounder of the year. The CCBT, Back River Reef and the buoy 42 area have all been excellent. The HRBT has also been a consistent producer of Flounder. Windmill Bar is still producing good catches of Spanish Mackerel. Mackerel are also being caught around the CCBT. Spot and Croaker are being caught all over the Bay, but better areas have been the Rappahannock River, and the York River.  The Speckled Trout bite is increasing in areas like Mobjack Bay, Lynn Haven Inlet, and Poquoson Flats. This bite should continue in increase in months to come.

Ocean:  Schools of Red Drum and Cobia can be found cruising in ocean waters from Cape Henry, and just south of Rudee Inlet. A few Spot are starting to show up in Rudee Inlet.  Recent reports have been slow due to the oncoming hurricane. Hopefully the damage will be minimal and our thoughts go out to those in Coastal areas, as well as all those affected by this oncoming storm.

Freshwater Rivers:  Conditions will likely change over the next few days, however, the lower James has been producing excellent catches of Blue Catfish. Bass fishing have been fair to good this week, with the best bites being on soft plastics and crank baits. A small spinner bait has been working well also. On the Potomac River a jig is perhaps the most consistent producer of Bass, but a Top-water frog is the most exciting.  There’s still a good hard cover bite in DC. The upper James remains good for Flathead Catfish, and Smallmouth Bass. Many are using live Goldfish for Flatheads.  The river level at the Richmond Westham Gauge is 3.74, low and clear. At this level, live bait is usually your best option for Smallmouth Bass.

Freshwater Lakes:  The Kerr lake elevation is 297.14 currently. Deep water presentations are generally more stable at this level. Crank baits, Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs are producing in rocky areas. Catfish anglers are also faring well at Kerr Lake. A jigging spoon has been productive at Kerr, and Lake Anna, but live bait is still producing the biggest fish. Look for smaller lakes such as Swift Creek Reservoir , Briery Creek, and Sandy River Reservoir for more consistent catches of Bass. The oncoming hurricane should raise water levels significantly thus improving catches.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

Two Days of Fishing the Salt

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

 

We found out firsthand how much high quality sunglasses can improve your fishing experience on the first day as we headed out Cobia fishing in the VA Beach area with Captain Tony Horsely. We started out fishing beaches, but the fish seemed more skittish in those areas so we decided to head out to the Bridge Tunnel where we crushed fish until our arms ached. Mickey Hopkins landed a 52” release citation, the other big fish were in the 40” range. They all came to the boat on heavier bucktails and live eels. It was a beautiful day with a small breeze to keep it cool, and our Captain kept us in fish from the tower of his 25’ center console all day. The fish seemed to have halos around them in the water through our Costa 580s; they are worth every penny.

The second day of our trip found us pursuing Flounder with Gary Atwell, Steve Miller, and Bill Hicks; all tournament bass fishermen. The flounder jig bite has often been compared to bass jig fishing, and this outing proved the point. Our fish came on bucktails with Fishstrips or 7” Gulp jerk shad. We got our limit of flounder easily, ranging 18.5” to 23.5”. The highlight of the day was a monster 51” Red Drum hauled in after a half-hour battle by Gary. It proved to be no match for him or his Garcia 4500C. The trip was a resounding success.  

-Vance Hopkins

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Fishing, Salf Water Fishing | No Comments »

Green Top Fly Fishing Report 8/19/11

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Green Top Fly Fishing Report 8/19/11

Coldwater- With most mountain streams low, the spring creeks are fishing best. Mossy Creek, Beaver Creek, Spring Run, and the South River Special Reg section are fishing well. Small mayfly patterns work well early in the morning during the trico hatch. The fish aren’t usually too picky, so we fish size 20 Parachute Adams. Once the sun is good and high, hoppers and ants have been the best bet. Lots of large browns have been falling for Skilton’s EZ Sight Ant.

Warmwater- Smallmouth fishing continues to be the best option. Dead drifting topwater poppers and sliders is taking most fish. Lightly weighted streamers stripped with erratic retrieves have been working well. We like Reverses and Murdich Minnows for this. Cast to the banks or over rock ledges and bring back with short jerky strips. As the nights cool down, largemouth and pickerel fishing will continue to improve.

Saltwater- Speckled trout are thick all through the bay. Redfish are making a good showing as well. Half & Half’s and clousers have been taking both along with schoolie stripers. Fishing the Hampton side of the HRBT at night is producing a good mixed bag. We like the above flies as well as Murdich Minnows and Reverses for fishing the light line at night.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay Fishing, Creek Fishing, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water Fishing, Pond Fishing, Salf Water Fishing, Virginia Bass Fishing, Virginia Trout Fishing, Weekly Fishing Report | No Comments »

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